Novak Djokovic wore down the fittest man in tennis for the second time in two weeks last night to maintain a start to the year that is beginning to defy all logic.
As he did in Indian Wells, California, a couple of Sundays ago, Djokovic, the 23-year-old Serb, relinquished the first set to Rafael Nadal but refused to bow down to the world No 1. This was an even more improbable triumph, in conditions that used to inconvenience him greatly: a hot, sticky day against a man with an incredible engine.
Djokovic said it was one of the best matches he had played in a while. He is in a dream existence, for the milestones keep mounting, this one a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory to secure the Sony Ericsson Open.
He was seeking to become the first player since Roger Federer five years ago to win the consecutive spring hard-court Masters events and to extend to 24-0 his sequence of successes this year. He is the man of the moment.
The final started scratchily, as if both men were acutely aware of the importance of securing this triumph. Imagine what it would mean for Djokovic to head into the clay-court season without a defeat to his name in 2011, or Nadal to prepare for the surface on which he has laid the foundation of a spectacular career with his first victory on this island paradise.
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Nadal’s grip, which initially seemed unbreakable, was loosened by the Serb’s sheer willpower, his durability from the back of the court, the presence borne of his present run.
Ripping an ace down the middle to present the full house with a final set was a hugely appropriate gesture. Whereas break points had abounded in the first two sets, there were none in the decider. It was a testament to both players. Nadal hung his head at its conclusion. Neither had deserved to lose.