Jannik Sinner has beaten Jiri Lehecka to win the Miami Open final and complete the Sunshine Double
The Miami Open officially reached its conclusion on Sunday, with Jannik Sinner triumphing in the men's final to claim the Sunshine Double. Rain delays heavily impacted his clash with Jiri Lehecka but the No .2 seed was able to come out on top
The day kicked off with a thrilling women’s doubles final between the top two seeds, as Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini took on Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend. Around an hour into the match, play was suspended by rain, just as they were getting towards the end of the first set.
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Finally, at around 4.20pm local (9.20pm BST), Sinner and Lehecka stepped out onto the Stadium, while Errani/Paolini and Siniakova/Townsend returned, this time on Grandstand. Czech-American duo Siniakova and Townsend claimed a 7-6(0) 6-1 victory to complete the Sunshine Double.
The men's doubles final was also interrupted by another spell of rain at the beginning of the second set. By that point, Sinner had taken the opener 6-4. That was the second set outcome as well with Sinner later delivering a message to F1 star and fellow Italian Kimi Antonelli in his post-match speech.
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His match finished at around 1am BST and he subsequently joined Aryna Sabalenka in winning both Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
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KEY EVENTS
Jannik Sinner wins Miami Open00:57
Final delayed again23:03
Play suspended again22:24
Here we go!21:31
New start times for both finals20:45
New start time20:11
Both finals now delayed19:48
Women's doubles final moved and will resume shortly19:15
23 mins ago06:38 Kieran Horn
Sinner's Antonelli message
Jannik Sinner took a moment to celebrate Kimi Antonelli's recent F1 success with a three-word message after his Miami Open triumph.
He wrote on the Sky Sports camera: "Bez, Kimi, Italia."
Both Italian sports stars enjoyed winning weekends with Antonelli claiming P1 in the Japanese Grand Prix.
He also made sure to give a shout out to US Moto GP winner Marco Bezzecchi.
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33 mins ago06:28 Kieran Horn
Good morning
Hello and welcome back to our tennis live blog on the Daily Express.
Just a few hours ago, Jannik Sinner completed the Sunshine Double after beating Jiri Lehecka in the Miami Open final.
For all the latest updates and reaction, stay with us over the coming hours
4 hours ago02:50 Tannur Anders
What is the Sunshine Double?
The Sunshine Double refers to the prestigious achievement of winning both the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open in the same calendar year.
5 hours ago02:27 Tannur Anders
Sinner eighth man to complete Sunshine Double
Jannik Sinner is the eighth man to complete the Sunshine Double.
6 hours ago00:57 Tannur Anders
Jannik Sinner wins Miami Open
Jannik Sinner has beaten Jiri Lehecka to win the Miami Open final and complete the Sunshine Double.
7 hours ago23:54 Tannur Anders
Players back on court
Players are back on court at the men's final of the Miami Open.
7 hours ago23:32 Yasmin Syed
Sinner seeking history
When play finally resumes at the Miami Open, Jannik Sinner will be hoping to make history. The second seed already leads Jiri Lehecka 6-4, and he’s won all of his other matches in Indian Wells and Miami in straight sets.
Should Sinner take the second set over Lehecka to lift the title, he will become the first player to complete the Sunshine Double – winning these two tournaments back-to-back without dropping a set. He’d also be the seventh man to do the double, and the first since Roger Federer in 2017.
We’ve already had two Sunshine Doubles this weekend. Aryna Sabalenka did it in women’s singles, and Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend achieved the feat in doubles.
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8 hours ago23:26 Yasmin Syed
Another new start time
The resumption of the men's singles final has been pushed back again, now to 6.45pm local time (11.45pm BST).
But things are really looking up now. The courts are dry and blue skies are out. if there's no more rain in the next 20 minutes, Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka should return to the court, have a quick warm-up and resume the match.
A reminder that Sinner took the first set 6-4. Lehecka is serving to start set two at 0-0 (15-30).
8 hours ago23:03 Yasmin Syed
Final delayed again
Court streams are now showing that Jannik Sinner vs Jiri Lehecka will resume not before 6.30pm local time (11.30pm BST).
The courts are starting to blow away and blue skies are creeping in. The courts are currently being dried.
8 hours ago23:02 Yasmin Syed
What has Sinner said about rain delays during the final?
