Djokovic Runs Streak to 39 Straight… 37-0 This Year
(CNN) — Novak Djokovic extended his winning run to 37 matches this year as he beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal for the fourth successive time in the Rome Masters final on Sunday.
Second seed Djokovic triumphed 6-4 6-4 in two hours 12 minutes, despite having seemed to be on his last legs when he overcame Andy Murray in a three-hour epic the previous evening.
He was given more time to rest when the men’s and women’s finals were delayed due to rain in the Eternal City, and Djokovic appeared the fresher of the two players as he stormed to his seventh title this year after another gripping battle.
Nadal had ensured he will be top seed for his French Open defense starting in little over a week by reaching the semis in the Italian capital, but it appears to be just a matter of time before Djokovic takes his mantle as the top player in men’s tennis.
The Serbian is doing to Nadal what the Spaniard did to Roger Federer a few years ago — despite their age difference of a mere 11 and a half months, it looks to be a case of out with the old king and in with the new.
Djkovic turns 24 next Sunday on the eve of his bid to win a first French Open.
He ended Nadal’s two-year winning run on clay in Madrid last weekend, and this time he thwarted the Mallorcan’s bid for a sixth Rome title in seven years.
His aim will now be to stop Nadal collecting a sixth French Open crown, and add to his own tally of two grand slams — both coming in Australia, this year and in 2008.
Djokovic also won the Rome title three years ago, but he was unable to maintain his momentum. In 2011, however, he is within striking distance of John McEnroe’s record best start of 42 successive wins set in 1984.
As in the match against Murray, the final at Foro Italico was a see-saw affair with both players breaking each other’s serve unexpectedly often — but Djokovic had the power and precision when it counted most.
He took a 5-3 lead in the opening set after an uncharacteristic miscue by Nadal, then dropped his serve and promptly returned the favor to take a 1-0 lead.
He went 2-0 up in the second set but Nadal, winner of a record 19 Masters Series titles, showed he is far from a spent force by battling back to level and keep it that way until the 10th game.
Djokovic went 40-0 up but Nadal saved three match-points — but the five-time Rome champion could not escape the fourth one and fell to just his second defeat in the tournament.
