The big news in Doha? Novak Djokovic is still the man to beat in men’s tennis. The world no.1 topped off a terrific start to 2016 by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-2. The result bears huge significance for Djokovic, as it means he now leads the head-to-head with Nadal 24-23.
Nadal forced a break point at thirty-forty in the very first game. Djokovic saved it by working through a rally, before crushing a forehand for a winner. It still took some time, but Djokovic eventually held.
The world no.1 got his first opportunities to break in Nadal’s opening service game, and broke for the lead. Djokovic took full advantage of a struggling Nadal serve, winning all three second serve points that Nadal offered in the game. Djokovic moved to love-forty with a drop-shot that Nadal could only net. Nada saved one break point with a challenged ace, but a punishing barrage of Djokovic forehands eventually forced Nadal into blocking a ball into the tramlines, first blood to Djokovic.
Djokovic held, before briefly threatening to break again after reaching thirty-all. Nadal saved though, eventually finishing the game with a forehand winner off a ball that trickled over the net. Nadal could not hold off Djokovic in game six, as Djokovic continued to dominate and earned the double-break, breaking to thirty with a cross-court backhand winner. Nadal offered little resistance as Djokovic held to love to take the first set in thirty-one minutes.
Djokovic immediately took control of the second set, as like the first set, he was all over the Nadal serve. The Spaniard showed great tenacity to escape a love-forty hole, but succumbed when he pushed a big forehand beyond the Djokovic baseline. Djokovic held to fifteen, having enjoyed relatively easy service games since facing a single break point in the opening game of the match.
Nadal eventually registered in the second set, holding to thirty with a short, angled volley finish, and Djokovic missing long with a service return. Djokovic set up yet another chance to break in game five, ripping a superb backhand down the line for thirty-forty. Break he did, as he made Nadal cover the full court, before putting away a smash, for the four-one lead.
Djokovic held again, before Nadal earned his only consolation, by winning one more service game than he did in the first set. He could not prevent Djokovic serving out though, with the world no. 1 securing his first title of 2016.
Djokovic: “The way I played today gives me a great deal of confidence… Every time we play against each other there is always a lot at stake…these kind of matches give a great deal of satisfaction“.
The win for Djokovic does change much of the complexion on world tennis, as he merely re-states that he is still the man to beat. Nadal will be enthused by the fact that he reached the final, but the manner in which he was beaten in this final shows that he is still a long way short of the standard that Djokovic is currently demonstrating. The world no.1 not only secured the head-to-head lead against Nadal, but also won his fifth consecutive match in the rivalry.
