exhausted in a three set match on hard courts!  Djokovic and Nadal have now played twenty-five times with Rafa holding a 16-9 career edge although Djokovic has now won nine of the their fourteen matches on hard courts.  On Sunday in Key Biscayne, Florida, Nadal definitely did not serve his best or hit his forehand that well, but Djokovic struggled at times with his game as well.  

What was surprising was that it often seemed that Djokovic was able to “out-hustle” Nadal and frustrate Rafa by getting one more shot back into play forcing Nadal into an error.  Usually, Nadal does that to his opponents.  It was also quite a sight to see Nadal doubled over gasping for air in the third set tie-breaker after some tough points (prior to this tie-breaker, Rafa had won five of six tie-breakers against Djokovic), rather than Djokovic who has struggled with his fitness, especially in long, tough matches in hot weather. 

Heading into the clay court season leading up to the French Open, Nadal needs to get his body, game and mind in better shape if he hopes to dominate on his favorite surface.  Novak Djokovic is clearly the best player in men’s tennis right now with twenty-four straight match wins in 2011, four titles and an 8-0 record against other top 10 players (compared to his 2010 record of 4-8 versus the top ten) and we’ll see if he can maintain his form for the rest of the year.  By the end of the summer Slam season at the 2011 U.S. Open, we’ll also learn if Nadal-Djokovic is the “new” (Federer-Nadal) rivalry in men’s tennis…

Posted by TC at 08:09 PM |