Djokovic 'proud' of victory - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Djokovic 'proud' of victory

The 19-year-old Novak Djokovic became the youngest male champion in the hardcourt event with a 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory over Guillermo Canas in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open.

It was the first ATP Masters Series title for Djokovic, who became the first player since Ivan Lendl in 1989 to win a championship in Miami without dropping a set.

"Every time you win something or you are the youngest player or you make any record, it certainly feels great," Djokovic said. "It means that your name is in the history of the sport. I am very proud of that."

Canas was attempting to become only the second unseeded player to win this tournament. The 29-year-old Argentinian rocked the tennis world with two wins in a three-week span over Roger Federer, the world's top-ranked player.

The first came on March 11 in the Pacific Life Open and ended the Swiss superstar's 41-match winning streak. The second came on Tuesday in the fourth round.

But Canas had no answers for Djokovic, who held every service game and lost serve just once in 59 games in the tournament. The slender Serb displayed his power with serves at 130 miles per hour and his touch with an assortment of drop shots.

"Novak just played better than me," Canas said. "I had a few chances, not a lot, but a few and he played very well."

On Monday, Djokovic will rise to No. 7 in the world rankings.

"I'm always comparing myself to the best players in the world, because that's what I want to be one day," Djokovic said.

"Right now I feel like probably for the first time in my career that I am on that level, that I deserve to be one of the three best players in the world right now."

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