MADRID (AFP) – Rafael Nadal snapped a seven-match losing streak against Novak Djokovic in commanding fashion as he romped into the final of the Madrid Masters 6-2, 6-4, on Saturday.
Nadal will look to seal his fifth title in Madrid in Sunday’s final against Austrian Dominic Thiem in a repeat of the Barcelona Open final Nadal won 6-4, 6-1, two weeks ago.
“It is a great result. To win against Novak by that score you have to be playing very well, otherwise it’s impossible,” said Nadal.
An open era record 50th meeting between Nadal and Djokovic served to highlight the Serb’s dramatic dip in form since they last met in Rome almost exactly a year ago.
“It was an important match for me. I lost a lot of times in a row. To break that means there are always nerves,” added Nadal.
“The circumstances nowadays are completely different compared to those seven matches that occurred before.
“I think that the last two years perhaps haven’t been my best two years. For Novak, they were really good years.”
Djokovic had won his last 15 sets stretching back to the 2014 French Open final against the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
However, that run was emphatically ended as Nadal, willed on by a fervent home support, including Cristiano Ronaldo in the VIP boxes, made the perfect start by breaking the Djokovic serve to love.