Jannik Sinner currently leads Jiri Lehecka by a set in the men’s singles final at the Miami Open, but the match has been suspended due to rain. It’s not come as a huge surprise; the 2024 champion knew what they were in for today after checking the forecast.
After beating Alexander Zverev on Friday, he said: “Let’s see also the weather forecast. It’s also not promising, but we hope for a day as dry as possible, and that we have a chance to play. No matter what happens now in the final, of course, I will give it the best shot. But reaching the final here is good for me.”
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8 hours ago22:46 Yasmin Syed
Play pushed back again
The Miami Open has confirmed that the men's singles final between Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka will resume not before 6.15pm local time (11.15pm BST).
It's the only match left of the tournament, and Sinner is one set away from completing the Sunshine Double.
8 hours ago22:32 Yasmin Syed
Sinner vs Lehecka delayed for at least half an hour
According to Sky Sports, the men's singles final between Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka will resume not before 6pm local time (11pm BST).
Again, the rain has been very stop-start. It already looks a little better in Miami right now, but that could change.
9 hours ago22:24 Yasmin Syed
Play suspended again
Play has been suspended at the beginning of the second set in the men's singles final between Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka.
Sinner had just taken the first set and Lehecka was serving in the opening game of the second. But it was 0-0 (15-30) when the heavens opened again, and the players immediately left the court.
9 hours ago22:19 Yasmin Syed
Sinner takes the lead
Jannik Sinner is one set away from completing the Sunshine Double – and he can still do it without dropping a set. He'd be the first player to do that. The world No. 2 has taken the opener 6-4 against Jiri Lehecka on the Stadium Court.
In the third game, the Czech star had his serve broken for the first time in the tournament. Then, he saved two break points in a marathon, 10-minute service game. But it was inevitable from Sinner, who served out the set with ease.
He's won 100 per cent of first serve points in this set and has a performance rating of 9.1.
9 hours ago21:58 Yasmin Syed
Siniakova and Townsend are the champions!
Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend have done it! They’re the Miami Open champions, and they’ve completed the Sunshine Double, as they also won Indian Wells just a couple of weeks ago.
The No. 2 seeds responded perfectly to a near-three-hour rain delay and a mid-match court change. The final was suspended with top seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini serving at 5-6 (40-0). When play finally resumed, they forced a tiebreak, but Siniakova and Townsend absolutely ran away with it.
They raced through the tiebreak 7-0, and then stormed through set two, winning the last six games to claim a statement 7-6(0) 6-1 victory.
9 hours ago21:45 Yasmin Syed
Lehecka broken for the first time in the tournament
Jiri Lehecka has had his serve broken for the very first time in this tournament.
The Czech star made it to his first Masters 1000 title without getting broken once across his first five matches here.
But Jannik Sinner is another beast, and the No. 2 seed has taken an early 2-1 lead in the men's singles final.
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9 hours ago21:35 Yasmin Syed
Siniakova/Townsend take control after match was suspended
It’s been a horror return for Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini. Back before the rain came, they had served for the first set at 5-4 over on the Stadium Court. But they were broken, and play was suspended with the top seeds serving to force a tiebreak at 5-6 (40-0).
Play resumed almost three hours later on Grandstand. They managed to win the next point, getting into a tiebreak. But everything unravelled, and Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend absolutely stormed through to take it 7-0, not dropping a single point.
9 hours ago21:31 Yasmin Syed
Here we go!
The women's doubles final has already resumed over on Grandstand, and the No. 1 seeds held to love to force a first-set tiebreak.
Over on Stadium, Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka have finished their warm-up and will now get the championship match underway.
10 hours ago21:23 Yasmin Syed
Women's doubles final to resume
The women's doubles final is also about to resume on the Grandstand Court. The match started on the Stadium almost four hours ago, but was rained off around three hours ago.
That final has now been moved due to the extensive delays, allowing for the men's singles championship match to get underway on the main court.
When play was suspended, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were serving to force a first-set tiebreak at 5-6 (40-0) against Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsed. The Italians had served for the set at 5-4 but got broken.
And the players are now on the court, raring to go.
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10 hours ago21:17 Yasmin Syed
Sinner and Lehecka about to walk on
It's happening! Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka are waiting outside the Stadium Court and are finally about to step out for the men's singles final.
Fans in the stands are standing up for the National Anthem before the players walk on.
