Rafael Nadal loses in straight sets to Novak Djokovic in China Open final
- 9 years ago
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-2 Sunday to win his sixth China Open title and improve his record at the tournament to a sterling 29-0.
Djokovic had seven aces to none for his Spanish rival, and saved both break points he faced in the match, which was the 45th between the two players.
"The scoreline, especially in the first set, doesn't indicate the real battle that we had on the court," Djokovic said.
"I think I maintained that level of aggressivity and strength and power in my shots, and eventually I knew that he's going to make mistakes and he's going to give me shorter balls so I can dominate the rallies, which happened."
Nadal said he's pleased with his performance this week, especially considering how much he's struggled to maintain his consistency this season - his first in 11 years without a Grand Slam title.
He's also just 2-8 against top-10 opponents this year.
Djokovic had seven aces to none for his Spanish rival, and saved both break points he faced in the match, which was the 45th between the two players.
"The scoreline, especially in the first set, doesn't indicate the real battle that we had on the court," Djokovic said.
"I think I maintained that level of aggressivity and strength and power in my shots, and eventually I knew that he's going to make mistakes and he's going to give me shorter balls so I can dominate the rallies, which happened."
Nadal said he's pleased with his performance this week, especially considering how much he's struggled to maintain his consistency this season - his first in 11 years without a Grand Slam title.
He's also just 2-8 against top-10 opponents this year.