KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – Andy Murray hit second serves for aces, slipped passing shots through the narrowest openings and rarely made a mistake.
It was a performance worthy of a trophy, and Murray got the win in the Sony Ericsson Open by defeating Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5 Sunday.
The Scotsman used his vast repertoire of shots and took advantage of two wobbly stretches by Djokovic, who struggled with the 85-degree heat.
Djokovic rushed his strokes at the start and fell behind 4-love. In the second set, Murray rallied from a break down at 1-4, overcame two set points and won 10 of the final 11 points.
The No. 4-seeded Murray committed only 19 unforced errors, patiently mixing the pace and direction of his shots to keep the No. 3-seeded Djokovic off balance.
“It’s my way of dictating how the match is getting played,” Murray said. “A lot of people might not necessarily think my game looks the most aggressive or offensive, but very few times will I not have the points played how I like them to be played.”
Twice Murray hit second serves for aces, and he threw in several effective change-up first serves, including a 76 mph ace. He mixed in some power, too, finishing one point with a leaping overhead a la Pete Sampras.
When rallying from the baseline didn’t work for Djokovic, he tried charging the net, and Murray repeatedly beat him with crosscourt passing shots.
“You have to say, ‘Well done,’ ” Djokovic said.
It was a matchup between Nos. 3 and 4, instead of the anticipated showdown between Nos. 1 and 2. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal lost in the quarterfinals to Juan Martin del Potro, and Djokovic upset Roger Federer in the semifinals.
Lately Murray has won more than anyone. He’s the first three-time titlist this year on the men’s tour thanks to a career-best 26-2 start, and since July his record is 57-7, best on the tour.
Azarenka wins title
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – Serena Williams’ reign on Key Biscayne was ended by Victoria Azarenka.
The 19-year-old from Belarus won 6-3, 6-1 Saturday in the finals of the Sony Ericsson Open, spoiling Williams’ bid for a record sixth Key Biscayne title.
The top-ranked Williams played with her left thigh taped and struggled to move to her left. She was also hampered by erratic strokes and had trouble putting Azarenka’s 90-mph serves into play.