Federer, Djokovic, Roddick set milestones in Florida
Actually, the superstars of the tennis scene should be in Miami these days at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. Instead, Novak Djokovic and Co. are waiting for the season to continue, hopefully sometime in the summer. We look back on a few milestones that have happened in Key Biscayne and since last year in Miami.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Mar 27, 2020, 10:59 pm
Key Biscayne - this venue on the tennis tour had a very special flair for many years. Until the system became too small. And the organizers of the second ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year decided to move to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in 2019. The next edition will not be available until next year, so we treat ourselves to a few milestones in the history of the tournament for men.
2019 - Federer wins premiere in Miami
Last year, Roger Federer was the first player in Miami to win the trophy after defeating a battered John Isner, and, if the Swiss did not finish his career beforehand, will arrive as defending champion in 2021. Federer had just lost the final in Indian Wells against Dominic Thiem a year ago, and also made an effort to open the three-set win against Radu Albot. But then the tournament went like clockwork for Federer. On the way to the final, Federer could not give a sentence against Filip Krajinovic, Daniil Medvedev, Kevin Anderson and Denis Shapovalov and won his fourth title in Key Biscayne / Miami.
2015 - Djokovic creates third Sunshine Double
Novak Djokovic set a precedent five years ago: As the first player in ATP history, the Serb won the events in Indian Wells and Florida three times in the same year. In 2015 he beat Indian Wells Federer in the final, in Key Biscayne Andy Murray could only congratulate his longtime rival. "There will be a generation change at some point," Djokovic announced after this triumph. Well: That may apply to the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. In the Grand Slams, the Big Three still have their hands firmly on the steering wheel.
2010 - Roddick wins last Masters tournament
Much more noteworthy than Andy Roddick's title in Key Biscayne (his second after 2004) was the series that followed: there were supposed to be 69 tournaments in the ATP Masters 1000 series, in which only European players won. Only Jack Sock ended this run at the tournament in Paris-Bercy in autumn 2017. Naturally, Key Biscayne 2010 was Roddick's last Masters success, which ten years ago beat Tomas Berdych in the final.
2000 - Sampras also successful for the last time
Pete Sampras was the first player who made no secret of the fact that he was primarily interested in two things: the success at Grand Slam tournaments (in the end it was 14, record at the time) and the place at the top the ATP world rankings. To do this, the American also had to succeed at the Masters tournaments. And he did this for the last time in 2000 with a narrow three-set win against Gustavo Kuerten. After that, Sampras won only two titles - but they were enormous: 2000 in Wimbledon and 2002 at the US Open.
1997 - Muster wins his last ATP tournament ever
From an Austrian perspective, the 1997 tournament was to become particularly important in retrospect: that year, Thomas Muster's successful streak ended. The Styrian had accumulated 44 titles during his terrific career, and this chapter was closed when he won the 1997 Key Biscayne final against Sergi Bruguera.