Resumption of the Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal rivalry will get an earliest possible start in 2016, as they are set to square off at their first tournament of the year. The Doha title will be at stake when Djokovic and Nadal meet again on Saturday.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will be squaring off for the 47th time in their careers when they clash in the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Saturday.
The head-to-head series is all tied at 23-23 following Djokovic’s 6-3, 6-3 victory in the semis of the World Tour Finals. Nadal was once borderline dominant in this rivalry, but Djokovic has turned the tide in a major way to draw level. The Serb has won four in a row and eight of their last nine encounters. Nadal has not defeated the world No. 1 on a hard court since the 2013 U.S. Open title match, a span of five such matches.
While both players were considerable favorites to reach this final when the draw was revealed, neither did so with complete ease. Djokovic delivered consecutive 6-2, 6-2 destructions of Dustin Brown and Fernando Verdasco before things got trickier. The top seed recovered from a break down in three straight sets, beating Leonardo Mayer 6-3, 7-5 and staging a first-set comeback against Tomas Berdych to prevail 6-3, 7-6(3).
Nadal survived a pair of three-setters, outlasting fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 and Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. The fifth-ranked Spaniard also scored wins at the expense of Robin Haase (6-3, 6-2) and Illya Marchenko (6-3, 6-4).
“To be back in a final is always a great feeling, especially the first week of the season,” Nadal assured. “For sure (it) is important for me for my confidence, (to) confirm that the end of 2015 season had been something realistic and this beginning of 2016 I am still playing well, so [I’ve] already won four matches here and [am] in the final.”
“I guess it’s a pretty important match tomorrow; let’s see what happens,” Djokovic said following his semifinal victory over Berdych. “It’s been a long rivalry. It’s an exciting challenge for both of us.”
Although Nadal has not been a challenge for Djokovic of late, the 14-time major champion was a shadow of his real self throughout 2015. This one should be far more competitive than their four most recent showdowns, but Nadal is not quite ready to turn the rivalry back in his favor–at least not on this surface.
Pick: Djokovic in 2
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Dang. What a beatdown. Did Rafa play poorly or did Nole play really well?
Both.
Rafa played well with low errors. However Novak was both a immovable object and an unstoppable force…
Rafa wasn’t hitting enough winners. His serving stats were the worst I think I’ve ever seen from him.
Rafa didn’t have an answer for Novak today.
Not only today, but most of the times on the HCs and even on clay at the Masters Rafa has no answer.
As long as Rafa makes it a physical war, he will lose. He lost to Novak in almost every aspect of his game – serves < Novak's ROS; his ROS < Novak's serves; his FH < Novak's BH; his BH < Novak's FH; his court position < Novak's court position to name the major ones.
I wonder why the Nadal team couldnt watch how Fed and Stan beat Novak and learn and pick up some tips from there.
If Rafa cant play like Fed ie rushes the net and takes time away from Novak, then he has to hit like Stan, ie more penetrating shots, perhaps flatter too to make it difficult for Novak to return them.
Rafa had done it before but on clay, at Rome 2012 and at the FOs. Its just that somehow he couldnt do it now for some reasons. Even his FHDTL had no depth and Novak could just return it with interest.
Its a pity that after all the good and hard work that Rafa and his team had done to stop and revert the losing trend of 2011 during 2012-2013, injuries had to set in and all his hard work undone again. He now has to start from stretch and rebuild his confidence and his game all over again.
#BetweenTheEars
#NothingNew
Novak’s serve stats –
First serves in – 75%
First serve points won – 79%
Second serve points won – 73%
Rafa’s serve stats –
First serve points – 63%
First serve points won – 48%
Second serve points won – 44%
Novak had 30 winners, 13 UE’s.
Rafa had 9 winners, 13 UE’s.
Why did Rafa get agitated with someone in the crowd? It is so unusual. It seems as if someone mocked him.
I didn’t see the match. Was Rafa playing with his right hand? What the heck?????
basically
Hawkeye posted about it somewhere up thread. I didn’t hear it, but apparently someone said something and Rafa said – Do you want be my coach?
Well that sucks. I was hoping it would at least be a good match by Rafa. I wanted him to win but I predicted Nole in 2. Sucks Rafa couldn’t deny my prediction. Hopefully for him he doesn’t get Nole in his quarter at AO.
Rafa should be angry with himself, whatever good work done during the week all being shattered to pieces now. Reality check – he’s just so far behind Novak now, in fact Novak doesnt even need to break a sweat to sweep Rafa off the court!