Sinner vs Lehecka was due to start not before 3pm local time (8pm BST), so we're working with a delay of over an hour right now.
10 hours ago21:14 Yasmin Syed
Play should finally get underway imminently
These are the best signs we've had since the women's doubles final was rained off around two-and-a-half hours ago.
The courts are completely dry and the attendants have left. Ball kids are about to come out, and Jiri Lehecka can be seen waiting around the Stadium Court tunnel.
It could be happening!
10 hours ago21:11 Yasmin Syed
Sinner 'has no clue' when final could start
Given that we've had lots of changes to the schedule today, it comes as no surprise that even the players themselves don't really know when play will get underway.
Jannik Sinner and his coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, spoke to Sky Sports pundit Marion Bartoli, and revealed that they weren't sure when the men's singles final would start – or whether it would continue to be interrupted once play finally got underway.
“I just had a chat with Darren Cahill, Jannik Sinner and Simone [Vagnozzi] as well, they’re all sort of hanging in there. And I asked both of them, ‘Do you have any sort of update? Is it quite clear what’s the plan for the rest of the day?’ And to be honest, even the players have no clue of what is going on exactly,” Bartoli explained.
“They just had a starting time which was 3.45pm local time, which I think is going to be even later. But after that, I think it’s quite blurry, even for the player himself to know exactly what he’s in for.”
Read more here
10 hours ago21:07 Yasmin Syed
Players warming up again
Cameras have caught Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka warming up in the tunnels around the Hard Rock Stadium in hopes that the men's singles final will start at 4.15pm local time (9.15pm BST).
Sinner has since made his way back outside to the artificial grass with his jacket on, another positive sign that they could take to the court in a few minutes.
10 hours ago20:45 Yasmin Syed
New start times for both finals
Miami Open organisers have shared a new update.
The men's singles final between Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka is due to start on Stadium Court not before 4.15pm local time (9.15pm BST).
They have also confirmed that the women's doubles final between Errani/Paolini and Siniakova/Townsend is due to resume at the same time, now moved onto the Grandstand Court.
The drying machines are out on the courts and some court attendants are even drying the lines with towels. A few fans are in the stands too. Positive signs.
10 hours ago20:36 Yasmin Syed
Courts being dried again
The drying machines are back out on the court. The women's doubles final was meant to resume about five minutes ago, and the men's singles is due to get underway in the next 10 minutes.
Maybe, just maybe, if they can get the courts dried before any more rain falls, we could see signs of the players stepping out.
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11 hours ago20:11 Yasmin Syed
New start time
The rain really will be stop-start today, so we'll have to bear with the ever-changing Miami Open schedule.
For now, it's stopped again and the drying machines are back out.
The WTA live stream is now showing a new start time of not before 3.30pm local time (8.30pm BST).
Meanwhile, Sky Sports has shown that play will actually get back underway a little later, at 3.45pm local (8.45pm BST).
The Miami Open has just confirmed that the women's doubles will resume at 3.30pm local on Grandstand, and the men's singles final will start at 3.45pm local on Stadium.
There's been a new twist, however. The court attendants with the drying machines have left the courts and it's throwing it down again. So expect those start times to be pushed back again.
11 hours ago20:01 Yasmin Syed
It's raining again
Spoke too soon. It’s now raining around the tournament site again. Just as Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka had been out preparing to start their final!
“It’s raining,” Gigi Salmon told Sky Sports viewers at 3pm loal time (8pm BST) – 15 minutes before play was set to resume. “It’s one of those days. It’s bright, there’s a cloud, it’s bright, there’s a cloud.”
Cameras showed Lehecka waiting in the tunnel by the Stadium Court, but he didn’t look very optimistic. Aerial shots of the outside courts around the Hard Rock Stadium were also shown, and it wasn’t a pretty picture. The rain is pouring, and the wind is strong. It doesn’t look like we’ll get play anytime soon.
11 hours ago19:54 Yasmin Syed
Sinner preparing for 3.15pm local start
Jannik Sinner is out on the artificial grass around the Hard Rock Stadium, preparing to take to the Stadium Court for the men's singles final at 3.15pm local time (8.15pm BST). That's only 15 minutes later than they were initially scheduled to take to the court.
