Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic met for the second time in as many weeks in an ATP Masters event.
The Setting
2008 started off with a noteworthy accomplishment in Grand Slam play: Novak Djokovic captured his first major title at the Australian Open. The breakthrough was a significant one, as it was the first time since 2005 that someone other than Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal had won one of the game's biggest prizes.
On top of that Grand Slam breakthrough, the 21-year-old would go on to win his third and fourth Masters titles before the summer hard-court stretch to establish himself as a challenger to the two players who had dominated the game for several years.
He would soon find out that he had company in that pursuit.
Andy Murray, who cracked the Top 10 for the first time in 2007, was also making waves, and at the Canada Masters event in 2008 he had defeated Djokovic for the first time in five career meetings.
The two would have a rematch in the final of the Cincinnati Masters a week later. On his way to the title match, Djokovic ended Nadal's 32-match winning streak in the semifinals. Meanwhile, in the top half of the draw, Murray defeated Federer's third-round conqueror, Ivo Karlovic, in the semis to reach the first Masters final of his career.
The Final
At the onset, Djokovic tried to employ a strategy similar to the one he used against Nadal by hitting the ball flat and attacking more. Murray, though, held steady and managed to earn break points at 2-2 and 3-3. Djokovic staved them off and the two found themselves in a tiebreak to decide the first set. Djokovic went down a mini-break right off the bat and lost another point against serve soon afterward. That was all Murray needed to take the first-set tiebreak, 7-4.
In the second, Djokovic appeared to make a quick recovery as he broke Murray's serve to go up 2-1. However, Murray broke back to even the set at two games apiece. The Scot eventually recorded another break and went up 5-3, with match points. On the verge of defeat, Djokovic fought off the match points and pushed the set to another tiebreak. Murray earned two more match points in the tiebreak and Djokovic saved his fifth one of the match. He couldn't fight off a sixth, though, as Murray ripped a backhand winner down the line to clinch the first Masters title of his career.
Notable Numbers
3-7
With his second win in a row over Djokovic, Murray improved his head-to-head record to 3-7 against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in Masters play.
1
Among Djokovic, Murray, Federer and Nadal, Murray stands alone as a victor in his first career Masters final.
