Watched by the royalty of Monaco, Novak Djokovic ended Rafael Nadal’s amazing 8 year winning streak at Monte Carlo with a dominant display.
Nadal suffered his first loss since a 2003 defeat at the hands of Gaston Gaudio. 10 years and 46 matches later, he fell to World #1 Djokovic in straight sets 6-2 7-6 in just under two hours.
“It’s such a great pleasure to win here, it’s very special,” said Djokovic, a native of Serbia but primarily based in the principality.
Djokovic, 25, wasted no time in setting out his intentions – racing out to take the first set 6-2 in 46 minutes.
The second set was a more competitive affair, with Nadal breaking the Djokovic serve and giving himself a chance to level up the match at 5-4. However, Djokovic broke straight back, forcing a tie-break, which he won at a canter – 7-1.
Nadal moves onto Barcelona next, with the next opportunity of a clash between the two titans coming at Madrid.
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