Miami – final

(2)Andy Murray d. (3)David Ferrer    2-6, 6-4, 7-6(1)    [2:45 h]

What was at stake besides 719,160 dollars and prestige? For Murray the No. 2 in the world, for Ferrer No. 4; admittedly rankings they had reached before, but at current set-up in men’s tennis, a winner of the final would be placed closer than ever to approach a new highest position. Ferrer started strongly this unusually early final (11:30 a.m.), anyway his 5:0* lead might have been a bit illusive because Murray had break/game points in four of the first five games, including a 40/0 lead in game 4. The Scot felt certainly that the big difference in the score wasn’t a matter of Ferrer’s overwhelming performance and broke calmly at 1-all in the 2nd set. After a change of ends at 3:2, there were two games that imprinted the rest of the final – both were won by servers from a 15/40 deficit with hilarious running from both sides, Ferrer won one rally wandering 20-meter longer distance. Actually from another changeover to the end of the match, both guys were playing with grimace on their faces. Ferrer came back from 2:4 to 4-all, but next three games went to Murray. The last set was bizarre: they exchanged breaks in the first six games (!); at 2:3 Ferrer took a medical time-out and needed a treatment to his left thigh two more times. Sixth consecutive break occurred as Murray stumbled allowing his opponent to produce the only backhand winner! Ferrer finally ended the streak of breaks to hold for a 4:3 lead, but Murray broke him once again in the 9th game only to lose his serve to ’30’ serving for the championships. Ferrer looked fresher and more animated in that moment like he believed he couldn’t lose coming back as many as four times from a break down. When he led 6:5* he managed to win three straight points from 15/40 which meant a match point. There was a solid rally (15 strokes), Murray played an offensive forehand and Ferrer stopped the point asking for a challenge: hawk-eye showed the ball clipped the line! It devastated Ferrer’s spirit, he afterwards said: “I [made] my decision in that moment. It’s a bad moment now. I don’t want to think anymore about that. I want to forget as [fast] as possible.” It limited his physical fitness as well. The first point of the tie-break was punishing, Ferrer should have won it after fantastic defense, but netted a forehand trying to play a winner. The following three points lost quickly. Good serve gave him a sparkle of hope. At 4:1 another long rally, Ferrer lost it and fell down on the court like a mannequin. It was sensational view considering his physical firmness. The Spaniard changed the ends limping. Even the biggest fans couldn’t believe in his success then. Murray hadn’t any problems to get another two points, finishing the job with a backhand return winner, very equal match was concluded with 10 out of the last 11 points won by the Scot, who celebrated his 26th title dropping his racquet, baseball cap, and covering his face with hands. “It’s taking a little while to sink in, because it’s tough to think really at the end of the match,” said Murray. “It was so tough physically and mentally that you were just trying to play each point. I wasn’t thinking too much only because I was so tired and [did] not [have] too many nerves at the end of the match, either.” Murray has won a match saving a match point for the first time since Autumn 2007 when he beat Youzhny, also 7/1 in the deciding tie-break. Stats of the final

Doubles final:
(5)A.Qureshi/JJ.Rojer d. (8)M.Fyrstenberg/M.Matkowski 6-4, 6-1

Match stats (total points: 106-102):
Winners:
Murray: 19 service, 2 aces, 9 FH, 6 BH, 3 volleys, 1 dropshot
Ferrer: 16 service, 4 aces, 4 FH, 1 BH, 1 volley, 4 overheads
Errors:
Murray: 7 double faults, 31 FH, 31 BH, 4 volleys
Ferrer: 4 double faults, 33 FH, 26 BH, 3 volleys
Break point conversions & Challenges:
Murray: 7/15 (eleven games), 0/6
Ferrer: 8/14 (ten games), 1/6