Djokovic hasn’t lost a tournament since last August. He became just the 10th player in the Open Era to reach the 60-title milestone.
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“Not flawless, obviously. But I did a few good things, and I’m happy with the victory, being in the first final of the season”, said a coy Nadal.
“Obviously from the first to the last point I managed to impose my own tactical approach and strategy and what I have kind of prepared myself for, and the conditions were played to my favour”. After his historic 2015, I see no reason to believe that he will be any less great this season.
At 24-23, Djokovic holds a career edge against the Spaniard for the first time. Nadal, after being ordered around the baseline by the world No.1, ensured a successive break would not be on the cards when he rallied to win only his second game of the last ten. In the last five years, Djokovic has won 16 from 23, and eight of the last nine of their matches.
Djokovic vs Nadal is slated to start at 6 pm local time (8:30 pm IST, 3 pm GMT). With Nadal having yet to win on grass and Djokovic holding little experience on the surface, there were still some doubts about their ability on the green stuff.
Djokovic saved a break point with a forehand crosscourt, working through a six-minute opener to hold with an ace.
Djokovic continued to apply pressure on Nadal from the baseline with a display of aggression.
Banging an ace to close an immaculate set of shot-making, Djokovic delivered 16 winners against just four unforced errors blitzing through the opener in 31 minutes.
“I played against a player who did everything ideal”, Nadal said. The 2014 Doha champion also finished runner-up in 2010. Of course, he is the favourite for the Australian Open.
Federer, who has been with flu-like symptoms this week, beat eighth-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4.
“Because we played so many times and because he’s probably the greatest rival I ever had in my career, it means a lot, in every possible meaning of that word, when I play Nadal”, he said in an on-court interview following his semifinal win.
Late in the second set, curiosity compelled Novak Djokovic to finally take his eyes off the ball and take a look at the big picture.
“It was my best match of the tournament”.
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“I’m not going to tell you too much, but it was tough in a way”, Federer said of his illness. “But I’m playing the tennis of my life, and I will try to, you know, nurture and cherish those moments on the court”.
