Djokovic ends Nadal’s incredible eight year reign in Monte Carlo

An upset isn’t normally the topic of discussion when the world No. 1 wins a match in straight sets, but given the history of Rafael Nadal at Monte Carlo, this one will surely count as one. Novak Djokovic spun the clay court season into a new orbit with a stellar performance against the eight time champion to clinch his first Monte Carlo Rolex Masters title with a 6-2, 7-6(1) victory. The Serbian enthralled the packed Court Central with a combination of obdurate defence and searing aggression to outclass the King of Clay. Djokovic’s triumphant run at Monte Carlo will help rouse the fans into an intense debate ahead of the French Open, on whether the Serbian can indeed challenge the unmatched hegemony of Nadal on clay.

The start of the match was delayed by about 45 minutes as showers greeted the players even as they unpacked their bags on the main court at the Monte Carlo Country Club. When they returned, a superb backhand winner from Djokovic served as an appetizer to the brilliant feast on offer by the shimmering Mediterranean coast. Another of those trademark return winners enabled Djokovic to gain the first break point of the contest before he ran Nadal ragged on the next point to force an error and clinch the break for 2-0.

Nadal saw the ball careen into the air off the tape, tease the air for a moment before falling on the same side to leave the Spaniard dealing with a 0-4 deficit. There was a palpable look of astonishment on the visage of Ilie Nastase and Bjorn Borg as they looked on in amazement at Djokovic taking a 5-0 lead over the Spaniard. Djokovic was troubling Nadal by painting the lines with his backhand, but it was an awe inspiring drop shot that helped him at 15-40 in the next game, with Nadal serving to stay in the set.

Nadal needed sizzling service winners to prevent being routed, as he fought gallantly to hold serve after saving as many as five set points to a generous round of applause from around his own court. The Spaniard extended the set, when he forced a couple of break points in the next game and Djokovic found the net to indulge Nadal. But any hopes of a comeback for the Spaniard were squashed immediately when Nadal sent a sliced backhand beyond the baseline to offer a sixth set point to the Serbian. But Nadal managed to stay afloat with a terrific forehand winner. Eventually, Nadal decided to gift wrap the first set with a double fault on the eighth set point.

Nadal held to love in the second game of the next set, before a belligerent forehand winner netted him two break points in the third game. Djokovic survived a break, courtesy of an errant forehand from Nadal but there was no mistaking the fact that the defending champion was working his way back into the match. The break finally came when Djokovic dumped an easy forehand into the net to offer two break points in the fifth game. Djokovic flailed a backhand wide to offer Nadal the lead for the first time in the match at 3-2.

With a third set looking inevitable, Djokovic played a masterly service game to hold at love for 3-4 and remain within touching distance from the resurgent Spaniard. The eighth game offered a window into what was proving to be a strategic tool for Djokovic. The world No. 1 launched into a relentless attack on the Nadal backhand, drawing crucial errors to claw back to 4-4. It was a psychologically damaging game for Nadal, who was slowly beginning to work his way out of a hole.

But Nadal recovered quickly to seize the initiative again with another break in the eleventh game when Djokovic floundered again on his productive backhand side. The Serbian is sensationally good when he has nothing to lose, as was the case with Nadal serving for the second set. Djokovic left Nadal reeling at 0-40 striking him down with a thundering forehand cross court winner, before nudging the set into a tie-break with yet another backhand winner. A couple of early errors from Nadal left him staring at an unlikely defeat at 1-4 in the breaker.

A scorching return winner set up match point and a forehand winner left Nadal tasting a rare defeat and Djokovic letting out a guttural scream with his arms lifted in triumphant glory. The victory gave Djokovic his 14^th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and sets up an intriguing season of clay that will traverse through Rome and Madrid before reaching an exciting climax at Roland Garros. For Nadal, it was a first defeat in Monte Carlo since losing to Guillermo Coria in 2003 as a 16-year-old upstart. While the end of his eight year reign in Monte Carlo is disappointing, Nadal will draw on the positives of having made the final of each of the five events since his return from a seven month layoff.

“I cannot ask for a better start to my clay season. I did not know if I was going to be a part of the tournament this year. I made a decision to play and, right now, it’s the best decision of my life,” said Djokovic. “Congratulations Novak, what you’re doing is just amazing. Congratulations to you for winning my favourite tournament,” acknowledged a gracious Nadal.

And lest we forget, this is one record that Nadal can almost take to the grave – it is very unlikely that another man will walk this planet with the ability to win a Masters 1000 tournament for 8 straight years. Having done the unthinkable, Djokovic can now focus his energies on his big goal this season – winning the French Open for the first time and completing his collection of Grand Slam titles. The victory also helped assuage the pain of those losses in the finals of 2009 and last year, where Djokovic just could not find an answer to the power and guile of Nadal on the same court.