Master Again: Rafa Rules Indian Wells
By Tennis Week
3/19/2007
Neither the leaping whales bursting from the back walls, the bulls biting at his back heels, the albatross of a title drought on his back nor the hungry young predator staring at him across the net could deny Nadal's purposeful pursuit of the Pacific Life Open championship today.
Playing with dynamic determination in his first final since the 2006 Wimbledon, the second-ranked Spaniard snapped a 10-month title drought by stampeding to a 6-2, 7-5 victory over 12th-seeded Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells today.
It was Nadal's 18th career tournament title, including his seventh career Masters Series crown. Three of those Masters Series championships — the 2005 Montreal and Madrid TMS titles and this one — came on hard court as the clay-court king displayed his fluency in translating his game to faster surfaces.
The two-time Roland Garros champion raised his career record to 18-3 in finals. Nadal displaced the albatross of doubt that arose during his title drought by roaring through the Indian Wells field without dropping a set to capture his first championship since he conquered World No. 1 Roger Federer on the red clay of Roland Garros last June.
"For sure it is one of the best tournaments that I won," said Nadal, who sprinted around the court wearing blue Nikes with the image of a bull stamped near the heel and finally slowed down to raise the title trophy of a humpback whale that is the logo of tournament title sponsor Pacific Life. "Before I came here, I was never thinking about this victory, so my seventh Masters Series is very nice for me. I am very happy."
It was more than a tournament title, it was a statement victory for Nadal. In his first match with third-ranked Andy Roddick in 27 months, Nadal nullified the game's fastest server — who had not surrendered serve in the entire tournament — on his preferred surface in a crushing straight-sets semifinal win to reach his first final since Wimbledon.
Facing talented teenager Djokovic, Nadal showed his superior experience in swarming the 19-year-old Serbian from the first point.
Unleashing a furious flurry of forehands like uppercuts viciously separating a cornered opponent from his senses, Nadal stormed out to a 4-0 lead in winning eight straight points and 16 of the first 18 points.
Djokovic's inability to locate his first serve, combined with the penetrating depth of Nadal's returns that enabled him to take command of rallies from the first strike spelled doom for the Belgrade-born baseliner.
"I was playing unbelievable very, very good today," Nadal said. "I start very, very well and Novak had some mistakes in the beginning hat helped me. In the second set, be played much better."
From 0-4 down, Djokovic settled down and strung together two service holds to get on the scoreboard and gain a bit of confidence.
Serving for the set at 5-2, Nadal unloaded on a forehand that stretched Djokovic out so wide he looked like a sheet on a clothesline and his reply found the net to hand Nadal triple set point. The muscular left hander smacked a strong slice serve out wide to seize the first set in 28 points. It was the first set Djokovic lost in the tournament.
From the neck up, Nadal plays wiser than his years. Shrewd court sense, complete commitment to his high-percentage shots and his insistence on playing the match at his tempo gives Nadal great match presence that can be intimidating to even the most experienced players and given the fact Djokovic was playing in his first Masters Series final, all the elements were in place for a straight-sets blowout.
But to his credit, Djokovic dug down and competed with the composure, control and conviction lacking in the opening set. He won eight of nine points in his first two service games to hold for a 2-1 lead. The fourth game of the second set proved to be a turning point.
Playing with tenacity and grit, Djokovic rallied from a 5-40 deficit and eventually earned three break points, but Nadal was up to the task on each one. A 27-shot slugfest — the longest exchange of the match — unfolded in which both men showed their ability to alter the height and depth of their shots while finding the corners. But Nadal is a physically powerful presence and played that rally as if he was willing to wage a 100-ball rally. Sensing he could not match Nadal's stamina, Djokovic tried to end the rally with a backhand drop shot — which wasn't an inconceivable idea given Nadal's positioning five feet behind the baseline — but it was such a poorly-executed attempt when the shot strayed wide Djokovic dropped to a squat, holding his head in his hands in disgust at a lost opportunity. Nadal held for 2-2 when Djokovic netted a backhand.
Djokovic netted an inside-out forehand to fall behind 0-30 in the ninth game, but responded by going airborne. He lined a leaping forehand winner down the line for 15-30. A second serve kicked up above Nadal's shoulders and he could not tame the shot, lifting a forehand return wide. Crushing three consecutive forehands down the line to the Nadal forehand, Djokovic earned game point then took to the net to strike successive volleys and hold for 5-4.
Serving to stay in the second set, Nadal nudged out to a 30-15 lead on a Djokovic backhand error, followed with a 105 mph slice serve that caught the corner of the service box, but netted an overhead then dumped a running backhand into the net to drop to deuce. Djokovic was two points from leveling the match, but could not get closer. He hit a pair of backhands wide as Nadal held for 5-5.
Grunts grew louder from both me in the 11th game. Djokovic missed a forehand down the line long to fall behind 0-30, but went to net to draw to 15-30. Trying to deny Nadal the shot at a short second serve, Djokovic over hit his second serve and that double fault gave Nadal double break point. Djokovic saved the first with a fine forehand volley.
On the second break point, the Serbian did not do enough with backhand volley that sat up as if it were placed on a tee. Quickly scampering to his right, Nadal bent low and bashed a backhand pass crosscourt, punctuating the service break with a furious fist pump.
When Djokovic slapped a forehand down the line long, he handed Nadal triple championship point. Though he squandered the first two, Nadal closed out the match on the third then dropped to his knees pointing straight up to the sky in elation.
A tournament that saw the early exit of World No. 1 Federer whose 41-match winning streak was snapped by Guillermo Canas concluded with Nadal snapping his title drought.
The balls lacked their typical tinge of red brick, sneakers squealed rather than sliding across the surface and the points came to a quicker conclusion on hard court, but Nadal continued to control the course of play as if he was back on his beloved dirt today.
Re-establishing his status as a multi-surface threat, Nadal's performance in this tournament was a declaration of desire and after his dismantling of Roddick in the semis, he likely sent out a shot of serious concern in the United States Davis Cup team that will face Spain in next month's Davis Cup quarterfinals in Winston-Salem.