Andy Murray Now Has Masters Titles Over Rafael Nadal And Novak Djokovic This Year
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Andy Murray may not be winning Grand Slams, but he just won his second Masters event of the season yesterday beating longtime rival Novak Djokovic 64, 46, 63 to win a 3-hour Canadian Open Montreal final.
Murray, who hadn’t dropped a set and played recent matches late in the evening, proved the aggressor early against the World No. 1, and then hung in the end to win his third Canadian Open title.
“I did come up and play aggressively when I needed to,” Murray said. “Especially in the third set when I was breakpoints down, I finished a couple of points up at the net, got some free points on my first serve, as well.”
The win also ends an 8-match personal losing streak to Djokovic who also beat Murray in the Australian Open and Miami Open finals as well as the French Open and Indian Wells semifinals.
“This year I’ve lost some tough ones to him,” said Murray. “Last year for me, you know, I wasn’t able to compete with the top players. I was coming back from back surgery. I wasn’t able to. This year I feel like I’ve been able to. I’ve had some close matches and some tough losses: the Miami final, the Australian Open, the French Open. So, yeah, to win this one was nice, especially the way the match was as well. It would have been easy for me to let that one slip away. But I fought well and stayed calm in the important moments of the third set.”
News also broke that Murray’s coach Amelie Mauresmo gave birth to a baby boy on Sunday.
“Obviously I employed Jonas,” Murray said. “He’s going to be with me pretty much every event I play between now and the end of the year. Yeah, when Amelie is ready to sit down and chat, then we’ll see what it is she wants do, if she wants to continue doing the job, if she wants to stay at home. It’s really up to her. She’s earned the right to make that decision. I don’t feel like it’s for me to decide. It’s really up to her and what she wants. Just have to wait and see.”
Murray came into the spring with no wins over the Big 3 since back surgery (0-12). But he has beaten Rafael Nadal on Rafa’s favorite surface in Spain to win Madrid, and now added a victory over 3-time Canadian Open champion Djokovic on the Serb’s best surface.
With his ranking back to No. 2 and his confidence soaring after his 35th career title (11th Masters), Murray moves on to Cincinnati where he’ll try for a third crown there. He’ll open up against 2-time finalist Mardy Fish.
“I think me today would beat me a few years ago,” Murray said. “I feel like my back and stuff is much better now, more experience. There’s things I’m doing a little bit better on the court, as well. I think if I played myself from a couple years ago, I think I would win today.”
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