Djokovic polishes his Miami Masters credentials

Novak Djokovic made a return to the Miami Masters after last playing the event in 2019, with the fourth seed crushing Rinky Hijikata 6-0, 7-6 (1) to reach the third round on Friday.

The Serb who lost in the Indian Wells first round this month, said that nearly two weeks of training with coach Andy Murray has breathed new life into his game.

Victory over the Australian whom he beat in the opening match of this season in Brisbane pulled Djokovic level with Rafael Nadal on 410 career victories at the Masters 1000 level.

The 37-year-old fourth seed finished with an ace to advance on the first of five match points.

Djokovic, a six-time Miami champion. limited himself to just three of his dozen overall unforced errors in the opening set. He is bidding to crack a 100th career trophy here after winning his last at the Paris Olympics last summer.

“I’m playing really well,” the winner said. “It was a high-level match from the beginning. I knew what I wanted to do tactically. 

“I did some homework after our last match, I’ve had plenty of time, nearly two weeks, to work on my game.

“We did a really good job. The way I played was encouraging. I like how I’ve been training the last seven to 10 days.”

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic winning comfortably in Miami opener – by Pete Staples/ATPTour.com