Key Biscayne: Novak Djokovic may not be able to match last year's sensational 41-match winning streak, but the world number one believes he is in just as good form heading into the clay court season. The Serb successfully defended his Sony Ericsson Open title with a 6-1, 7-6 win over Britain's Andy Murray in Sunday's final at the Miami Masters Series event where he never dropped a set during the...
12:45 PM, Apr 02, 2012
Key Biscayne, Fla.: Two boys stood on the top row of the stadium, beautiful Biscayne Bay at their back and the world's best tennis player down below, as they waved a sign in his support. "Djokovic in the house," it read. From the youngsters' remote perch, Novak Djokovic looked like a tiny figure, yet he still loomed large. The top-ranked Djokovic won his third Sony Ericsson Open title on Sunday,...
08:52 AM, Apr 02, 2012
Miami: Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek came from behind to claim the mens doubles title at the Sony Ericsson Open here on Saturday night, giving the Indian veteran his 50th doubles crown. The seventh seeds beat second seeds Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 in a match that lasted almost one and a half hours. With the win, Paes became only the 24th player in...
10:32 AM, Apr 01, 2012
Florida: The two finalists met at the net to shake hands, Maria Sharapova standing a head taller, even with her shoulders slumped in disappointment. She finished second again on Saturday. Sharapova lost serve in the last game of each set and fell short in the latest bid for her first Sony Ericsson Open title, losing in the final to Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 6-4. Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is...
09:00 AM, Apr 01, 2012
Key Biscayne, Fla.: A marathon second set was all even in a tie-breaker on Friday night when Novak Djokovic found himself involved in yet another grueling point. He hit 13 shots, all smacked aggressively from the backcourt, many landing within a foot or two of the baseline at the far end. Finally Djokovic's dogged opponent cracked. Juan Monaco sailed a weary forehand long, and moments later the top-ranked Djokovic clinched...
10:44 AM, Mar 31, 2012
Key Biscayne, Fla.: Rafael Nadal's knee trouble has sidelined him again, and he hopes for a quick recovery to avoid missing any of the upcoming clay-court season. Nadal withdrew hours before the start of his semi-final on Friday at the Sony Ericsson Open because of a left knee injury that bothered him in recent matches. With his withdrawal, 2009 champion Andy Murray advanced to Sunday's final. His opponent will be...
10:41 AM, Mar 31, 2012
Miami: India's Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek pulled off an amazing victory over top seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan to secure their berth in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open. However, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna crashed out of the tournament in straight sets on Thursday. Paes is one win away from a third consecutive Sony Ericsson Open doubles title - with three different partners...
02:19 PM, Mar 30, 2012
Key Biscayne: Maria Sharapova was confused and Caroline Wozniacki was mad. The linesman was wrong and the chair umpire was right. Sharapova won the disputed final point after an overrule by the umpire, edging Wozniacki 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday in the semi-finals at the Sony Ericsson Open. "Obviously you don't want it to end that way," Sharapova said. At 40-30 in the last game, Sharapova hit a second serve...
08:58 AM, Mar 30, 2012
Miami: In the first doubles match played on the Stadium Court in this year's Sony Ericsson Open, seventh-seeded Leander Paes of India and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek defeated Spaniards David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco in straight sets 7-6 (6), 6-4 to enter the semi-finals here on Wednesday. Paes and Stepanek played superior tennis, committing only 11 unforced errors and hitting 21 winners, including a fine forehand smash by Paes...
09:33 AM, Mar 29, 2012
Miami: Victoria Azarenka's 26-match unbeaten streak across the first three months of the year was ended on Wednesday by Marion Bartoli, who beat the world No. 1 in straight sets in the quarter-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open. Azarenka's streak, which included her Australian Open title, was the best on the women's tour since Martina Hingis went 37-0 to begin 1997. Bartoli's semi-final opponent on Thursday will be Agnieszka Radwanska,...
09:21 AM, Mar 29, 2012
Brussels: Kim Clijsters has torn her hip muscle and will need four weeks off on the WTA tour. A statement from her management company on Wednesday said she'd been troubled with hip pains during the Sony Ericsson Open over the weekend in Key Biscayne, Florida. She lost to Belgian compatriot Yanina Wickmayer in straight sets. Tests show "a small torn muscle" in her right hip, the statement said. She hopes...
09:25 PM, Mar 28, 2012
Miami: World No.1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Sony Ericsson Open quarter-final by defeating 17th seed Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-3. Djokovic will face Spaniard David Ferrer in the quarter-final. Ferrer dismissed Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday night. Djokovic started slow, falling behind 1-3 before settling into the fourth-round clash. The Serbian converted three of his 10 break point opportunities to notch his sixth victory...
03:35 PM, Mar 28, 2012
Miami: Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna came from a set down to win 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 against Michael Llodra of France and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia and move into the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open here. The sixth-seeded Indian duo took an hour and eight minutes to get the better of their third-seeded opponents. Although there was not much to choose between the two pairs, Bhupathi and Bopanna managed...
11:50 AM, Mar 28, 2012
Miami: Serena Williams' bid for a record sixth Key Biscayne title ended on Tuesday night when she lost in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open to former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4, 6-4. "I made her run," Wozniacki said. Wozniacki served well and was content to keep the ball in play from the baseline, using her retrieving skills to extend rallies until Williams would make a mistake. Williams hit...
10:16 AM, Mar 28, 2012
Key Biscayne, Florida: Andy Roddick beat Roger Federer for only the third time in their 24 meetings on Monday, dominating with his serve to win 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-4 in the third round at the Sony Ericsson Open. Roddick broke serve only once but held every service game in the first and last sets. After falling behind 15-30 in the final game, he closed out the victory with an ace...
08:56 AM, Mar 27, 2012
Miami: Weary winner Venus Williams stood near the net swatting souvenir balls to cheering fans, but a marathon match had taken its toll, and one attempt didn't even reach the stands. Williams had already expended all of her energy, erasing a match point and outlasting Aleksandra Wozniak 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in Sunday's third round at the Sony Ericsson Open. Williams is playing in her first tournament since withdrawing from...
09:13 AM, Mar 26, 2012
Miami: Roger Federer held off local wildcard Ryan Harrison to set up a third-round clash against twice former Sony Ericsson Open champion Andy Roddick and Serena Williams served her way into the fourth round in Miami action on Saturday. While men's number one Novak Djokovic and women's second-ranked Maria Sharapova progressed easily, former number one and twice Miami winner Kim Clijsters was eliminated at the Premier-level event. Clijsters fought hard...
11:31 AM, Mar 25, 2012
Miami: Venus Williams took a big step in her comeback on Friday when she defeated reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open. Williams is playing in her first tournament since she withdrew from the US Open in August after being diagnosed with a fatigue-causing autoimmune disease. A former No 1 and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams is ranked No...
09:48 AM, Mar 24, 2012
Miami: Serena Williams made a triumphant return to the WTA Tour on Thursday, crushing China's Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-3 in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. A five-times winner of the elite event, Williams fired down six aces and broke her opponent four times on way to a one-sided victory in her first appearance since the Australian Open in January. "I'm always a little nervous in...
09:12 AM, Mar 23, 2012
