Novak Djokovic Overtakes Rafael Nadal in ATP Masters 1000 Tournament Victories
Novak Djokovic, a six-time champion at the Miami Open, advanced to the fourth round on Sunday with a convincing 6-1, 7-6 victory over Argentine lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli. This win allowed Djokovic to surpass retired Spanish legend Rafael...
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Novak Djokovic, a six-time champion at the Miami Open, advanced to the fourth round on Sunday with a convincing 6-1, 7-6 victory over Argentine lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli. This win allowed Djokovic to surpass retired Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, placing him at the top of the all-time Masters 1000 match wins list.
Entering the Miami Open with 409 Masters 1000 victories, the Serbian No. 4 seed was just one win behind Nadal. After two wins in Florida, he not only tied but also broke the record.
"I'm honored to have another milestone, another record broken," Djokovic said. "There's always something on the line pretty much every time I play, and of course that motivates me to do well at tournaments."
This achievement comes nearly two decades after Djokovic's first Masters 1000 victory against Victor Hanescu in Paris in 2005.
Djokovic, who is also aiming for his record seventh title in Miami, will next compete against Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian 15th seed triumphed over Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to secure his spot.
On the women's side, former champion Iga Swiatek of Poland secured a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Belgian 27th seed Elise Mertens, making her the first player to reach the last 16 at a WTA 1000 event in 25 consecutive appearances.
Swiatek held a 5-2 lead in the first set, but Mertens fought back to even the score at 5-5. The Polish player then dominated the tiebreaker and cruised through the second set.
"I'm happy that I got my level up in the tiebreaker to close it in two sets. Also in the second set I felt like I was playing good, big confidence," Swiatek said. "Yeah, overall I'm happy with the performance and how I worked through some issues."
Swiatek's next opponent will be Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who defeated Czech 15th seed Karolina Muchova 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
Entering the Miami Open with 409 Masters 1000 victories, the Serbian No. 4 seed was just one win behind Nadal. After two wins in Florida, he not only tied but also broke the record.
"I'm honored to have another milestone, another record broken," Djokovic said. "There's always something on the line pretty much every time I play, and of course that motivates me to do well at tournaments."
This achievement comes nearly two decades after Djokovic's first Masters 1000 victory against Victor Hanescu in Paris in 2005.
Djokovic, who is also aiming for his record seventh title in Miami, will next compete against Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian 15th seed triumphed over Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to secure his spot.
On the women's side, former champion Iga Swiatek of Poland secured a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Belgian 27th seed Elise Mertens, making her the first player to reach the last 16 at a WTA 1000 event in 25 consecutive appearances.
Swiatek held a 5-2 lead in the first set, but Mertens fought back to even the score at 5-5. The Polish player then dominated the tiebreaker and cruised through the second set.
"I'm happy that I got my level up in the tiebreaker to close it in two sets. Also in the second set I felt like I was playing good, big confidence," Swiatek said. "Yeah, overall I'm happy with the performance and how I worked through some issues."
Swiatek's next opponent will be Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who defeated Czech 15th seed Karolina Muchova 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
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