By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, April 1, 2016
Novak Djokovic out-dueled a tricky David Goffin, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to score his 15th straight Miami victory and surge into his 11th consecutive Masters final.
Photo credit: Miami Open
A helicopter hovered overhead, David Goffin engaged in a dynamic ground game across the net and spiking crowd roars erupted in his ears.
Novak Djokovic absorbed it all, but nothing could deter the defending champion's continued ascent.
Watch: 8 Great Djokovic Moments
Djokovic out-dueled a tricky Goffin, 7-6 (5), 6-4, in a tight test scoring his 15th straight Miami Open victory to surge into his 11th consecutive Masters final.
"He plays very clean, a tennis that is beautiful for the eye, you know, to watch, and the way he moves," Djokovic said. "Also, I think he improved his serve, first serve, especially in the first set. I had difficulty to kind of read it. It's not as powerful and strong as maybe some other guys', but it's very precise and efficient. Also, he backs it up with a very efficient and good quality first shot after the serve.
"Physically a great battle, lots of exchanges from the baseline. I was kind of expecting something like that, but I think we were both really trying to catch some breath, you know, after some points. It was windy, it was humid, it was warm. You know, it was like everything was thrown out there on us to kind of resist that. And to overcome those obstacles and conditions was something that I'm proud of, and I managed to stay tough I think in the right moments."
Continuing his quest to collect a record-setting 28th Masters crown, Djokovic will play sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori in Sunday's final. Nishikori was exceedingly sharp dissecting 24th-seeded Nick Kyrgios, 6-3, 7-5, in 84 minutes tonight.
The five-time champion has won six of eight meetings with Nishikori.
"He does look very composed on the court, so I don't think that he's going to feel any much different," Djokovic said. "We have played against each other so many times that maybe the occasion of being in the final can influence, you know, in a very small percentage his kind of mental approach and preparation for the match. But he looks very mature on the court, very experienced."
The ascendant streak Djokovic is riding is astounding. He powered into his 19th final in his last 21 tournaments, winning 14 titles in that span.
It is the 40th Masters final for Djokovic, who will try to equal Andre Agassi's tournament record by capturing his sixth Miami title on Sunday.
It did not come easily. Goffin earned the first break, had more break points and could have served for the opening tie break, but bungled a relatively routine smash at 4-all in the tiebreaker and Djokovic exploited that lapse in a match with some eye-popping shot making and dramatic plot twists.
Beneath an overcast sky, Djokovic labored to clear the cobwebs at the start.
The top seed withstood a six-error opening game denying three break points along the way before slashing an ace to cap a hard-fought hold.
The first Belgian man to reach the semifinals in the 32-year history of the Miami Open won eight of his first nine service points. Goffin slid a 117 mph serve out wide leveling, 2-all.
A few ball kids on court were bigger than the 5-foot-11, 150-pound son of a tennis coach. Changing up his patterns, employing his variety to great effect and displaying his defiance, Goffin stood tall in the sixth game.
The world No. 15 erased two break points, including an exquisite topspin lob to cap a 25-shot rally on the first, fighting through an 11-minute hold for 3-all. Lingering hangover from that lost opportunity haunted Djokovic in the next game. When Goffin whipped a forehand return crosscourt, he had the first break and a 4-3 lead.
Unleashing a louder grunt, Djokovic struck with more depth and broke right back at 15 for 4-all. By then, the sun had burst through the cluster of clouds and both men were sweating profusely during some physical exchanges.
Squinting into the sun on serve, Djokovic dug out of a 0-30 hold holding for 6-5.
Facing the world's most dangerous returner, Goffin answered with a strong serving set. He slammed an ace to force the tie breaker then slid his sixth ace to level the breaker at 4-all.
Setting up for a return smash that would have enabled him to serve for the breaker, Goffin inexplicably hit his overhead right back at Djokovic, who held his ground tapped a lob and eventually worked his way forward caressing a drop volley for 5-4.
Goffin, whose net play let him down at times today, saved a set point with a slick half-volley dropper.
On the second set point, Goffin made successive forehand volleys, but Djokovic answered with another twisting lob over the backhand. The ball may have floated wide, but we'll never know. Goffin's high backhand volley landed in net ending a wildly-entertaining 74-mintue set.
After both men left the court for a clothing change, Djokovic returned recharged powering through a three-ace game for 1-all.
Just as he had in the first set, the 25-year-old Belgian earned the first break point of the second, but Djokovic denied it, eventually holding for 2-all.
In the sixth game, Djokovic soared for a sharp-angled high backhand, landed awkwardly and clutched at his right ankle. He was hit with a time violation, prompting Djokovic to question the chair umpire "I took a bad step. How can you not tolerate that?"
Fired up by the call, Djokovic held for 3-all. In the ensuing game he drilled a return right back at Goffin rattling the Belgian's racquet to break for 4-3. It was a determined and intelligent effort from Goffin, but Djokovic lifted his level of play at critical stages winning four of the last five games to raise his 2016 record to 27-1.