(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Sunday?s win was also djokovic?s 19th career masters title and his 19th win against nadal in 41 meetings.
novak djokovic fought back to stun defending champion and seven-time winner rafael nadal to claim the rome masters 4-6 6-3 6-3 on sunday.
serbia’s world number two djokovic claimed his third title on the red clay of rome having won in 2008 and 2011 the latter with victory over his spanish rival.
sunday’s win was also djokovic’s 19th career masters title and his 19th win against nadal in 41 meetings.
nadal had been looking to stretch his record of seven titles in the italian capital.
but despite a dominant first-set display the world number one allowed unforced errors to creep into his game as djokovic launched a valiant fightback to put himself in pole position to win a first title at the forthcoming french open.
nadal came into sunday’s final expected to claim an eighth rome title having won at the foro italico every year since 2005 except in 2008 and 2011.
he booked his final ticket with a straightforward win over outclassed 12th seed grigor dimitrov of bulgaria while djokovic had been stretched by hard-hitting canadian milos raonic.
it certainly seemed it would be nadal’s day when he broke the serb twice on his way to a quick 4-1 lead in the opening set which he went on to win 6-4 as djokovic made a series of unforced errors.
djokovic however pulled his game together early in the second set breaking nadal’s serve as early as the second game.
although nadal defiantly broke back to 3-2 djokovic went on to level the contest taking the second set 6-3.
djokovic had hit eight forehand and four backhand winners to nadal’s one in the second set and the serb carried the momentum into the deciding set breaking nadal early for a 2-0 lead.
nadal pumped his fists when he saved serve in a tightly-contested fifth game and was given more hope when he broke to 3-3 in the next.
but the 27-year-old crucially hit a forehand return long in the next game to hand djokovic the break and a 4-3 lead.
djokovic held on to his service game and with nadal struggling broke the spaniard again to seal a memorable win.
earlier on satruday rafa nadal’s routine cuffing of grigor dimitrov set up an enticing match with djokovic that could be a barometer for the french open.
top seed nadal has struggled through much of the tournament but was far too good for dogged dimitrov the spaniard quickly powering to a 6-2 6-2 victory.
serb djokovic survived a three-hour dogfight and one-set deficit with big-serving canadian milos raonic to make sunday’s final. he was subjected to an onslaught of power but eventually came through to win 6-7(5) 7-6(4) 6-3.
“it’s a big win because it gives me strength and belief that i can hopefully carry towards the final and the rest the season” djokovic bidding for a third rome title said. “i can’t remember the last time i felt so helpless in a return game. i couldn’t predict his serve at all.”
nadal had survived a scare against britain’s andy murray on friday while dimitrov had been handed his semi-final spot when tommy haas retired after losing the first set of their quarter-final but it was nadal who looked the fresher of the two.
the 27-year-old barely put a shot out of place in a masterful first set display that lasted just over 30 minutes.
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