The 26th career ATP tour meeting between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will decide the 2015 Miami Open champion. The matchup should come as no surprise considering the duo has combined to win the event in five of the past six years.
Djokovic holds a 17-8 record in those previous meetings dating back to 2006. That includes a current six-match winning streak against the sensational Scot. The last time Murray edged him was for the Wimbledon title in 2013.
Let's check out all of the important viewing details for Sunday's championship match, followed by a preview and prediction for the high-profile encounter.
Viewing Information
Where: Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami, Florida
When: Sunday, April 5 at 1 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Match Preview
As mentioned, Murray hasn't had much success against Djokovic as of late. They are both outstanding defensive players, which often leads to long, entertaining points. The Serbian world No. 1 has just found a way to win a majority of the key ones over the past few years.
Sky Sports Tennis highlighted the results since Murray's triumph at the All England Club in 2013:
The results on hard courts are even more astonishing.
The No. 4-ranked player in the world has won nearly 80 percent of his career matches and captured 25 titles on the surface. Yet, Christopher Clarey of The New York Times notes further Djokovic dominance over him:
It's those types of numbers that make you wonder how gaudy some of the numbers the “Big Four” could have posted individually if it wasn't so crowded at the top.
These two, along with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, have constantly battled each other for titles. While the overall parity may be a bit lacking, the road to championships haven't been easy for any of them due to the extreme strength at the top for an extended period.
As for this matchup, Djokovic thinks he probably holds at least a small mental advantage, as noted by Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel.
"The fact that I won I think [the last six matches] that we played against each other, especially the one just recently in Indian Wells, gives me confidence and maybe a slight mental advantage," Djokovic said. "But we're talking about small margins. That's always the case when we play against each other. Very few points, details can decide a winner. We have very similar games."
If Murray is looking for a silver lining, it's worth noting Djokovic hasn't looked totally unstoppable throughout the event. He was pushed to three sets by both Martin Klizan and Alexandr Dolgopolov and played a very tight two-setter with David Ferrer.
Murray also had a couple of close calls against Kevin Anderson and Dominic Thiem. But the fact Djokovic has at least left the door open a couple of times during the tournament should give the underdog a boost of confidence heading into the final.
All told, this has the potential to become another memorable clash. Both players have a history of success in the event, and their matches usually aren't as lopsided as the win-loss records, especially recently, would suggest.
Djokovic still holds the edge, though.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3 sets
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