Nadal went down to the ATP rankings leader in straight sets 6-1, 6-2 during the final of the Qatar Open on Sunday (AEDT).
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The Serbian now holds a 24-23 lead over Nadal in the head-to-head meetings between the pair and after the match he admitted that he had put in a near ideal performance during the final.
The 28-year-old suffered one of his few blips last year in Doha when he was surprisingly beaten by Ivo Karlovic, failing to reach a tournament final for the only time in 2015.
Djokovic won a first prize of US$201,165 (€184,124) while Nadal, playing in his 99th final, took home US$105,940 (€96,965).
“I’m hoping that I can actually peak and play as well as I did today in Melbourne”, Djokovic told reporters.
By now, Djokovic-Nadal matches were must-see affairs and this one did not let anybody down.
‘Of course, he is the favourite for the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic is already in tip-top form after destroying rival Rafael Nadal 61, 62 to win his first Doha title on Saturday. “I’ve come here three times now and three times I’ve made the final, so I’m very happy”.
Nadal, coming off a tough 2015 season, struggled against a superior Djokovic, lost his serve twice in the first set.
Nadal’s serve dominated throughout against a player who had knocked out the reigning champion and number four seed David Ferrer in round one.
The top seeded pair took just an hour and 10 minutes to beat German wild card pair of Angelique Kerber, who lost the women’s singles final earlier in the day to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, and Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-1 at the Pat Rafter Arena.
“I played against a player who is playing on a level that is hard to imagine that someone can play that good”, Nadal said of Djokovic.
“Maybe I am three weeks away, maybe I am five months away, or six or nine, or maybe I am forever away”, Nadal said. The last time Djokovic had won a set 6-1 against Nadal was back in 2009 in the Cincinnati Masters semi-finals. “I am here to fight again and I am going go keep working so hard to be ready for Australia and the rest of the season”. It’s very important to me.
Djokovic improved his record against Tomas Berdych to 22-2 by downing the Czech 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the semifinals.
Djokovic continued to apply pressure on Nadal from the baseline with a display of aggression.
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Saturday’s match will reignite one of the greatest rivalries in modern tennis.
