Djokovic powers Serbia past Spain in ATP Cup
SYDNEY (AP) – Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal, again, in a must-win match to keep Serbia in contention. Then he went back on court within an hour and combined with long-time friend Viktor Troicki to clinch the very first ATP Cup.
In the country where the seventime Australian Open champion performs like it’s his home away from home, Djokovic was the dominant figure in the debut of the 24-team, 10-day tournament.
“I have never experienced such a support in my matches ever anywhere, and I have played the biggest stadiums in tennis, and this was something different,” Djokovic said, crediting the thousands of Serbs who chanted, sang and recreated the atmosphere of a football stadium. “I want to thank everybody for contributing to this victory on and off the court.”
Second-ranked Djokivic had a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win over No. 1 Nadal on Sunday night to level the final after Roberto Bautista Agut had given Spain the lead by beating Dusan Lajovic, 7-5, 6-1, in the first singles match.
After extending his lead to 2926 in career head-to-heads with Nadal, and his supremacy over the Spaniard on hardcourts, Djokovic combined with Troicki for a 6-3, 6-4 win over Pablo Carreno Busta and Feliciano Lopez to clinch the title.
“I’ll remember this experience for the rest of my life – it’s one of the nicest moments of my career,” Djokovic said. “I’ve been very fortunately blessed, had an amazing career over the last 15 years, but playing for a team, playing for a country with some of my best friends is just – you can’t match that. It’s too special.”
He said the support from the Serbian community in Sydney was “off the charts.”
“There’s a lot of Serbian people in Sydney,” Djokovic said. “If you want to make a celebration, we’re ready.”
Djokovic has won nine straight against Nadal on hardcourts, and 19 consecutive sets, since losing the 2013 U.S. Open final.
Nadal withdrew from the doubles, citing fatigue, saying he had confidence in his teammate Lopez, a four-time Davis Cup champion.
“I have been playing a lot of tennis the last couple of days. My level of energy is a little bit lower than usual,” Nadal said. “So is a team decision, and we believe in our team. That’s why we had success in the past.”