TENNIS:SERBIA'S NOVAK Djokovic took over the number two spot in men's tennis after beating top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.
Djokovic is undefeated so far this season after the 4-6, 6- 3, 6-2 victory over the Spaniard. The 23-year-old is 430 points ahead of previous number two Roger Federer, who holds the record for men’s singles titles. Djokovic is on 8,710 points, trailing Nadal by 3,920 points.
The Serb earned €432,000 with the win in California, where he beat Switzerland’s Federer in the semi-finals, and is now 18-0 in 2011. Djokovic captured his second Australian Open title in January and won in Dubai last month.
Federer was the last person to beat him, in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour finals in November. Sweden’s Robin Soderling is ranked fourth, on 5,735 points, with Britain’s Andy Murray in fifth on 5,545.
Having proved himself invincible so far this year on hardcourt surfaces, Djokovic has set his sights on excelling in the claycourt season that follows.
“I am extremely happy with the way I’m playing and with the success I’m having,” Djokovic said afterwards.
“But I know that the season is very long, and I don’t want to be too euphoric about the win. I need to celebrate a little bit, and then move on.
“I have a big will to win each match I’m playing and I want to keep on going, keep on playing good tennis. Hopefully I can recover and get ready for Miami,” he said, referring to the ATP event starting next week.
Asked if he felt unbeatable, he replied: “I do have the best period of my life on the tennis court, but nobody is invincible. You are just trying to play your best in each match youre playing.”
By his own admission, the 23-year-old has been seeing the tennis ball “as large as a watermelon” over the last three months and he would dearly love to keep that feeling going through the claycourt season.
“I believe I can play well on that surface and I have proven that in the last couple of years,” said
“I had a great clay court season in 2009 and 2008, and I’ve always played well at Roland Garros,” he said of the French Open. “In order to win trophies on that surface, big ones, I will need to be physically very, very fit.
“As the slowest surface, it requires a lot of physical strength and endurance and I have been working hard on it for a while. I will definitely pay attention to it more.”
Nadal, the greatest claycourt player of his generation and arguably of all time, felt the ultimate success of Djokovic’s 2011 campaign could hinge on how effectively he transitioned from the hardcourt season.
“Right now he’s playing on his favourite surface, because hard court and outdoor I think is when he plays better,” the Spanish left-hander said. “He is in confidence, he’s playing well, he’s very good player. We will see when he loses (for) the first time (this year).
“I don’t know if it’s gonna happen in Miami or happen in Monte Carlo or not gonna happen,” Nadal added with a laugh.
“I just congratulate him,” Nadal said. “He has done better than possible to start this season. He’s playing well. He’s in the right place at the right moment.”
