Azarenka wins WTA Miami Open crown
Djokovic and Nishikori advance to final
MIAMI, April 2, (AFP): Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka captured her third WTA Miami Open title on Sunday by defeating two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
Azarenka, who also took the trophy in 2009 and 2011, won her 20th career title and third of the year after Brisbane in January and two weeks ago at Indian Wells, where she beat top-ranked Serena Williams in the final.
“I have so many great memories here,” said Azarenka. “It’s always a pleasure to come here. Hot tennis is amazing this month.”
The 26-year-old from Belarus became only the third woman to sweep the MiamiIndian Wells double in the same season, after Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005.
Azarenka will jump from eighth to fifth in the world rankings on Monday, her first time in the top five since March 2014.
Azarenka dedicated the title to her parents, Alla and Fedor, saying, “They gave me roots to know where I come from and wings to fly so I could be here.”
Kuznetsova, the 2006 Miami champion, will jump from 19th to 13th in the world rankings next week.
Azarenka won her fourth meeting in a row over 30-year-old Kuznetsova without dropping a set to seize a 5-4 lead in the career rivalry.
Azarenka broke Kuznetsova five times in the first set, including the final game when the Russian sent a forehand wide to surrender the set after 40 minutes.
Azarenka, broken three times herself but crucially able to hold serve in the second game, had five double faults and connected on only 48 percent of her first serves in the opening set, winning just 40 percent of those points and taking only 36 percent on her second serve.
But Kuznetsova, while hitting 75 percent of her first serves in the match, also won only 45 percent of those points and just 14 percent off her second serve.
Both struggling players kicked balls at times in their first-set frustration.
Each held to start the second set, Kuznetsova doing so for the first time in
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the match, but Azarenka broke at love for a 3-1 edge, an overhead smash sealing the game.
Azarenka squandered a break chance in the sixth game by swatting a forehand wide but denied Kuznetsova a break point in the seventh game with her only ace of the match and held to take a 5-2 lead.
She then broke Kuznetsova for the seventh and final time with a backhand winner, her 23rd against only eight by Kuznetsova, to end matters after 77 minutes.
World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the ATP and WTA
Kei Nishikori of Japan returns a shot to Nick Kyrgios of Australia during the semifinals of the Miami Open presented by Itau at Crandon Park Tennis Center on April 1, in Key Biscayne, Florida. (AFP)
Miami Open final after straight-set triumphs Friday in which both were tested.
Djokovic, an 11-time Grand Slam champion whose three titles this year include the Australian Open, downed Belgian 15th seed David Goffin 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
The 28-year-old Serbian will try to match the career record of six Miami crowns won by Andre Agassi by capturing his third consecutive title at the hardcourt event.
“It’s a privilege just to be mentioned alongside Andre Agassi,” Djokovic said.
Sixth seed Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, downed Australian 24th seed Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 7-5.
“First Miami final, that makes me very happy,” Nishikori said.
Djokovic has a 6-2 career edge over Nishikori, including five wins in a row, most recently in this year’s Australian Open quarter-finals.
“It’s going to be tough for sure. He has been playing well,” Nishikori said. “I played him in Australia. I will try to come up with something better.”
Djokovic won his 15th consecutive Miami match and the 29th of his past 30, but only after winning a tense tie-breaker and taking the lone break of the second set, prompting a post-match kissing of the court.
“I wanted to make sure the court feels my love,” Djokovic said. “A little kiss for goodbye and I’ll see you in two days. I’ve had so many beautiful memories on that court. It’s one of my favorite courts.”
Djokovic improved to 27-1 on the season, which has included his 11th career Grand Slam title and crowns at Doha and Indian Wells.
He could claim the Miami-Indian Wells double for the third year in a row and his 63rd career title on Sunday.
Squared 4-4 in the tie-breaker, Goffin hit an overhead smash that Djokovic sent back as a lob inside the far baseline to keep the point alive and later took full advantage by winning it with a forehand drop volley winner.
“I was a bit fortunate in the tie-breaker but I made him play the extra shot,” said Djokovic.
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