I think I’ll give up hoping for Rafa to win a title on the HC as long as Novak is there, maybe Rafa should just concentrate on playing clay court tournaments since his game is tailored for the clay surface. Let Fed or Murray or Stan deal with Novak on the HCs.
Yes he should lucky. He is fully responsible for that beatdown today. I don’t know when was the last time he failed to win more than three games in a match, if ever.
Every other player was able to give Nole a much better match this week by far.
Vamos Rafa no matter what.
#BetweenTheEars
That shows us how wide the gap is between Rafa and Novak now. Rafa can boss other players around but he is being bossed around by Novak.
Rafa looks absolutely clueless out there and he feared Novak. It may get to the stage like Berdych when facing Novak, fearing the embarrassment, after all the heavy hammerings they get at the hands of Novak.
I’m wondering if Ricky would still pick Rafa in hindsight to win RG this year.
Do you? Or don’t you.
I honestly don’t know what to think right now. The road goes through Novak if anyone wants to win a title. He will be waiting there in the final. So you have to be able to beat him. He’s not going anywhere.
Rafa needs to at least get back into the top four. That way he won’t have to face Novak until at least the semis.
This needs to be a reality check for Rafa. He must find an answer. Novak is beating him far too easily at this time.
I am not even thinking about RG right now. We have the AO up first and lots more tennis before then.
The trophy ceremony is still going on. Gaston Gaudio is there to present.
highlight of the entire day!
Yes, this is true!
I bet Rafa would love to just get out of there already.
Rafa is being interviewed right now. He’s being classy as always, but this loss has to be difficult. He’s a proud champion.
Oooh! Rafa said something about finding a new coach, too! He’s trying to make a joke out of it!
i didn’t see the match but having read the posts on previous matches from the realistic posters like lucky this doesn’t exactly come as a surprise.
can rafa really progress just with toni and get it together to beat nole?…all last year i felt that he couldn’t…i haven’t seen any of this last week but reading the comments i just feel the return of the same frustration. tignor said that he didn’t think rafa could come back to the top without outside help and i agree with him.
Agreed.
Nothing new.
oh that he could have worked with cahill hawks….think what he could do…
Too soon amy. Too soon.
I don’t want to think about it.
yeah sorry hawks..just feeling so frustrated…
i mean even tiggy who i respect so much and who adores rafa is saying that he can’t win without adding a new coach like nole did with becker….
Rafa jokes with his “new coach” in the crowd saying that he will do well in Australia with him on his team.
Great to see him willing to laugh. The most important thing.
That’s what I said above. Rafa was joking about the person in the crowd who was apparently getting on him during the match.
That’s why I said Rafa was being classy. I don’t know how he does it. Especially after a beatdown like that.
I didn’t know that Tignor said Rafa couldn’t get back to the top without outside help. I haven’t read him in quite some time.
nny, he said so in october i think….
amy,
Oh, thanks for that. As I said, I haven’t been reading his blogs for some time.
At least you didn’t see this match. Then you would feel even worse.
It’s like Novak is a machine when playing Rafa. He knew exactly where to hit and didn’t miss. Rafa’s game seems to dissemble when he plays Novak.
I can’t even be upset about this loss because it was not competitive at all. But Rafa and his team are going to have to do something. If he wants to win titles, he’s going to have to find a way to beat Novak.
I don’t know, maybe I am in a bit of shock. I really thought this would be a good match.
nny well tbh i feared this would happen. he has really got a problem now with nole and it’s like he’s beaten before he goes on court.
i would just love to see him with new people giving fresh ideas and input (with toni as adjunct) it’s felt for ages now that he needs more help
been skim reading comments on tennis-x..lots of posters including rafa fans saying he needs a change..
That’s interesting, because I don’t read tennis-x either anymore. Once in a while I will check it out, but haven’t done so lately.
Are these people saying it out of genuine concern for Rafa and wanting him to do well? Because that’s where we are at.
I know there are some on that site who would be just fine with Novak continuing to beat Rafa on a regular basis.
amy,
Yes, I agree. But you know that we are going to be called fair weather fans or worse. The truth is that we just don’t want to see him losing the way he did today to Novak. Each loss erodes his confidence even more against Novak. This one had to hurt, because Rafa has had a good start in the new year.
It’s not about getting rid of Uncle Toni. It’s about adding some people to his team. I see nothing wrong with some input and new ideas from others. We have seen Fed, Murray and Novak all do that and it’s paid dividends for them.
Nativenewyorker (AT 5:33 PM),
—we are going to be called…—
===
.
