Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Americans Donald Young and Jack Sock were a
pair of easy first-round winners Wednesday at the $5.4 million Miami Open —
the second straight Masters 1000 event on the ATP World Tour.
The 25-year-old left-handed Young was leading Yen-Hsun Lu 5-1 in the first set
on Day 1 when the Taiwanese player retired, while the 22-year-old big-hitting
Sock sacked Japan’s Go Soeda 6-3, 6-4 on the hardcourts at the Tennis Center
at Crandon Park.
Up next for Young will be third-seeded Australian Open runner-up and two-time
Miami titlist Andy Murray.
Also, Argentine Carlos Berlocq topped promising Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4,
3-6, 6-2; Jan-Lennard Struff overcame fellow German Benjamin Becker 3-6,
7-6 (12-10), 6-4; unknown Korean Hyeon Chung surprised Spaniard Marcel
Granollers 6-0, 4-6, 6-4; and Aussie James Duckworth snuck past Bosnian Damir
Dzumhur 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
The top seeds here are Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic,
French Open king Rafael Nadal, Murray, and U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori.
The four-time Miami champion Djokovic beat the four-time runner-up Nadal in
last year’s marquee finale, which was a rematch of the 2011 final that was
also captured by Djokovic in South Florida. The great Nadal has yet to title
in Miami.
Last week’s Indian Wells Masters runner-up and two-time Miami winner Roger
Federer is not playing at this mandatory event. Although participation in the
Miami Open is mandatory for top players on both the ATP and WTA tours, there
can be exceptions for players who meet certain career milestones.
The 2015 Miami champ will claim $900,400.
