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Murray rallies past Ferrer for Sony Open title

April 1, 2013 - 19:31 By Korea Herald
KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) ― As a dramatic men’s final at the Sony Open neared its conclusion in a winner-take-all tiebreaker, Andy Murray waged a 28-shot exchange with David Ferrer, who was left so exhausted by the rally he crumpled to the court.

CBS viewers missed it. They also missed seeing Murray accept the trophy after he erased a championship point Sunday and rallied past Ferrer 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1).
Andy Murray celebrates with the winner’s trophy on Sunday. (AP-Yonhap News)

An 11:30 a.m. start on Easter turned out not to be early enough for CBS. The network cut away when the final went to the tiebreaker, switching to the tipoff of the NCAA tournament game between Michigan and Florida.

“It’s obviously a shame that people didn’t get to see the end of what I think was a pretty exciting match,” Murray said. “But that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Tennis Channel televised the end of the match, and CBS later showed a replay of match point.

“We stayed with tennis as long as we could,” a CBS spokeswoman said.

The final was filled with grinding baseline rallies, including at least a dozen of more than 20 strokes and one lasting 34.

At 2 hours, 45 minutes, the match was the longest of the men’s tournament, and the end ran a few minutes past the scheduled start of Michigan-Florida.

Sony Open tournament director Adam Barrett said CBS officials had a commitment to show basketball.

Coincidentally, the Sony Open’s contract with CBS expires this year. The tournament does not yet have a signed TV deal for 2014.

While the basketball game turned out to be lopsided, with Michigan winning 79-59, the tennis couldn’t have been closer. Murray became the first Key Biscayne men’s champion to save a championship point.

One point from defeat in the last set, the Scotsman skipped a forehand off the baseline to stay in the match. Ferrer appealed the call but lost, and he battled leg cramps in the tiebreaker.