Someone calls somebodies ‘the Politburo’:
https://tenngrand.com/2016/01/07/doha-sf-previews-and-picks-djokovic-vs-berdych-nadal-vs-marchenko/comment-page-1/#comment-74256
I still can’t believe the stat where Rafa only won 48% of first serves. How on earth could that happen? I know that Novak has a great ROS, but that stat is really concerning.
He’s basically reverting to the same old pattern of serving, getting in the % but not winning enough of them. His serves lacked pace and were more spinny, unlike yesterday when he forgone the serve % but went for more pace and winning the point.
He had no strategy out there, as if to see how things were going first and then reacted accordingly. He just went CC too much and even Novak anticipated that and moved to the positions accordingly!
Clueless is the word to describe Rafa today. Its not only Rafa but his entire team is at a loss. At least Fed comes out with new tactics or strategies all the time to counter the ever imposing Novak; Rafa’s team seems to be running out of ideas.
This is totally strange, its not like Rafa hasnt beaten Novak before. He just has to reuse some old tricks – hitting with more penetration and then rushing in; or hitting DTL from both wings instead of CC all the time. He should watch videos of some of his older matches and see how he had beaten Novak back then, those post 2011 ones i mean.
in the wtf he looked like he was on a clay court hitting cc to nole’s backhand as if he could whip it up and get loads of spin…!!
sometimes i wonder if he thinks he is playing fed out there….
his brain just seems to freeze against nole
oh and i agree about the whole team….he needs fresh input…
Exactly, and its not only against Novak. Against Ferrer, against those who have solid enough DHBH he’s still doing that even when their BHs are their stronger wing. Its as if he has a brain freeze, couldnt change strategy according to what opponent he’s facing, failing to get out of the same old pattern of play. Its very sad to see Rafa playing like that, like letting Ferrer bossed him around when Rafa clearly was having the upperhand.
so what is the solution lucky?? i think he needs help and i have been saying that since early last year…
forgot to say congrats to nole fans….
congrats rats…!!
Thanks, amy. I didn’t see the match. In fact I’m just now waking up and reading what happened in the Rafole. Sincerest commiserations to Rafans – score is surprising. But I can’t comment since I didn’t see it. Had to sleep sometime!
didn’t see it either ratcliff, but not wildly surprised. feeling very frustrated. i do like nole very much but rafa is my favourite, nole second favourite…but i want them to have a real rivalry again and start playing the kind of amazing matches they gave us in the past.
yes – very much want Rafole to be a hot ticket – not a predictable foregone conclusion – which is what we have with Berdych v Nole. Fed is not going to beat Nole in a slam. Heck, Fed has been a deer in the headlights v Rafa at slams for eons! Rafa can luck out by getting Fed in his draw at AO. Rafa’s trouble is confined to Nole. Rafa just needs to make sure he beats everyone else – then deal with Nole. Basically that’s how Federer has adjusted I’d guess – get in, beat who you can, win v Rafa on fast indoor hc, try hard v Nole – 2nd place/ runner-up is still commendable, maintains a high rank, and sometimes it’s record breaking in the process…ect…
Rafa can win slams – FO especially. He just has to keep a high level on hc, go for broke during clay season. A successful clay run in 2016 will be huge for his confidence going forward. But I don’t write him off for AO because he lost Doha – that seems silly. I still pick Rafa to end the year #2 – and win a GS, FO or elsewhere.
Rafa chose to play Doha – didn’t shy away from the challenge of meeting Nole in the Final. Now he has experienced the worst case scenario – he’ll know what to do. He was already joking with a fan? that’s a good sign – great attitude.
ratcliff,
Thanks for being so gracious. I didn’t know that you are Novak fan, but at least you are a nice one!
The score speaks for itself.
Yes I do love to watch Nole’s tennis, NNY. And I could go on about it but there’s so much of that written all over the place – it gets over the top for me. I don’t post on tennis blogs because of one player specifically, and that does gets me in trouble if I’m affiliated with one fan club, nation, clique whatever you call it – as you see I’m as big an Aga, Simona, Dasha, Kei, Kyrgios fan – list goes on, even poor Wozzy and her serve issues. I’m not neutral or passive but it’s just that it’s more fun if I keep it understated. If Nole wins FO – I’ll likely type “idemo” or “ajde” with an exlamation. Otherwise it’s business as usual 😉 Definitely not miss manners or anything but I try my best. It takes all types of fans and there’s no gold standard for it.
Embarassment big time. Shocked .
Rafa has to get to no 2 in the world else this will keep happening