Murray weathers heat, defeats Djokovic for Sony Ericcson title

Andy Murray hit second serves for aces, slipped passing shots through the narrowest openings and rarely made a mistake.

It was a performance worthy of a trophy, and Murray became the first Brit to win the Sony Ericsson Open by defeating Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5 Sunday.

The Scotsman used his vast repertoire of shots and took advantage of two wobbly stretches by Djokovic, who struggled with the 85-degree heat.

Djokovic rushed his strokes at the start and fell behind 4-love. In the second set, Murray rallied from a break down at 1-4, overcame two set points and won 10 of the final 11 points.

The No. 4-seeded Murray committed only 19 unforced errors, patiently mixing the pace and direction of his shots to keep the No. 3-seeded Djokovic off balance.

"It's my way of dictating how the match is getting played," Murray said. "A lot of people might not necessarily think my game looks the most aggressive or offensive, but very few times will I not have the points played how I like them to be played."

Twice Murray hit second serves for aces, and he threw in several effective change-up first serves, including a 76 mph ace. He mixed in some power, too, finishing one point with a leaping overhead a la Pete Sampras.

When rallying from the baseline didn't work for Djokovic, he tried charging the net, and Murray repeatedly beat him with crosscourt passing shots.

"You have to say, 'Well done,"' Djokovic said.

It was a matchup between Nos. 3 and 4, instead of the anticipated showdown between Nos. 1 and 2. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal lost in the quarterfinals to Juan Martin del Potro, and Djokovic upset Roger Federer in the semifinals.

Lately Murray has won more than anyone. He's the first three-time titlist this year on the men's tour thanks to a career-best 26-2 start, and since July his record is 57-7, best on the tour.

With U.S. tennis fortunes flagging, maybe Americans can claim Murray, who owns a condo near Key Biscayne and trained during the winter at the University of Miami. Back home, he's touted as a threat to become the first British man since 1936 to win Wimbledon.

The benefits of Murray's conditioning regimen showed as he repeatedly scrambled into the corners to retrieve shots.

"Physically he's moving much better all over the court," Djokovic said. "The balls he wasn't getting before, he is now."

Despite the sweltering sunshine, Murray's legs looked fresh throughout the match, while Djokovic appeared to wilt quickly and consulted with a trainer early in the second set. The Serb has a history of not finishing matches, most recently at this year's Australian Open quarterfinals against Andy Roddick on a 95-degree day.

"Yet again I was, I think, the biggest enemy to myself," Djokovic said. "I was struggling again adjusting to the heat. That's just the way it is. I can't fight it. It has been for a while like this."

Warm weather wasn't a problem for Djokovic when he won the Key Biscayne title in 2007, but the steamy conditions had him panting from the outset Sunday.

"He has been struggling with it this year, but he's obviously a great player," Murray said. "You need to get him to that point where he feels like it's very tough and the points are long. That's not an easy thing to do."

Following Djokovic's visit with the trainer, he began playing riskier tennis to keep the points short, and for a while the strategy worked. He broke twice to win four games in a row, and Murray needed 16 points in the next game to hold for 2-4.

"He started to come to the net on 60, 70% of the points," Murray said. "I started mishitting some balls and lost my rhythm for a little while."

Djokovic had two set points serving in the ninth game, but on the first he was unable to handle a sharp return, and on the second he double-faulted.

Forehand errors by Djokovic on consecutive points gave Murray the break, cutting the margin to 5-4. Murray hit three aces to hold for 5-all, broke in the next game at love and swept the final four points to close out the match.

The statistics reflected Murray's well-rounded game: He won 26 of 34 points on his first serve, broke Djokovic five times and won 10 of 11 points at the net.

The tour now moves to clay, where Murray hopes to gain ground in the rankings on Nadal, Federer and Djokovic.

"The clay-court season will be very important for me," Murray said. "On the hard courts, I think my game is up there with the top guys. On grass it definitely got better last year. I need to improve my results on clay. If I do that, there's a chance I'll get higher."

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Azarenka upsets Serena for Key Biscayne title

Rising from her chair following the final changeover, Serena Williams glanced at her skirt and brushed away some lint, trying to look good in defeat.

