Rafael Nadal

is still officially the best tennis player in the world. So say the rankings. But the man best placed to dispute that judgment, Novak Djokovic, arrives in Paris this week his conqueror for the fourth time in a row and strong in his conviction that he can loosen the historically unshakeable grip the Spaniard has on the French Open.

It is simplistic to suggest Djokovic was inspired to beat Nadal here solely by the plight of his compatriots in flood-ravaged Serbia, however beguiling a scenario that is. It will have energised him, no doubt, as his vociferous campaign this weekend for more international media concern illustrated, and at times in the final of the Rome Masters yesterday the proud Serb played with the sort of anger that informs his best tennis.

But this was business. Djokovic won 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 because he made fewer poorly timed mistakes than his opponent and took advantage of the chances to steal the Spaniard’s serve from under his flared nostrils. Seven aces also did not hurt. “Playing Rafa is always a tough challenge,” Djokovic said on-court. “I send a special dedication to my country, which is suffering so much right now.”

Both of them face a tougher workload at Roland Garros if they are to collide again in the final – however this was an imperfect but gripping contest over two hours and 19 minutes marked by quick kills rather than the attritional exchanges that have characterised their previous 40 encounters.

There is a feeling abroad that the game is changing across the spectrum. This final and this tournament support the contention, as Djokovic agreed after beating Milos Raonic in three sets on Saturday.

There was a price for Nadal to pay here in defeat. Losing sends him into the defence of his French title with three defeats on his favoured dirt for the first time in a decade.

The sans culottes – most recently Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov, who lost to Nadal on Saturday night – have scattered for now. The ancien régime has been reinstalled, albeit shakily.

Feet of clay
But will Nadal win a ninth title there? The chances are slimmer than previously, mainly because of these stutters on clay this summer. And while nobody has yet launched a convincing counter-case for supremacy there, Djokovic's argument is as strong as anyone's. This was only his fourth win over Nadal on clay, against 17 defeats, but probably his most significant.

Having faltered in Monte Carlo for the second year in a row, then Barcelona, before receiving the gift of a retirement by Kei Nishikori last weekend in Madrid, Nadal was keyed up more for this final than even for the quarter-final against Andy Murray on Friday night.

There was more hanging on this result for Nadal than for Djokovic. This, after all, was the Spaniard’s manor. The Serb, although he had beaten Nadal on clay twice in his glorious run of 43 straight wins three years ago, would rarely start favourite against him on it.

So it was not a shock when a crosscourt forehand volley, the first blow of significance and angled beyond Djokovic’s reach, handed Nadal a break after a quarter of an hour. He was on fire. Within 10 minutes he was serving for a 5-1 lead.

But Djokovic stopped the onslaught. His jitters evaporated. He held for 3-4 with an ace after half an hour. Djokovic took Nadal to deuce on his serve in the eighth game, but hit his final forehand long. He held with an ace for the second time, but Nadal sealed the set.

Djokovic was up a break at 3-0. Encouraged from the stands by his mentor, Boris Becker, one of the game’s great net wolves, Djokovic attacked anything short to kill the point, overcoming a rough patch mid-set to level at a set apiece.

After an hour and a half of intense the momentum was with Djokovic. When Nadal hit long for the second time on his opening serve, the prospect of an upset rose.

And then came the Nadal fightback, from 1-3 down, as he held with a sublime crosscourt backhand, then breaking with a fierce smash at Djokovic’s feet to level in the sixth game.

The breaks kept coming, though, when Nadal's forehand strayed long, he had to hold serve to stay in the fight but one last over-cooked backhand did for him.
Guardian Service