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| April 03, 2007 | Tuesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1428 |
Djokovic cruises past Canas to lift Miami title
MIAMI, April 2: Serbian teenager Novak Djokovic breezed to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Argentine Guillermo Canas to claim the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday, underlining his status as a possible future world No 1.
After losing to Rafael Nadal in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago, the 19-year-old 10th seed would not let a second opportunity for his first Masters Series title slip through his fingers, replacing Andre Agassi as the youngest winner in the 23-year history of the Miami event.
It was the second title of the season for Djokovic and the fourth of his young career.
Canas had battled through qualifying and five seeded players to reach the final but could not manage a single break on five chances in the final.
Djokovic won a contentious first set when the 29-year-old Argentine was charged with a foot fault giving him triple break point which he immediately converted into a 3-1 lead.
A furious Canas argued the call with the chair umpire and struggled to regain his composure, losing the next 12 points as Djokovic went on to take the opening set.
Djokovic also recorded the early break in the second to go up 3-2 but the set eventually swung on the sixth game that went to deuce eight times and needed 19 minutes to decide with the young Serb finally holding serve and both players receiving a standing ovation.
Canas received treatment on his left thigh in the third set but continued to battle until handing Djokovic the decisive break when he double-faulted at 4-4 allowing the Serb to serve out the match.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams fought off two match points on her way to an epic 0-6, 7-5, 6-3 comeback win over world No 1 Justine Henin to claim her fourth Sony Ericsson Open title on Saturday.
Brushed aside in 26 minutes in the opening set and broken by the Belgian to start the second, Williams's title hopes had appeared over.
But the muscular American, backed by a vocal home crowd at Crandon Park, gathered her reserves and clawed her way back into the contest, finally gaining control after fending off two match points with Henin serving at 5-4 in the second set.
With the momentum and crowd now firmly in her corner, a ruthless Williams moved in for the kill sweeping through the next six games to take a 3-0 lead in the third set, closing out the two hour 26 minute match with a service winner on her first match point.
On the way to her 28th career title, Williams dropped just one set recording wins over world number one Henin and Maria Sharapova, who held the top spot before surrendering it to the Belgian last week.—Reuters
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