ATP Masters in Miami, Final, Sunday, 30.03.2025, 21:00
The Grand Master from Serbia on one side, the untitled sensation man from the Czech Republic on the other – what a crazy final at the Miami Masters!
When Novak Djokovic was able to accept his first title here in 2007, his current opponent Jakub Mensik was just one and a half years old.
Of course, I don’t need to answer the question of who is the favorite here.
And even though the underdog has inspired and surprised me at the same time, in my Mensik Djokovic tip, I’ll now tell you why I’m betting on a straight 2-0 for the Djoker here.
Novak Djokovic had to wait an incredible nine years, but now he has finally made it to the Miami final again. The world number 5 had to withdraw from the Australian Open in the semi-finals; at 37, there are bound to be aches and pains here and there.
A little later in Qatar, he lost to Matteo Berrettini right at the start, and in Indian Wells, he was knocked out in the first round by Botic van de Zandschulp after an embarrassing performance.
Many began to wonder: is the end of his career getting closer and closer? After the last results, Djokovic was not among the top favorites in Miami, but as so often, he is now proving all his critics wrong.
He started with a 6-0, 7-6 win over Rinky Hijikata, followed by a 6-1, 7-6 win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli. In the round of 16, he performed even more convincingly, winning 6-2, 6-2 against Lorenzo Musetti.
Two further successes followed, Djokovic beat Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6 and then Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3. Sets given away? We are looking for them in Miami in vain!
Interesting fact: He has had to face exactly one break in each of the last four matches. Against Korda and Dimitrov, well over 80% of the first serves were successfully served over the net, leaving his opponents without a chance.
Now he could reach an absolute milestone: his 100th title on the ATP tour. He has not accepted a trophy for eight months, but in Miami, the dry spell should finally end.
“After the Olympics, where I won my 99th title, I knew that I would reach for 100 at every tournament. I didn’t succeed – hopefully on Sunday.”
Watched by Lionel Messi, Djokovic made it to the final in confident style and knows: I had a tough time against Jakub Mensik, my rival in the final, last year. The first and so far only direct duel took place at the Shanghai Masters.
The former champion won 6-7, 6-1, 6-4. For our PayPal bookmakers, one thing is clear: the title can only go to Djokovic, with odds of 1.20 to 4.20 on average.
I think I can say that no one expected Jakub Mensik to reach the final. The 19-year-old from the Czech Republic has never won a title on the ATP Tour, but now he could land the big coup.
In the first round, Mensik had defeated Roberto Bautista-Agut 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. The first upset came a little later in round 2: he defeated the champion of Indian Wells, Jack Draper, 7-6, 7-6!
After a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roman Safiullin, Mensik advanced to the round of 16 without a fight, as his compatriot Tomas Machac withdrew due to injury. So the 19-year-old was able to tackle the round of the last eight fresh.
There, Mensik was waiting for Arthur Fils, the man who had previously sent Alexander Zverev home. With 7-6, 6-1, the victory went to Mensik, so again he only needed two sets. In the semi-finals, it should be three again, the fans got a lot for their money.
Mensik won 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, and could hardly believe his luck afterwards. It is worth noting that the Czech has played five tiebreaks in the entire tournament, all of which he has won. Fritz, Fils and Draper were only able to break once, so the service game could hardly be stronger.
25 aces against Fritz? Someone can serve! On average, he wins over 85% of points on his first serve. At 1.93 meters tall, Mensik is an absolute weapon.
My Mensik Djokovic Tip
Will Novak Djokovic continue to play as well as he has done in the final? As if the weak tournaments before had not happened, the Serb plows through Miami and does not give up any sets.
His opponent is a huge surprise: Jakub Mensik has not yet won a single ATP title and impressed in Miami with a brutal service. But: the way Djokovic is performing, I can only imagine one thing:
Djokovic puts Mensik in his place!
