World number one Novak Djokovic started his 2016 campaign with an easy Qatar Open final win over long-time rival Rafael Nadal in Doha on Saturday.
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Federer, who lost to Djokovic in the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open past year, was also very impressed by the manner in which Djokovic thumped Nadal. The last time Nadal defeated Djokovic was the 2014 French Open final. Djokovic has won nine of their last 10 matches.
Djokovic served for 5-1 with a serve-and-double-volley victor, and Nadal’s hold simply put off the inevitable, a 6-2 victory for Djokovic of extraordinary and relentless accuracy in 73 minutes, 30 winners to only 13 unforced errors.
Nadal, playing in his 99th final, conceded Djokovic was on a different level on the night as his two-year trophy-less streak on hard courts continued.
The British world no. 2 is a $7.00 favourite to capture an elusive Australian Open championship over the next fortnight.
The Serb dominated Nadal in every facet of the game and needed little over an hour to win the final, and with the Australian Open right around the corner, Djokovic once again looks like the man to beat. He is going to play his 16th final in a single row. So I just congratulate him and that’s it.
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. But the Serbian was in no mood to settle with just one break, and claimed another in the sixth to go 5-1 up.
“I played against a player who did everything flawless”, he said.
“I really thought I hit the ball very well”, the evergreen 34-year-old, lathered in sweat from the muggy Brisbane heat, said in a courtside interview.
“But it’s lovely. It’s a new chapter of my life, and I enjoy it. I was actually saying already in the last 12 months or so how that has positively reflected on my tennis and my mindset, and actually finding the meaning and the goal to whatever I’m doing”. He has now won the past five matches against Nadal.
“I know if I’m playing well, I am going to have opportunities”, Nadal said.
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The other semifinal will feature 2015 finalist Raonic, a 6-4, 6-4 victor over No. 78-ranked Lucas Pouille, against Tomic.
