(January 9, 2016) For Novak Djokovic’s career 2015 season, the only tournament final he did not reach was Doha. He was upset in the quarterfinals by Ivo Karlovic. The No. 1 made up for not reaching the final last year by winning the title this year, dominating Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-2 for his 60th career title. He has now reached 16 straight finals.
For Djokovic he became just the 10th player in the Open Era to earn 60 titles. He is tied with Andre Agassi and sits just two behind Guillermo Vilas at 62.
This was an Open Era 47th meeting between two players. The victory gives the Serbian a 24-23 edge over the Spaniard for the first time. Djokovic has won 11 straight sets over Nadal since the 2014 Roland Garros final.
“It did feel as close to perfection as it can get,” Djokovic said of the 73-minute match. “Obviously from the first to the last point I managed to impose my own tactical approach and strategy and what I have kind of prepared myself for, and the conditions were played to my favor. I just came out on the court with the right intention, with the right intensity, and with a great deal of confidence, as well, that I carried from the last season playing against him in the last couple of matches as well winning in straight sets.”
“The match is easy to analyze,” Nadal said. “I played against a player who did everything perfect. I don’t know anybody who played tennis like this ever. Since I know this sport I never saw somebody playing at this level. So I just congratulate him and that’s it. I know I can do a few things better, but the real thing is, with these conditions playing during the night and with the feeling of the ball here, it’s so difficult to have chances against him playing like this.”
Djokovic is a dominant 85-5 over the past 52 weeks and is 33-5 against the Top 10 in that time period.
Next stop for both men will be the first major of the year, the Australian Open in Melbourne which begins on January 18.
Over in Chennai, Stan Wawrinka is looking to win a third straight Chennai Open title. He’ll take on Borna Coric in the final on Sunday. Coric, at 19 has become the youngest finalist since Kei Nishikori in 2008 at Delray Beach.