It's a positive sign that play could well get underway in just over 20 minutes' time, as Sinner is getting warm, so he's not expecting a further delay.
“The good news is there are live shots, he is down there right now on the players’ lawn, and that gives us hope there is the possibility we will get the 3.15pm local start,” Gigi Salmon told Sky Sports viewers.
Jiri Lehecka was then seen warming up in the same area and shaking hands with Sinner's coach, Darren Cahill.
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11 hours ago19:48 Yasmin Syed
Both finals now delayed
It's now been around an hour since the women's doubles final between Errani/Paolini and Siniakova/Townsend was suspended, with the Italians serving at 5-6 (40-0).
All four players raced off the Stadium Court, and they were expected to resume on the Grandstand court at 2.20pm local time (7.20pm BST). But none of them emerged at this time.
According to Gigi Salmon on Sky Sports, play is now expected to resume around 3.15pm local time (8.15pm BST).
This means Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka will step out onto the Stadium Court around 15 minutes later than planned for the men's singles final.
11 hours ago19:34 Yasmin Syed
Organisers confirm new schedule
Miami Open organisers have taken to social media to confirm that the women's doubles final has been moved to the Grandstand court.
“Match update: ERRANI/PAOLINI vs SINIAKOVA/TOWNSEND has been moved to the Grandstand Court, starting not before 2.20pm,” a statement read.
However, it's now 2.35pm local time and the players have yet to return.
Read more about the new schedule here
12 hours ago19:15 Yasmin Syed
Women's doubles final moved and will resume shortly
The women's doubles final is expected to resume not before 2.20pm local time (7.20pm BST).
But according to Sky Sports, the match will now be moved to the second court, Grandstand, so not to delay the men's singles final, due on at 3pm local time (8pm BST).
There are also concerns that the rain will continue to come and go throughout the day, so organisers want to ensure both matches can get done in between any potential future delays.
It means Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini will be serving at 5-6 (40-0) against Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, on a whole new court.
12 hours ago19:02 Yasmin Syed
Drying continues
Tournament staff are still out on the main Stadium Court attempting to dry the surface using some large, loud – but effective! – machines. It’s stopped raining, and some sun is peeping through, so fingers crossed we’ll be back underway soon.
“We’re back to live pictures right now, and it is a bit of sunshine, some blue sky as well. You can hear the hum of the machines that are out drying the court there. They are actually remarkably effective, and we might get some players on court very soon,” Naomi Cavaday said on Sky Sports.
“But what a time for a rain delay, it is 6-5, and 40-0 the other way. So we’re one point away from it going into a tiebreak. It was tense, it was really flowing, and then a huge halt.”
12 hours ago18:48 Yasmin Syed
Some good news
That was quick. There are already court attendants out on the main Stadium Court, attempting to dry it.
As long as there's no extra rainfall, this could be a relatively short suspension. It still looks damp out there though, and organisers have yet to confirm when the women's doubles final will resume.
12 hours ago18:46 Yasmin Syed
'Significant delay' expected
It’s the final day of the Miami Open, but it could be a long one. The women’s doubles final has been suspended with Errani/Paolini serving at 5-6 in the first set against Siniakova/Townsend.
The players immediately left the court and play was suspended, a sure sign that they expected a longer delay, rather than waiting on the court to see if the rain would pass.
On Sky Sports, commentator Naomi Cavaday told viewers: “As we saw there, the rain really is bucketing down right now, so this will be a significant delay. Remember, we have the men’s singles final between Sinner and Lehecka coming up at 8pm [BST] tonight. We can’t promise you sunshine just yet, but hopefully it will blow through.”
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12 hours ago18:42 Yasmin Syed
Tournament statement
The Miami Open has issued a brief statement on social media, confirming that play has been halted. Organisers have not given a new start time yet.
The statement says: "Weather update: Match play has temporarily been suspended."
We will keep you updated once we know when the women's doubles final resumes, and when the men's singles duel can start.
12 hours ago18:38 Yasmin Syed
Doubles final suspended
The women's doubles final between No.1 seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini and No.2 seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend has been suspended due to rain.
The Italians served for the set at 5-4 but were broken. They were then serving at 5-6 (40-0) to take it to a tiebreak when the heavens opened.
All four players rushed to their benches while the chair umpire announced that play had been suspended. The players swiftly left the court, walking under towels and umbrellas to stay dry.
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