Novak Djokovic handed No. 1 in waiting Rafael Nadal his first defeat in nearly three months, stunning the Spaniard 6-1, 7-5 to reach the final of the Cincinnati Masters.
The Serbian No. 3 seed snapped a 32-match win streak for Nadal, who was last defeated on May 7 by compatriot and former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero in Rome, with Nadal suffering from foot blisters.
“I played the best summer hard season in my life, so I’m very happy for that,” said Nadal, who is 64-8 on the season with seven titles. “Today he played unbelievable in the first set.”
PHOTO: AP
“In the second set I felt well and in some moments I felt I was playing better than him. Finally, he beat me. I just congratulate him because he’s playing well,” Nadal said.
Djokovic is re-emerging as a force in the game just two days after Roger Federer lost his grip on the top ranking after four-and-a-half years. The Swiss star lost in the third round to Ivo Karlovic.
Djokovic has defeated Nadal in four of their six matches on hardcourt.
“Day after day I’m getting stronger in the segment of my game which is really important coming up to the final stages of the tournament,” the winner said.
“Rafa always gives 100 percent in every match and on any surface. It was a challenge and I accepted it,” he said.
Djokovic will line up in a revenge repeat of last week’s losing quarter-final in Toronto when he takes on Andy Murray.
Despite his loss and whatever happens at the Beijing Olympics, Nadal will take over the top ranking from Federer on Aug. 18 as computer points drop off.
Djokovic, the Australian Open champion and winner of two Masters shields already this season, will climb to second in this year’s season points race.
Djokovic ripped off from a standing start, reaching a 5-0 lead after just 19 minutes before second seed Nadal got on the scoreboard. The Serb won the opener in 25 minutes, with 11 winners versus only two for Nadal.
Djokovic, who won the first eight points of the evening, lost only four points on serve in the opening phase.
Nadal lifted slightly in the second set, but Djokovic answered by saving the lone break point he faced in the sixth game to level 3-3.
The third seed ended that game with his fifth ace after coming from 0-30 and broke Nadal in the penultimate game of the match.
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