The Sony Ericsson Open championship features No. 10 seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia against qualifier Guillermo Canas of Argentina in a first time meeting. The winner of the best-of-five sets final will earn $533,350 and 500 ATP Ranking points while the finalist will collect $266,675 and 350 points.
Djokovic, at 19 years, 10 months, is trying to become the youngest winner in the tournament’s 23-year history while the 29-year-old Canas is looking to become the first qualifier and only the second unseeded player to win the Miami title. Tim Mayotte was unseeded when he captured the first title in 1985 (d. Scott Davis).
Canas has beaten five seeds en route to the final, including three straight against Top 10 opponents. Both players are making their second showing in an ATP Masters Series final. Canas won the biggest title of his career by winning ATP Masters Series Toronto in 2002 (d. Roddick). Djokovic, who has yet to drop a set in five matches, reached the Pacific Life Open final in Indian Wells two weeks ago (l. to Nadal).
Djokovic will improve from No. 10 to a career-high No. 7 in next week’s ATP Rankings regardless of the outcome while Canas will jump from No. 55 to around No. 31 (by reaching the final) OR around No. 25 (by winning the title).
DJOKOVIC FASTFACTS
Tournament Highlights:
· The 19-year-old Serb is making his first final showing after losing in the second round in his debut (l. to No. 7 Coria) last year
· Has yet to drop a set in wins over Daniele Bracciali (7-6, 6-4), Michael Llodra (6-4, 6-1), qualifier Feliciano Lopez (6-0, 6-3), No. 2 Rafael Nadal (6-3, 6-4) and No. 12 Andy Murray (6-1, 6-0)…Has only lost his serve once in 45 games during the tournament and that came against Nadal
· Ivan Lendl is the only player to win the title without dropping a set…In 1989, he won all 18 sets in a best-of-five format (had W/O in final)
2007 Highlights:
Winner: Adelaide (d Guccione); F: ATP Masters Series Indian Wells (l Nadal); SF: Rotterdam (l Youzhny); QF: Dubai (l Federer);
2007 in Review:
· Enters his third ATP final with a 23-5 match record (all on hard courts) and last year didn’t pick up his 23rd match win until mid-July in Amersfoort where he won the title (d. Massu)
· Coming off a runner-up showing in Indian Wells (l. to Nadal) and afterwards broke into the Top 10 ATP Rankings for the first time (No. 13 to No. 10)…Will move to No. 7 regardless of the final result
· The top-ranked Serb won his third career ATP title in Adelaide (d. Guccione) in the first week of the year and began the season by winning eight consecutive matches before being stopped by Federer in the fourth round at the Australian Open
· Also reached the semifinals in Rotterdam (l. to Youzhny) and quarterfinals in Dubai (l. to Federer in three)…Has lost to three players: Federer (twice), Youzhny (twice) and Nadal
ATP Masters Series History:
· Has a 17-10 career record in ATP Masters Series tournaments and came into this season with a 7-9 mark before reaching the final in Indian Wells (l. to Nadal) and Miami
· Appearing in his second Masters Series final and has won 10 of his last 11 matches
Miscellaneous:
· Named 2006 ATP Most Improved Player of Year after jumping from No. 83 in ‘05 to No. 16 in ‘06
· Has a 5-12 career record against Top 10 opponents (2-3 this year) and his last two wins came over Spaniards No. 7 Robredo in the quarterfinals of Rotterdam last month and No. 2 Nadal on Wednesday
· Last year captured two ATP titles in three finals and finished as the youngest player in year-end Top 20 at No. 16 with a 40-18 record
· Also made breakthrough in Grand Slam play with a quarterfinal at Roland Garros (ret. vs. Nadal with back injury)...Went 2-7 vs. Top 10 opponents with both wins in Grand Slam play, defeating No. 9 Gonzalez at Roland Garros and No. 8 Robredo at Wimbledon
· Here with his parents Srdjan and Dijana along with coach Marian Vajda, a former ATP pro who won two ATP titles and reached No. 43 in 1987 (also here with Mark Woodforde who is assisting with his net game)
CANAS FASTFACTS
Tournament Highlights:
· The 29-year-old Argentine is making his first final appearance in his sixth visit (12-5 record) …His previous best result was the fourth round three years ago (l. to Roddick)
· The first qualifier in the tournament’s 23-year history to reach the final (the previous best result was American Steve Campbell who advanced to the QF in 1998)
· The last unseeded player to reach the final here was Sebastien Grosjean in 1999 (l. to Krajicek) and the only unseeded winner was Tim Mayotte who defeated Scott Davis in the first year of the tournament in 1985 (in Delray Beach)
· Trying to become the first Argentine to capture the title here after runner-up efforts by Guillermo Coria in 2004 (ret.vs.Roddick) and Alberto Mancini in 1992 (l. to Chang)
· Qualified into the main draw without dropping a set in his two matches and thus far defeated Tim Henman 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the first round, No. 19 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 in the second round, No. 15 seed Richard Gasquet 7-6(3), 6-3 in the third round, No. 1/two-time defending champion Roger Federer 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(5) in the fourth round, No. 6 Tommy Robredo 7-6(5), 6-1 in the quarterfinals, and No. 7 Ivan Ljubicic 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals
2007 Highlights:
Winner: Costa do Sauipe (d Ferrero)
2007 in Review:
· The Buenos Aires native is off to a career-best 17-3 start this season (8-1 on hard), having captured his seventh career ATP title on clay in Costa do Sauipe, Brazil last month (d. Ferrero)
· Has an ATP-best 5-0 mark against Top 10 opponents (d. No. 1 Federer twice, No. 6 Robredo, No. 7 Ljubicic and No. 10 Nalbandian)
· He led his country to a first round Davis Cup win over Austria by winning both of his singles matches (d. Melzer, Peya)
· Also defeated Argentine No. 1 Nalbandian in round robin play in Buenos Aires but then lost to Horna
· Opened the season with a Challenger title in Sao Paulo (d. Hartfield) without dropping a set
· Has climbed from No. 143 at the end of last season to No. 55 and will jump to around No. 37 by reaching the semifinals and around No. 31 by reaching the final and around No. 25 by winning title
ATP Masters Series History:
Guillermo Canas has beaten ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer twice in 2007. · The last qualifier to reach an AMS final was Richard Gasquet in Hamburg in 2005 and last to win a title was Albert Portas in Hamburg in 2001
· Has a career record of 43-27 in ATP Masters Series tournaments since making his debut in Miami in 1998 when he lost to Fabrice Santoro in the second round
· Appearing in his second ATP Masters Series final, having captured the title in Toronto in 2002 (d. No. 12 Roddick)…En route beat four Top 10 foes – No. 10 Federer (1st), No. 5 Kafelnikov (3rd), No. 2 Safin (QF) and No. 3 Haas (SF)
Miscellaneous:
· Has a career record of 20-20 (13-8 on hard, 6-8 on clay) against Top 10 opponents (5-0 this year)
· Trying to capture his eighth career ATP title in his 15th final (7-7) and is undefeated (3-0) in outdoor hard court finals
· Returned to action last September after serving a 15-month suspension for testing positive for hydrochlorothiazide diuretic in Acapulco in February 2005
· Came back unranked and in seven tournaments compiled a 28-3 record in Challenger play and won four South American titles (all on clay) to finish at No. 143
· Finished a year-end best No. 11 in 2004 when he won a career-high three titles
· Coached by countryman Gaston Etlis, who reached the fourth round here in 1997 as a qualifier
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