Novak Djokovic made a winning start to the new year with a convincing victory over Rafael Nadal in the Qat ar ExxonMobil Open final.
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Their most recent meeting at a Grand Slam was at the quarter-finals of the 2015 French Open – on Nadal’s favourite surface, clay, with eventual finalist Novak Djokovic going down to Stan Wawrinka and seeing his dreams of a calendar slam that year cut short by the Swiss.
Djokovic won a first prize of US$201,165 (RM889,732) while Nadal, playing in his 99th final, took home US$105,940.
“I did a few good things, and I’m happy with the victory, being in the first final of the season in the first official tournament is something great”, Nadal said afterward, according to the ATP Tour website.
What the defeat will do for the confidence of Nadal, desperate to return to his Grand Slam-winning form, is anyone’s guess.
Nadal will have to play a lot better than Djokovic if he wants to win the game.
“I saw him play during the whole week”, Nadal said of Marchenko. He faced-and saved-only one break point while serving at 70 percent and finishing with six aces and no double-faults.
He has certainly looked more energised and vigorous than Djokovic, although the latter hasn’t dropped a set despite a tougher draw.
Nadal regained a degree of control, withstanding a 26-shot rally that concluded with a supreme backhand from his opponent, to register his first game of the afternoon, but was obliging in the Serb’s following service game as the world No. 1 edged towards the first set.
World number one Novak Djokovic was scheduled to play later on Thursday.
The Serbian player has enjoyed his one of the best years in his career.
Nadal was powerless to stop Djokovic as he watched 16 winners fly past him in the opening set. Their matches are one of the most watched tennis games across the globe.
Any notion that Berdych might then roll over in the second set soon faded as the pair held serve throughout, treating fans to high-quality tennis throughout. Berdych, of the Czech Republic, beat Kyle Edmund of Britain 6-3, 6-2. But I missed a little of 2015, but my level picked up later in the season and I’ve started this year well.
A devastating Djokovic was so strong today, he reduced Rafael Nadal to spectator status dispensing a 6-1, 6-2, thrashing in the Doha final to capture his 60th career championship.
“I’m playing the tennis of my life and I will try to nurture and cherish those moments on the court”, he added.
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Serving for the set at 5-4, he was broken to love in a game which included the Argentinian putting a straight forward overhead smash into the net.
