No. 1 Djokovic advances at Miami
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia has reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, overcoming an early break to oust David Ferrer of Spain 7-5, 7-5 on Thursday night in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Djokovic faced a quick 3-0 deficit, then rallied and took control by winning 10 of the next 13 games. He’ll play 22nd-seeded John Isner of the United States in the semifinals tonight.
Ferrer was celebrating his 33rd birthday. He’s now lost his last eight matches against Djokovic.
Earlier Thursday, Isner rolled past No. 4-seed Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-4, 6-3, while Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro advanced to the women’s final and clinched her first top-10 ranking by beating Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-3.
Women’s No. 1 Serena Williams was playing Simona Halep later Thursday night in another semifinal.
BOXING
Don’t expect much change back from a $100 bill to watch the Floyd Mayweather Jr. - Manny Pacquiao fight at home.
The suggested retail price for the May 2 pay-per-view will be $89.95, the two cable networks broadcasting the fight said Thursday. Many, though, will end up paying $99.95 because of a surcharge for high definition tacked on by many cable and satellite providers.
Like almost everything else about the fight, the payper-view price is a record for boxing. The previous highest was the $64.95/$74.95 charged for the 2013 fight between Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez .
The welterweight title unification fight will be televised by HBO and Showtime, using a combination of announcers. HBO’s Jim Lampley will be the lead announcer, with Showtime’s Al Bernstein serving as analyst.
Promoters are optimistic the fight will sell more than the 2.48 million buys generated by Mayweather’s 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya , and it will almost surely surpass the $152 million in pay-per-view revenue record set by the Mayweather-Alvarez fight.
Depending on how the pay-per-view does, Mayweather could earn some $180 million and Pacquiao $120 million.
Tickets for the fight at the MGM Grand have yet to go on sale but will carry a record price of $1,500 to $7,500. Promoters say there will be some sales to the public, but they are expected to be very limited.
RUNNING
A few blocks from the finish line and even closer to the spot where the second bomb exploded during the 2013 Boston Marathon, race organizers are building a combination clubhouse, interactive museum and retail store that, for the first time, gives them a year-round, public presence.
The Boston RunBase scheduled to open April 16 will allow visitors to learn about the world’s most prestigious road race, run a replica of the course on a treadmill or see artifacts from its 118-year history.
It will give runners a place to gather before going for a jog by the Charles River, and then shower and change before heading back to work or to the convention center across the street.
SAILING
Italian team Luna Rossa has announced it will withdraw from the America’s Cup after teams voted to reduce the size of boats to be sailed in the 2017 regatta in Bermuda.
A statement from the team says that “following a careful evaluation of the serious implications of this unprecedented initiative, Team Luna Rossa confirms that it will withdraw from the 35th America’s Cup.”
On Tuesday night, America’s Cup organizers said a majority of teams favored the move from 62-foot (19-meter) catamarans to 48-foot (14.65-meter) boats.
That came after Luna Rossa said last week it “will be obliged to withdraw” if the race boat was downsized. Team New Zealand supported the Italians.
While the downsizing is considered a cost-cutting move, Luna Rossa was believed to be at an advanced stage in its development of a larger boat. Bryan Davis of United Delta Specialties paints the concrete wall on the new right-field bluff at AutoZone Park. Changes this season dropped seating to 10,000 while expanding bluff areas.