“I will try to prepare myself tactically, analyze his game with my team”, Djokovic said, reports the ATP’s official website.
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Nadal delivered a reminder of his qualities with a straight sets win against Kei Nishikori before Djokovic needed all his fighting spirit to win consecutive tie-breaks against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Goffin became the first player in the tournament to take a set off Raonic when he won the second 6-3.
Which brings us back to the wayward Spaniard, who had a first-set set point against Djokovic but ultimately lost 7-6, 6-2 in the semifinals at Indian Wells.
However, as the Miami Open approaches, the Big Four has been reduced to the Big One as Djokovic, the No. 1 player in the world has pulled away from the pack.
Djokovic blasted two aces, 18 winners and had four double faults in the two hour, six minute match on Friday.
“He just told me that he might have injured the same part of the leg as he did at the Australian Open, which took him off the tour for a month”.
However it will all play out, I’m sure that it is going to be interesting and fun to watch.
Although Nadal made crucial errors in the first set that turned the match decisively in Djokovic’s favour, he will be encouraged that his form in general is much better than in his highly disappointing 2015 season. Nadal had a set point at 5-4, but was unable to convert and the set headed for a tiebreaker.
Earlier, Victoria Azaranka paid tribute to Serena Williams after upsetting the world number one 6-4 6-4 to secure her biggest win since claiming the Australian Open crown in 2013.
Djokovic, the Serbian who has won the last two editions of the Indian Wells Masters as well as the 2008 and 2011 events, has been increasingly dominant over Nadal in recent times, winning their last meeting 6-1, 6-2 in Doha in January. Nadal fought off the Djokovic charge in his first service game, barely holding after a marathon back-and-forth game.
Nishikori finally secured the break he required, but immediately ceded the advantage back to Nadal, who swept through the Japanese serve easily before taking match point with a forehand victor.
“To win this tournament five times is a fantastic achievement”, Djokovic said.
“I’m not quite there with Novak yet, but I feel like I’m getting a little closer”, Murray said with a chuckle after losing last year’s Miami Open final to Djokovic.
Though 79 Masters events have been played since Djokovic won his first such title in Miami in 2007, none have been by a player younger than him. “I think that I have added good things to my tennis that can help me in that aspect”.
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“Today was closer than the last couple of times against the best player of world, so it was a very positive week for me”, Nadal said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Then he started to miss some first serves, and I returned his second serves aggressively”.
