MONACO: Novak Djokovic ended Rafael Nadal’s eight-year reign at the Monte Carlo Masters with a clinical 6-2, 7-6 victory in the final on Sunday.
Nadal, the only player to win a tournament eight times in a row, had enjoyed a 46-match winning streak at the claycourt Masters event before world number one Djokovic prevailed to claim his first title in the principality.
The Serbian celebrated his 14th Masters and became the first player to defeat Nadal in three different clay finals, having already beaten him in Madrid and Rome in 2011.
Monaco-based Djokovic, who made a late entry to the tournament after injuring an ankle in the Davis Cup two weeks ago, produced a superb effort to outplay Nadal.
Djokovic punished an error-prone Nadal to go 5-0 up in the first set. Nadal, who took a month’s break before the tournament after winning three titles after his return from seven months out with injury, saved five set points on serve and fought to 5-2, but handed his rival the set with a double fault.
A more aggressive Nadal put Djokovic under pressure by taking a 4-2 lead in the second set. But Djokovic levelled at 4-4, and after another exchange of breaks the Serb ran away with the tie-breaker 7-1. (Reuters)
