Djokovic stuns Nadal at Madrid Open

Novak Djokovic beat tennis betting favourite Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-4 to win the Madrid Open as he continues his fine form in 2011.

Djokovic, who is currently world number two, beat Nadal in straight sets to end the Spaniard’s 37-match unbeaten streak on clay and prepare perfectly for the French Open.

The Serbian has incredibly extended his unbeaten run in 2011 to 31 matches with the convincing victory over the world number one and showed he has the ability to beat the best in the tennis world.

Djokovic, winner of the Australian Open at the start of the year which sent him on his way to this awesome unbeaten record, has shown he has the belief to beat anyone in tennis after this incredible win and is closing in on the number 1 spot that Nadal currently occupies.

The manner in which Djokovic beat Nadal defied tennis bets and was testament to the form the Serbian is in right now. The right-hander has clearly shrugged off the fact he was the nearly man in tennis after losing in so many finals to the bigger names but since the start of the year times have changed.

Although Nadal found a moment of brilliance to lob a ball through his legs to win a crucial point, Djokovic won the key moments and capitalised to get the better of Nadal, who had no answer to his power and sweet shot selection.

The turnaround of Djokovic’s career with his unbeaten streak should spur Andy Murray on and show him the two heavy weights in tennis, Nadal and Roger Federer, can be beaten if you play to your full potential.

Djokovic is full of confidence due to the run he is on and some of the shots he showed to see off Nadal were first class. He has certainly challenged the best in the business and given himself a chance of winning more majors in the future after originally emerging on the scene at the wrong time due to Federer and now Nadal’s dominance.

Tennis, as a sport, needed someone to take the bull by the horns and challenge the bigger names and Djokovic has done this with a comfortable win over Nadal, which has got the Spaniard and Federer running scared ahead of the Rome Masters, French Open and in the distance, Wimbledon.