A taped thigh seemed to slow Serena Williams in Saturday's final. (J. Pat Carter / Associated Press)

It wasn't easy. A sore leg and erratic strokes were too much to overcome, and the top-ranked Williams was upset 6-3, 6-1 Saturday by 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open.

Williams said her left thigh began bothering her in the quarterfinals, and she also was bothered by a sprained ankle.

"It was a little difficult moving to the left and a little bit to the right," she said.

With a chuckle, she added, "A little forward was also difficult."

The loss ended Williams' reign on Key Biscayne. She was bidding for a record sixth women's title and her third in a row. Instead, she fell to 38-2 in the tournament since 2001, with the only other loss to her sister Venus.

"I'm not that bummed, because I feel like there's next year," Williams said. "And then there's the year after and the year after."

The result heralded the emergence of Azarenka, a Belarussian who trains in Scottsdale, Ariz., and will crack the top 10 next week for the first time.

Novak Djokovic will bid for his second Key Biscayne men's title Sunday against Andy Murray, the tournament's first British finalist.

Williams played with her thigh taped, and even when she wasn't on the move, her strokes lacked consistency. She served poorly and had trouble putting Azarenka's 90 mph serves into play.

Williams limped at times and said she considered pulling out before the match.

"I don't like to not play," she said. "I gave the effort that I could give today. That's all I could give."

Azarenka quickly realized Williams wasn't 100 percent and took advantage with pinpoint strokes to the corners.

"You could see the leg tape right away," Azarenka said. "But I wasn't really paying attention too much, because I had to play my game, and I had to keep her moving as much as I could."

Williams led 3-2 before Azarenka won five consecutive games to take control. The teenager also won the final five games and closed out the biggest win of her career when Williams sailed a backhand long. Azarenka tossed away her racket, covered her face and hopped to the net.

Her voice shook during the trophy ceremony.

"I'm sorry. I think I forget my English right now," she told the crowd. "It was such an honor for me to play Serena. She's the greatest player for me. I was so happy to be able to play her and win."

For Azarenka, it was a big improvement on their match in the fourth round at the Australian Open in January, when she became sick to her stomach beforehand and lost.

Azarenka said she battled nerves Saturday, but they betrayed her only with an occasional double-fault. She was so poised serving in the final game that when she challenged a call and was advised the replay system had malfunctioned, she smiled and won the next point.

"She has really, really improved," Williams said. "I actually look forward to playing her again so I can play a little better, and obviously do better. She's going to be a really good player."

Azarenka was the steadier player in rallies, often punctuating her shots with a two-tone shriek worthy of Maria Sharapova. A subdued Williams remained impassive throughout, even as the match slipped away, in contrast with Roger Federer's racket-breaking outburst that stunned the stadium Friday.

Williams dropped serve five times and committed unforced errors on 34 of the 64 points she lost. Despite reaching the final, she was erratic throughout the tournament: She lost five games in a row a staggering five times.

Despite the defeat, she'll retain the No. 1 ranking for a 10th consecutive week next week, while Azarenka will climb to No. 8.

Azarenka, who won her first tour title three months ago at Brisbane, improved to 23-2 this year. She grew up in Minsk and befriended NHL goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who invited her to the United States to train. She moved to Scottsdale and has lived there with Khabibulin and his wife since 2005.

Azarenka said her title would be big news in Belarus, where the most famous tennis player has been men's doubles specialist Max Mirnyi, who teamed with Andy Ram to win the doubles title Saturday. She was expecting a congratulatory phone call from President Alexander Lukashenko, whom she met when she was in grade school.

"He came to one of the tennis tournaments, and I was presenting flowers to him," she said.

Azarenka won $700,000, more than the men's first prize of $605,500. The two tours offer the same total prize money but distribute it differently.

"I can spend it in one day," Azarenka said. "I'm not allowed to drink in the States yet, but I'll definitely go celebrate somewhere."

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Serena beats Venus in Key Biscayne semifinal

Serena Williams retained the No. 1 world ranking by being the best player in her family Thursday night.

Williams defeated older sister Venus 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open. It was their 20th sibling showdown, and each has won 10 times.

Serena needed to reach the final to retain the top ranking she has held since Feb. 2.

"I'm excited," Serena said. "I was thinking I'd love to remain No. 1. I think I was more happy about that than winning the match."

