Djokovic eyes Nadal's crown
Source: Agencies |
May 10, 2011, Tuesday
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OF all the 32 victories accumulated by winning machine Novak Djokovic since the start of the year, his straight sets defeat of Rafael Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday was the most telling of all.
Logic had it that the Serb's magnificent unbeaten start to 2011 would hit the wall against the world No. 1 on the Madrid brick dust as Nadal flexed his muscles for the looming French Open - the grand slam he wins almost by default.
Instead Djokovic, who had lost each of his previous nine claycourt meetings with Nadal, turned from prey to hunter, pursuing the Spaniard relentlessly with a ruthlessly aggressive display of power, precision and durability.
Even when Nadal clawed back a 0-4 first-set deficit, the 23-year-old Djokovic never wavered and finished a resounding 7-5, 6-4 victor.
Standing on the baseline, Djokovic nullified the spitting topspin of Nadal's forehand, sending the Spaniard scuttling from corner to corner and forcing desperate errors.
Inconceivable as it may have been a few months ago when Nadal enjoyed an enormous points lead in the ATP rankings, the 24-year-old Mallorcan could now arrive at Roland Garros as world No. 2 and second favorite to win a sixth title in Paris.
While Nadal, never one to obsess about points and rankings, appears relaxed about the Djokovic uprising, his loss to the Serb on home dirt would have been a resounding jolt.
"If I lose No. 1 it's not the end of the world," Nadal said after his first defeat on a claycourt since 2009.
"I'll be back. In your life there are highs and moments, I am not on a low, I'm on a high but my opponent is at the highest point in his life."
It could get even higher for Djokovic in Rome this week.
Should he win the title and Nadal suffers defeat before the semifinals, he will wake up next Monday as world No. 1 and break the domination of top spot by Nadal and Roger Federer stretching back to 2004.
It is hardly as if Djokovic has come from nowhere, after all he won the Australian Open in 2008. But since taking the title in Melbourne again this year he has grown in stature, both physically and mentally.
Gone are the days when Djokovic ranted and raved at his entourage or was suddenly pole-axed by a loss of energy mid-match as seen in his capitulation against Austria's Juergen Melzer at last year's French Open.
At the moment he has no apparent weaknesses and the reason, Djokovic says, is quite simple. "I have a different mindset right now, I'm more stable," he insisted.
Logic had it that the Serb's magnificent unbeaten start to 2011 would hit the wall against the world No. 1 on the Madrid brick dust as Nadal flexed his muscles for the looming French Open - the grand slam he wins almost by default.
Instead Djokovic, who had lost each of his previous nine claycourt meetings with Nadal, turned from prey to hunter, pursuing the Spaniard relentlessly with a ruthlessly aggressive display of power, precision and durability.
Even when Nadal clawed back a 0-4 first-set deficit, the 23-year-old Djokovic never wavered and finished a resounding 7-5, 6-4 victor.
Standing on the baseline, Djokovic nullified the spitting topspin of Nadal's forehand, sending the Spaniard scuttling from corner to corner and forcing desperate errors.
Inconceivable as it may have been a few months ago when Nadal enjoyed an enormous points lead in the ATP rankings, the 24-year-old Mallorcan could now arrive at Roland Garros as world No. 2 and second favorite to win a sixth title in Paris.
While Nadal, never one to obsess about points and rankings, appears relaxed about the Djokovic uprising, his loss to the Serb on home dirt would have been a resounding jolt.
"If I lose No. 1 it's not the end of the world," Nadal said after his first defeat on a claycourt since 2009.
"I'll be back. In your life there are highs and moments, I am not on a low, I'm on a high but my opponent is at the highest point in his life."
It could get even higher for Djokovic in Rome this week.
Should he win the title and Nadal suffers defeat before the semifinals, he will wake up next Monday as world No. 1 and break the domination of top spot by Nadal and Roger Federer stretching back to 2004.
It is hardly as if Djokovic has come from nowhere, after all he won the Australian Open in 2008. But since taking the title in Melbourne again this year he has grown in stature, both physically and mentally.
Gone are the days when Djokovic ranted and raved at his entourage or was suddenly pole-axed by a loss of energy mid-match as seen in his capitulation against Austria's Juergen Melzer at last year's French Open.
At the moment he has no apparent weaknesses and the reason, Djokovic says, is quite simple. "I have a different mindset right now, I'm more stable," he insisted.
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