Novak Djokovic is on fire at this year’s Miami Open, with a quarter-final clash against home hope Sebastian Korda up next.
Djokovic disposed of Italian Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, in what was a dominant round-of-16 display.
Serena Williams was in attendance for the 24-time grand slam champion’s triumph – as was former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro.
Djokovic is a six-time Miami Open champion and is now in the quarter-finals for the eighth time at the Masters 1000 tournament.
The Serb, looking to claim his 100th ATP Tour title, had high praise for his coach and former rival Andy Murray after the match.
Djokovic says it’s still surreal that Andy Murray is his coach
Djokovic and Murray are now two months into their player-coach relationship, but Djokovic still can’t believe it’s a reality.
He told Sky Sports: “Sometimes I pinch myself and ask myself: Is this real? Is this a dream?”
“It’s still surreal in some sense that one of my biggest rivals is my coach.”
“It’s great, we’re trying to get the most out of this relationship and also spend some quality time with together.”
“I think Miami has been really good. We were here early, a week before the tournament started, so we played some golf, we enjoyed some dinners together, so were having fun.”
“I’ve always had tremendous respect for Andy as a player, but now even more as a person. He’s such a nice guy and I’m really grateful that he cares about me, that he cares about me doing well on the court.”
Djokovic and Murray’s record together so far
The partnership of the two tennis legends kicked off at the Australian Open in January, with Djokovic looking to break the all-time record for grand slam titles.
The 10-time Australian Open champion enjoyed a fantastic run at the tournament with Murray in his box for the first time, cruising through the first four rounds with only two sets dropped.
| Tournament | Result | Lost To | Score In Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | Semi-Final | Alexander Zverev (retired) | 6-7(5-7) / (walkover) |
| Qatar Open | First-Round | Matteo Berrettini | 6-7(4-7), 2-6 |
| Indian Wells Masters | First Round | Botic van de Zandschulp | 2-6, 6-3, 1-6 |
Djokovic and Murray’s biggest test came in the quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz, but the 37-year-old came out victorious over the Spaniard in four sets.
Murray’s first tournament as coach was shaping up to be a dream start, but Djokovic retired from his semi-final bout against Alexander Zverev following the first set with a hamstring tear.
Since then the former world no.1 suffered two consecutive first-round exits at the Qatar Open and Indian Wells, but looks to be thriving once again under Murray at this year’s Miami Open.
The post Novak Djokovic can’t believe something about his coach-player partnership with Andy Murray appeared first on HITC.
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