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Andrew Cesare Richardson

Agence France-Presse

Novak Djokovic missed the chance to win his 100th ATP title, suffering a shock straight-sets defeat by Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final.
Unseeded Mensik showed his mettle once again in tie-breaks as he took the final 7-6, 7-6 to win his maiden ATP title.
The match started more than 5½ hours after its scheduled start time of 3pm on Sunday local time because of a rain delay, with the players finally arriving on court at 8.37pm.
Djokovic was aiming to become only the third man to claim a century of ATP titles after Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103), but just fell short.
Mensik, ranked world No 54, broke the 24-time grand slam champion to take a 4-2 lead in the first set but the Serb broke back immediately.

The rest of the set remained on serve but Mensik showed why he has an impressive record in tie-breaks when he opened up a 5-0 lead.
Djokovic fought back and the Czech eventually won out 7-4.
Set two saw no break of serve and a more cagey tie-break which ended in the same scoreline in favour of the Czech star.
“To be honest I don’t know what to say,” Mensik said in his on-court interview. “It feels incredible, obviously.
“It was probably the biggest day of my life and I did super, which I’m really glad [about], to show the performance and keep the nerves outside of the court before the match.
“I feel just super-happy and I think that the feelings will come later.”
Mensik also said he was close to pulling out of the tournament after suffering a knee injury before his first match.
“This is Jakub’s moment, a moment of his team, a moment of his family,” Djokovic said. “Congratulations – unbelievable tournament.
“It hurts me to admit it, but you were better. In a clutch moment, you delivered the goods. Unbelievable serving and just a phenomenal effort mentally as well to stay tough in a difficult moment.
“For a young player like yourself, this is a great feature. Something that I’m sure you will use many times in the years to follow.”


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ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)

Novak Djokovic stuck on 99, stunned by unseeded Jakub Mensik in Miami Open final

Jakub Mensik (right) poses with the Miami Open trophy alongside his idol and runner-up, Novak Djokovic. Photo: EPA

Jakub Mensik shows his joy after beating Novak Djokovic in the Miami Open final. Photo: EPA

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Novak Djokovic stuck on 99, stunned by unseeded Jakub Mensik in Miami Open final

Unseeded Czech shows his tie-break prowess after match starts 5½ hours late