If Venus had won, Serena would have been supplanted in next week's rankings by No. 2 Dinara Safina.

"Even though she's my sister, I'm still here to win," Venus said. "I can't give anyone anything. So I'm disappointed that I lost tonight, whether or not she kept the ranking."

No. 1 Rafael Nadal lost in the men's quarterfinals to 20-year-old Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3). The upset delighted a partisan crowd that included many transplants from Argentina.

"Wonderful for the crowd," Nadal said. "Terrible for me."

The No. 6-seeded del Potro's opponent Friday will be No. 4 Andy Murray, who beat No. 8 Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-2.

Serena Williams will try for a record sixth Key Biscayne title Saturday against 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. Azarenka became sick to her stomach before losing a fourth-round match against Williams at the Australian Open in January.

Serena raced to a 4-1 lead in the final set and broke serve for the sixth time in the last game. When she closed out her victory, she hopped in delight, raised a fist and shouted "Yes!" She then met her sister at the net with a handshake and slap on the back.

"It never gets easy," Serena said. "She's the toughest player I think on the tour, besides me of course."

As often happens, Williams vs. Williams was an aesthetic disappointment. Both players repeatedly went for winners, which resulted in many errors and few long rallies. Fans were subdued, with the majority heading back to the mainland by the third set.

The players were subdued, too, wearing impassive expressions and refraining from any demonstrative reactions to points - until the final game.

With Venus serving at 3-5, Serena hit a backhand winner and punched the air, then repeated the sequence five points later to reach match point.

The sisters say they're close, and the match offered evidence. Serena won 82 points, Venus 81. Serena had 38 unforced errors, Venus 40. Serena hit 19 winners, Venus 22.

One big difference: Venus twice double-faulted on break point.

"It was a well-fought match," Venus said. "My serve wasn't going as well as I wanted. But she brought a lot of balls back and played tough."

Venus, a three-time Key Biscayne champion, fell to 15-2 this year. Serena has won the tournament the past two years and is 52-5 in the event, with one loss since 2001 - to her sister.

After losing her past two meetings with Venus, Serena said she was glad to pull even in the rivalry.

"I would love to be in the lead again," she said.

Del Potro had lost all nine sets in his four previous matches against Nadal, but the Argentine was buoyed by a home-court advantage, with many fans singing "Del-Po" between points.

"They helped me a lot," del Potro said.

The 6-foot-6 Del Potro showed patience in long rallies and used his looping forehand to keep Nadal deep as their three-hour match built to a dramatic finish.

"I beat him with my mind and with my game," del Potro said. "When we played long points, I was dominating every time."

Nadal was up two breaks in the final set at 3-love, but del Potro climbed back into the match by winning 12 of the next 14 points.

"I played really bad all the time," Nadal said. "When I have it 3-love in the third, I played worse. It was amazing disaster."

When Nadal lost serve for the second consecutive time for 3-all, del Potro let loose a primal scream. There was more noise to come.

In the 12th game of the set, Nadal saved three match points, two with aces. He caught a break in the tiebreaker when his return skipped along the net cord before clearing it for a winner and a 3-2 lead.

That was the last point Nadal won. Del Potro hit three consecutive winners to go up 6-3, and on the final point Nadal put a backhand in the net as the crowd erupted one last time.

"I beat the No. 1," del Potro said. "If you don't play unbelievable, you cannot beat him."

Nadal is a six-time Grand Slam champion, and he won at Indian Wells two weeks ago, but his best finish at Key Biscayne was as the runner-up in 2005 and 2008.

"I didn't play well during this tournament," Nadal said. "I didn't adapt well. I played really bad."

Azarenka kept waving clenched fists during her semifinal, as if there was any doubt she meant business. Celebrating every important point she won, the teenager earned her biggest victory yet.

"It's the first final in such a big tournament for me," the No. 11-seeded Azarenka said. "It's all kind of an experience for me. It's a new thing that I'm going to be introduced to on how to handle."

Azarenka closed out the victory on her fourth match point when Kuznetsova netted a backhand to end the 2-hour, 40-minute endurance test played in 85-degree sunshine.

"I'm just so happy that I found energy in that fighting moment," Azarenka said. "That was kind of adrenaline, I would say, on the last games."

Azarenka, who trains in Scottsdale, Ariz., is ranked a career-best 10th after reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells two weeks ago.

