7 consecutive matches, 15 consecutive sets; Nadal had to overcome a dismal run against Djokovic to enter the Madrid finals, and with the form that he was in, he did just that. Djokovic was completely outclassed in straight sets(6-2, 6-4) by the King of Clay, sending a very strong signal to all his opponents before Roland Garros. Ever since his comeback, Rafa hadn’t faced Djokovic, and probably that was the only test that was left to conquer, as Djokovic clearly had an upper hand over Nadal in their recent meetings.
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But the new found Nadal is clearly playing superior tennis, tennis that lesser mortals are finding extremely hard to cope with. And ever since Djokovic has stepped down from being priomo unno, he has joined the ‘lesser mortals’ pack.
Also Read: Five potential coaches for Novak Djokovic
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Nadal started off looking in complete control of everything, bossing the baseline rallies, using his drop shots to good effect and keeping hold of serve with ease.
Djokovic was playing catch up tennis all along, with Nadal constantly pegging him way behind the baseline and dominating rallies with authorty. This was Nadal’s first victory over Djokovic since the Roland Garros final in 2014. And should he go onto win the title, Nadal would be the joint holder of the record for the most number of ATP 1000 titles(30), Djokovic being his partner in crime.
Also Read: 5 Unknown facts about the Madrid Masters
This is how the world reacted as Nadal completely outplayed a wounded Djokovic
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https://twitter.com/doranadal/status/863423203733012480
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https://twitter.com/SemperFiUnited/status/863422035950616576
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