Madrid Open 2016: Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray Score, Reaction
Novak Djokovic beat last year's champion, Andy Murray, in the final of the 2016 Madrid Open on Sunday, bouncing back from his disappointing showing at the Monte Carlo Open to win his first title of the clay season. The final set scores were 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Djokovic dominated the first set and appeared to be cruising to an easy win, but Murray turned things around in the second, forcing a decider with some great net play.
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The final set turned into a thriller, with both players missing a handful of chances, but Djokovic eventually pulled through after a final game that took well over 10 minutes to complete.
As BBC Sport's Russell Fuller shared, the stats were in Djokovic's favour entering the contest:
That advantage was clear as day from the opening game. Djokovic’s return game was spot on, as the Serb fired everything Murray threw at him straight back into his feet or close to the line, and in no time whatsoever, the Djoker broke serve, per the Washington Post’s Kelyn Soong:
Clay may not be his favourite surface, but the world No. 1 didn’t seem at all out of his element during the first set.
With crisp groundstrokes and a bunch of winners, he easily dominated Murray from the baseline, and when his opponent tried to force the action by advancing to the net, he ran into extraordinary passing shots almost every time.
Djokovic’s efforts in the return game stood out the most, per Live Tennis:
"What can you do when #Djokovic is hitting returns like this?
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) May 8, 2016"
(Rhetorical question. The only answer is: 'Lose.') pic.twitter.com/xR6yLJIAQ6
Murray held serve in the third game but suffered yet another break in the fifth, as Djokovic’s superb play was just too much to handle, via Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times:
With the two-break lead, the Djoker turned to his serve game to see out the set, holding for love in the final game to take the set in just over half an hour.
Djokovic feasted on Murray's second serve in the first set, and the Brit made a smart adjustment in the second, putting more spin and less raw power into the shot. This got Djokovic moving, and with his feet not firmly set, the Serb couldn't fire his returns exactly the way he wanted.
Murray held serve and converted the second of two break chances in the fourth, taking his first lead of the match and expanding it in the following game.
Djokovic held serve to stay alive in the set, but Murray kept his cool during his own serve games and coped well with Djoker's drop shots, via TennisTV:
The Scot would finish the set with four aces, not giving Djokovic any chance of breaking back.
The 28-year-old seemed to lose focus at times in the second set, but he recovered well to begin the third, holding serve and immediately finding two break chances on Murray's serve. He got his break, but Murray hit back instantly with a handful of smart returns.
To top it all off, Djokovic double-faulted to hand his opponent the game. Live Tennis couldn't believe it:
"Would you Adam & Eve it! #Djokovic, serving for 3-0, DFs to be broken back. 1-2, #Murray to serve. pic.twitter.com/CKW0XyNF5P
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) May 8, 2016"
But the near-break gave Djokovic the boost he needed, and similar to the first set, he started targeting Murray's second serve. The break eventually followed in the sixth game, and suddenly, the Djoker was within two games of the title.
The Serb held his serve and battled his way to a match point in the following game, but once again, Murray produced his best tennis when he needed it the most. He held serve and won three straight points in the next game and pushed for a fourth break chance after Djokovic tied things up again.
After six straight break points, Djokovic finally got the advantage, but he fired his serve into the net for deuce. The third championship point proved to be the decider, handing the world No. 1 his 29th career Masters title.
Per Scott Williams of Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo Sports), the winner was just happy to emerge victorious from such a great match:
"It was a great match to be a part of. Congratulations to Andy for a big fight. It was all decided by just a few points at the end.
I don't know how I dug my way out, but that's how it happens when you play against one of the best in the world. I'm just happy to have overcome this challenge.
"
There likely is no title Djokovic wants to win more than the French Open this year, the only Grand Slam he's never won, and based on the form he flashed in Madrid, he appears to be ready to do well on the slower clay courts of Paris.
Focus will be key, however, as he allowed Murray to turn what should have been a walkover into a tight contest. If Djokovic plays the way he did in the first set, he's close to unbeatable, and that's the kind of form he'll need to get past Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Murray at Roland Garros.
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