Djokovic beats Murray in three sets to end world No 1’s 28-game winning streak

Tennis - Qatar Open

Defending champion Novak Djokovic successfully defended his Qatar Open title by beating top-seeded Andy Murray 6-3, 57, 6-4 yesterday.

The dramatic match, which showcased the best of men's tennis for 2 hours, 54 minutes, required Djokovic to need four match points - three in the second set and one in the third - to prevail.

"Definitely one of the best ways of starting a year," Djokovic said on court. "After saving five match points in the semifinal, and I had three match points in the second set, I said, 'Wow' when he turned it around.

"All the way to the last shot you never know with Andy."

Murray's loss ended his 28match winning streak that dated to 18 September.

Djokovic had three match points in the 10th game of the second set, but couldn't prevent Murray from making it 5-5 and eventually winning the second set.

Murray finally capitalized on his fourth break point - second in that 10th game - with an inside out forehand winner.

Despite going up 0-30, Murray wasn't able to come up with the same magic when Djokovic served for the match a second time at 5-4 in the third set. Murray also failed to take advantage of a break point in the sixth game of the third set.

"Physically, it was a good test to start the year," Murray said. "My body feels all right just now, so that's positive.

"Still think there are things I can do better. I wasn't that clinical on break points this week, which maybe that comes with playing a few more matches."

Djokovic's frustration got the better of him on two particular moments in the match, which caused umpire Carlos Bernardes to hand the Serb two warnings, including the loss of a point on the second warning.

The second warning resulted when Djokovic smashed his racket in frustration at 40-30 to end the 11th game of the second set, which Murray was serving for, prematurely.

The first warning came in the sixth game of the first set.

Annoyed at losing a point, Djokovic angrily smacked a ball to the ground that accidentally flew into the stands and hit a woman.

The top-ranked Murray has lost all 20 matches he's played against Djokovic when he's lost the first set.

Overall, Djokovic held a 25-11 career record over Murray.

Murray won their last encounter 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP Fi- nals in November. That victory catapulted Murray ahead of Djokovic to the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time.

Siniakova breaks through to win first title at Shenzhen Open

Katerina Siniakova captured her first career title at the Shenzhen Open yesterday, defeating Alison Riske 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

The 20-year-old Czech player enjoyed her best week on tour, defeating two top-10 players to reach the final: No. 4 Simona Halep and No. 10 Johanna Konta.

Siniakova had little trouble against Riske in the final, breaking the American twice in each set to close it out in just under 80 minutes.

The eighth-seeded Riske lost the title match in Shenzhen for the second year in a row. She lost to top seed Agnieszka Radwanska last year.

Bautista Agut vs Medvedev in Chennai Open final

Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain eased past Benoit Paire of France 6-3, 6-3 yesterday to meet Daniil Medvedev in the Chennai Open final.

Bautista Agut, a beaten finalist in 2013, was in command as usual against Paire, who got to the semifinals without dropping a set.

The second-seeded Spaniard also beat fifth-seeded Paire at the same stage four years ago, and has never lost to him in eight career meetings.

"I played better tennis and ag- gressive," Bautista Agut said.

He will seek his fifth career title today.

The unseeded Medvedev outlasted the more experienced Dudi Sela of Israel 4-6, 7-6 (2), 62 to make his maiden ATP final.

Sela had match point in the 10th game of the second set, but Medvedev saved it with a winner. He raised his game in the tiebreaker and third set of his first ATP semifinal.

Mladenovic, Gasquet give France its 2nd Hopman Cup title

Kristina Mladenovic and Richard Gasquet clinched France's second Hopman Cup title, beating Americans CoCo Vandeweghe and Jack Sock 4-1, 4-3 in the deciding mixed doubles match in the tournament final yesterday.

Earlier, Vandeweghe beat Mladenovic 6-4, 7-5 after Gasquet saved a match point in the third-set tiebreaker and held on for a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (6) win over Sock to give France the early lead in the exhibition tournament.

The mixed doubles was played under the Fast4 format of fourgame sets, no deuces and a fivepoint tiebreaker when sets are tied at 3. France shut out the American team in the secondset tiebreaker 5-0.

The French pair had defeated Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the deciding mixed doubles on Friday night to advance to the final.

The U.S. has won the Hopman Cup a record six times in the tournament's 29-year history.

“I was just trying to keep the team alive, that's the whole concept out here," Vandeweghe said after saving break points in two consecutive service games in the second set to send the final to the mixed doubles decider.