Djokovic beats Nadal to claim fourth China Open crown

Serb comfortable in straight-sets win in final against new world number one.

BEIJING: World number one Novak Djokovic overcame Spain’s Rafael Nadal in straight sets yesterday to win the China Open and maintain a remarkable 100 percent record in the Beijing tournament.

The defending champion, who has won the event the four times he has entered, was at his ruthless best to defeat Nadal 6-3, 6-4, a day before he is set to be unseated at the top of the world rankings by the number two Spaniard.

The result was Nadal’s first hard court loss of the season.

The victory represents a sweet one for Djokovic, who is spending his 101st week at number one, and will have his current streak of 48 weeks end today with the announcement of the new ATP rankings with Nadal at the top.

The Spaniard only needed to make the final to unseat him.

After the match, Djokovic congratulated Nadal on his achievement.

“I have to say congratulations to Rafael because he deserves definitely to be number one of the world this year with the season that he has had,” he said.

“He is the best player so far in 2013, there is no question about it. I am just very happy to be able to continue to play well and hopefully I can maintain the rhythm.”

Nadal has had the beating of Djokovic this season, coming out on top at the semi-finals at Roland Garros and last month’s final at the US Open, as well as the Canada Masters.

But he said that Djokovic was ‘too strong’ for him in Beijing at the serve. Nadal did not break his opponent throughout the match.

“I didn’t play my best match,” said the Spaniard. “But he played at a greater level with his serve. I was not able to have any chance when I was returning during the whole match.”

Nadal’s return to the top for the first time since July 2011 marks an astonishing comeback for the 13-time Grand Slam champion, who spent the second half of last year on the sidelines injured.

Heading into the match at Beijing’s National Tennis Centre, the pair had played each other 37 times, with Nadal leading the rivalry 22-15.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2013.

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