Djokovic defeats Murray, wins Madrid Masters

A three-set victory of 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 helped Novak Djokovic win his third Masters 1000 title this year.

Andy Murray gave Djokovic a tough match, although there were times when the Serbian showed his superiority. That was in the first set when Djokovic broke in the first game and then broke Murray's third serve to win easily 6-2 in just 31 minutes.

But the second set was a different story. Murray broke first, in the fourth game. The Scot showed improvement on his serve. After a slow start, Murray finally found his rhythm and broke Djokovic for the second time this tournament. Djokovic had won 32 of his last 33 sets against top-10 opponents, but Murray ruined that streak with a drop shot to save a set point.

Murray (right) once again suffered defeat against Djokovic. Photo: Reuters.

The difference between Murray in the first set and the second was the second seed's more direct approach. The defending champion did not hesitate to attack his opponent. Murray knew that things would not go well if he kept fighting Djokovic. He continued that approach in the third set, but the more pressure he was under, the more Djokovic showed his mettle. The Serb broke in the second game.

Djokovic's problem in the final was that he made a lot of double faults. Two of these errors allowed Murray to break the top seed's serve in the third game, allowing his opponent to tie the match at 2-2. But Murray could not resist any longer. The Scot let Djokovic break him again in the sixth game.

In the ninth game, Djokovic served for a 5-3 lead, and the Serbian let Murray lead 0-40, but saved three break points in a row. Murray had three more break points when he had advantage points, but missed them all. The defending champion saved a match point, but as the game dragged on for nearly 15 minutes, Murray seemed to lose patience, and eventually conceded defeat after an inaccurate forehand.

This defeat cost Andy Murray his world number two ranking to Roger Federer. It was a loss for him as Roland Garros was approaching. As for Djokovic, this victory helped him surpass Rafael Nadal, taking the record of 29 Masters 1000 titles.

Djokovic has won five of the last six Masters 1000 tournaments he has played, and this is his third Masters 1000 title this year after Indian Wells and Miami.

According to VnExpress