Novak Djokovic did not win in Miami either: The Serbian lost in his opening match against Benoit Paire in two sets.
No success at the two big hard court tournaments for Novak Djokovic, which he had apparently effortlessly dominated not so long ago: Like in Indian Wells against Taro Daniel, Djokovic lost his first match at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, this time against Benoit Paire with 3:6 and 4:6.
Only at the beginning of the second set Djokovic showed a short rebellion, equalized in the second game on his own serve a 0:40. At 2:3 from the Serbian’s point of view, however, Paire struck – also because the former first in the world rankings helped with several unforced mistakes. Benoit Paire, however, does not give up on such occasions, gave his opponent his first break point with the first double mistake. Djokovic used it for connection with a forehand winning stroke. And the equalizer. In the very last game of the game, however, the bad current condition of Novak Djokovic showed once again: Almost without a fight, the twelve times major winner gave up his service game for 4:6.
David Goffin had nothing to report to Joao Sousa at his first match since the Rotterdam accident, when a ball from his bat frame found its way to his temple, 6-0 and 6-1 after just over an hour. Sousa beat a top ten man like in Indian Wells. Alexander Zverev was the losing rival at the BNP Paribas Open.
Roberto Bautista Agut, this year’s two-time tournament winner, lost 6:7 (4), 6:2 and 4:6 to the young US player Michael Mmoh despite break lead in the third set. After 2:44 the qualifier sank to the ground on court 2 and celebrated his greatest success on the ATP tour. Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic had no problems. The second seeded Croatian won against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in two sets, as did Raonic against the Swede Mikael Ymer.
Here the single tableau of the men in Miami