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Del Potro drops Nadal; Azarenka into final

Rafael Nadal's bid for his first Sony Ericsson Open title was ended by Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Del Potro had lost all nine sets in their four previous matches, but he was buoyed by a home-court advantage, with many transplanted Argentines in the crowd singing "Del-Po" between points.

"Wonderful for the crowd," top-ranked Nadal said. "Terrible for me."

Also drawing cheers was 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who earned a berth in the women's final by beating 2006 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

The No. 6-seeded del Potro's opponent on Friday will be the winner of the last quarterfinal between No. 4 Andy Murray and No. 8 Fernando Verdasco.

Del Potro showed patience in long rallies and used his looping forehand to keep Nadal deep as their three-hour match built to a dramatic finish. Nadal was up two breaks in the final set at 3-love, but del Potro climbed back into the match by winning 12 of the next 14 points.

"I played really bad all the time," Nadal said. "When I have it 3-love in the third, I played worse. It was amazing disaster."

When Nadal lost serve for the second consecutive time for 3-all, del Potro let loose a primal scream. There was more noise to come.

In the 12th game of the set, Nadal saved three match points, two with aces. He caught a break in the tiebreaker when his return skipped along the net cord before clearing it for a winner and a 3-2 lead.

That was the last point Nadal won. Del Potro hit three consecutive winners to go up 6-3, and on the final point Nadal put a backhand in the net as the crowd erupted one last time.

Nadal, a six-time Grand Slam champion, won at Indian Wells two weeks ago, but his best finish at Key Biscayne was as the runner-up in 2005 and 2008.

"I didn't play well during this tournament," Nadal said. "I didn't adapt well. I played really bad."

Azarenka kept waving clenched fists during her semifinal, as if there was any doubt she meant business. Celebrating every important point she won, the teenager earned her biggest victory yet.

She'll play for the title on Saturday against the winner of the late semifinal between Serena and Venus Williams.

"It's the first final in such a big tournament for me," Azarenka said. "It's the biggest moment, I would say, in my career. It's all kind of an experience for me. It's a new thing that I'm going to be introduced to on how to handle."

Azarenka closed out the victory on her fourth match point when Kuznetsova netted a backhand to end the 2-hour, 40-minute endurance test played in 85-degree (30-degree C) sunshine.

"I'm just so happy that I found energy in that fighting moment," Azarenka said. "That was kind of adrenaline, I would say, on the last games."

Azarenka was ranked a career-best 10th after reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells.

Former No. 1 Federer seeks end to dry spell at Sony Ericsson

In the wee hours Thursday morning, Roger Federer easily recounted his 17th win against Andy Roddick in 19 meetings in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open. He struggled to recall the last time he'd won one of the ATP Tour's premier events.

Yes, it has been that long.

"I don't remember the last one I won exactly," said Federer, a 13-time Grand Slam champion. "Against James?"

The Swiss star guessed correctly, referring to American James Blake in the final at Cincinnati in August 2007.

For the second time in as many tournaments, Federer is in striking distance of an ATP Masters 1000 title. Two weeks ago at Indian Wells, Calif., the world No. 2 made the semifinals but fell to fourth-ranked Andy Murray of Scotland.

Wednesday, he needed some of his best stuff - including a lucky net cord winner to set up match point - to get by improved Roddick 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Next up is a semifinal clash with No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

During his record 237-week reign at No. 1 that began in February 2004, Federer racked up Masters crowns at a torrid pace. With titles here in 2005 and '06 and 14 total, he ranks second behind Andre Agassi (17).

At 27, Federer has tailored his schedule to peak at the majors as he chases Pete Sampras' record of 14. Last year he reached three of four Grand Slam finals and won the U.S. Open but failed to win a Masters title for the first season since 2003. His drought at the tour's top events has given the impression that Federer is less focused on tournaments outside the four majors. He rejects that line of thought.

"I don't like to say it's all about the majors," said Federer, whose first child will be born this summer. "Of course, it's there where the history books are written for me. ... Of course, I use the schedule trying to peak for the majors. But at the same time, there's enough other tournaments where I can do well and want to do well. I have too much respect for tournament directors and fans and media, and I will always give it my best."

