By Kamakshi Tandon

There will be ten years separating the Miami men’s finalists when 19-year-old Novak Djokovic goes up against 29-year-old Guillermo Canas on Sunday, but they’ll both be playing the second Masters Series final of their career. The question is, will the sprightly youngster be able to keep pace with the old man?

It might sound counter-intuitive – unless you’ve seen Canas play this week.

Djokovic did take out Rafael Nadal in a night match earlier this week, and he’ll have to produce the same patient yet opportunistic tennis – this time in the afternoon sun – if he wants to win his first Masters Series title. Canas got his maiden Masters in Toronto in 2002.

The contrast in ages between the two men’s finalists had been guaranteed a round earlier because of the two semifinal match-ups. Djokovic took on Andy Murray in the student’s discount special, with both players born seven days apart in May 1987. They also played in the Indian Wells semifinals. The rematch turned out to be a re-run, Djokovic winning more easily than anyone had expected.

In Indian Wells, Murray was badly hampered after falling in his previous match. He wouldn’t quite admit that there was something troubling him today. “I don't want to make any excuses, because it's going to be the reason why I lost.  It wasn't the reason I lost today.  He played much better than me,” said Murray.

In the senior’s discount special, Canas faced a fellow veteran in Ivan Ljubicic, who turned 28 a couple of weeks ago.

The older guys put on a better show, playing a tough first set before Ljubicic’s resolve drained away. The turning point of the match was actually a turning pirouette – Canas running back to retrieve a lob and swinging around to produce a spectacular forehand winner down the line. “Hit it” rang through his mind as he sprinted backwards, and hit it he did – a shot that his fourth-round victim Roger Federer would have been proud of. Ljubicic stood at the net in disbelief, watching the ball go by.

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