Novak Djokovic raced into his eighth Miami Open quarter-final following a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Lorenzo Musetti in an hour and 23 minutes. The six-time champion played well in front of the eight-time Miami Open winner, Serena Williams, who watched him from the stands.
Two GOATs met after the match and exchange nice words. Novak and Serena conquered Miami in the same year three times. They achieved that in 2007 and left everyone behind in back-to-back years between 2014 and 2015.
Djokovic is competing in Miami for the first time since 2019. This is his first experience at the Hard Rock Stadium, and it's so far so good for the legend. Novak is enjoying his best run at the Miami Open since 2016.
He made a slow start against Musetti and argued whit thew chair umpire before shifting into a higher gear to emerge at the top in style. World no. 5 outplayed his rival on serve and return, and he liked how he performed in front of another legend.
Lorenzo converted a break point in the first game of the encounter. However, that was the only chance he created on the return, feeling the pressure in his games and cracking under it. Djokovic claimed 54% of the return points and converted five of 12 chances on the return.
Novak hit 18 winners and 17 unforced errors. They did not hit too many service winners, and the veteran forged the advantage from the baseline. Musetti clinched a break in the first game of the encounter after Djokovic's double fault.
The Italian held in the second game to cement the break. Novak argued with the chair umpire, although he kept his composure. The six-time winner got his name on the scoreboard in the third game and generated four break points at 1-2.
The veteran welcomed the rival's double fault on the last, erasing the deficit and gaining confidence. Djokovic held after deuces in the fifth game and painted a backhand crosscourt winner in the next one, providing his second straight break and moving 4-2 up.
Novak moved 5-2 up with a backhand winner in game seven and grabbed his third straight break a few minutes later for 6-2 in 40 minutes. The Serb served well in the second set, and the Italian could not follow that pace.
Lorenzo wasted a game point in the second game and suffered a break when his forehand landed long. Djokovic brought the third game home with a smash winner, rattling off nine games and sailing toward the finish line.
Musetti saved two break points in the fourth game to end his downfall and reduce the gap. The Serb held at love in game five for 4-1 and closed the seventh after a deuce with a backhand down the line winner for 5-2.
Novak earned three match points on the return in the eighth game with a lucky net cord. The veteran converted the first after the rival's double fault, sailing into his 96th Masters 1000 quarter-final.