Federer said winning six matches as required at a Masters event across seven to eight days vs. the seven needed in a two-week Slam is in some ways more taxing.

"Look, I've always actually thought, even when I was coming up, that the Super 9s, Masters Series or Masters 1000s are the toughest ones to win almost because you've going to beat so many top guys in a short period of time," he said.

Federer, title-less so far in 2009, is 7-2 in his career vs. Djokovic and won their last meeting in the semifinals in New York.

In Thursday's quarterfinal, top-seeded Rafael Nadal fell to Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3).

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Federer trumps Roddick again, will face Djokovic in semis

Roger Federer has advanced to the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open by beating Andy Roddick 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

With the victory Wednesday night, Federer improved to 17-2 against Roddick and avenged a loss when they met in Key Biscayne quarterfinals last year.

Federer's opponent Friday will be No. 3-seeded Novak Djokovic, who beat No. 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4.

"I have to be very happy, because I have been struggling to find a way to win against him in the last four encounters," said Djokovic. "It was all so close, so I just knew that I needed to stick in and try to wait for my chances and be aggressive. Today I think I tried to be closer to the line, more in control, and just put the pressure on him. Overall, I'm really satisfied."

A lucky bounce helped Federer in the final game. With Roddick serving at deuce, Federer hit a backhand passing shot that clipped the net cord and landed in the corner for a winner. On the final point Federer smacked another backhand that handcuffed Roddick at the net and deflected off his racket.

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Rough start can't keep Serena Williams out of Sony semis

Top-ranked Serena Williams lost the first five games then rallied to reach the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open on Wednesday and waited for a possible matchup against her sister.

Williams overcame a dismal start to beat unseeded Li Na of China 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

Venus Williams was to face Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic in the last of the quarterfinals late Wednesday. The other semifinal on Thursday will be between No. 8-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 11 Victoria Azarenka.

No. 3 Novak Djokovic became the first men's semifinalist by beating No. 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic won the title in 2007.

The Williams sisters have dominated the tournament for more than a decade. Venus is a three-time champion, while Serena seeks her sixth title, which would break the record she shares with Steffi Graf.

Li nearly ended Serena's Key Biscayne reign. At the start Williams looked lethargic in the 80-degree (27-degree C) sunshine, and several times she declined to chase shots that seemed within reach.

"Wake up!" one spectator shouted.

"Maybe I was tired, but that's still not an excuse really," Serena said. "I definitely wasn't moving my feet at all. I just wasn't doing anything that made a lot of sense at all."

When the score reached 5-love, Williams' father Richard left his seat in the stands and positioned himself courtside near the baseline. He's the sisters' coach, and while he said little, he lifted Serena's spirits.

"I just felt like he was there really supporting, and I felt the support more when he was up close as opposed to in the stands," she said. "I just felt like I could take it up to another level."

She did, moving better and punctuating her shots with more emphatic grunts as the match slowly swung her way. There were no service breaks in the second set, but the unseeded Li failed to convert six break-point chances. The last came at 5-all, and Williams erased it with a service winner.

Li made things easy for Williams in the tiebreaker by committing six unforced errors. As the third set began to slip away from Li, she vented her frustration by slamming a ball against the backstop on the far end of the court.

"I gave her the tiebreak," Li said. "I couldn't focus in the final set. After she won the second set, I didn't think I had a chance."

Li double-faulted on break point to fall behind 2-1, part of a span where Williams won 16 points in a row en route to a 5-1 lead. Williams closed out the victory with a service winner.

It was part of a familiar pattern of inconsistency for Williams, who has managed the curious feat of reaching the semifinals despite losing five consecutive games three times in her past two matches.

"I need to be more consistent in my play," she said. "I don't have to be out there going three sets. That's what I think it tells me more than anything."

She improved her record at Key Biscayne to 51-5, with one loss since 2001 - to her sister.

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John McEnroe to work on ESPN2's US Open telecasts

John McEnroe will be part of ESPN2's announcing team when the network carries the U.S. Open for the first time this year.

He sometimes will be paired in the broadcast booth with his younger brother Patrick, who succeeded him as the U.S. Davis Cup captain.

John McEnroe won the U.S. Open four times.

This year marks the start of a six-year deal through 2014 for ESPN and Tennis Channel to carry the U.S. Open's cable TV coverage, taking over from USA Network.