Though he has lost his last six matches against Novak Djokovic, and nine of his last 10, Andy Murray remains optimistic about his chances in Sunday’s Miami Open final. The world No. 1 most recently defeated Murray in this year’s Australian Open final, and a little over two weeks ago in the semifinals of Indian Wells.
Murray believes his familiarity with the area the playing surface, could prove beneficial. The Scot lives part time in Miami and practices at Crandon Park, where the tournament is held. “I definitely feel I'm playing better here than I was in Indian Wells,” said Murray. “I prefer the conditions here. Over the course of my career I've played much better tennis here. It's been a good few weeks for me and it will be a nice way to finish if off in the final on Sunday before the wedding.”
Murray and his longtime girlfriend Kim Sears will be married next Saturday in Dunblane.
The last time Murray defeated Djokovic was in the 2013 Wimbledon final, when he became the first British man to win the Grand Slam tournament in 77 years. Murray hasn’t beaten Djokovic on hard courts since the 2012 U.S. Open final. Djokovic also beat Murray in last year’s Miami quarterfinals.
“That gives me confidence, and maybe a slight mental advantage,” said Djokovic about their playing history. “But we're talking about small margins. That's always the case when we play against each other. Andy has been playing so well this year, especially here in Miami over the years. He lives here, spends a lot of time practicing on these courts, so he's familiar with the conditions.”