Mutua Madrid Open Final Preview

© Getty ImagesRafael Nadal enters Sunday's final with a 9-0 record against Novak Djokovic on clay.

FINAL PREVIEW - NADAL & DJOKOVIC CLASH IN DREAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Two incredible winning streaks will be on the line on Sunday, as the Top 2 players on the ATP World Tour meet in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open. This is the third straight year the Top 2 are meeting in the Madrid final.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal was the first to advance to the final, beating World No. 3 Roger Federer in Saturday’s semi-final, 57 61 63. It was Nadal’s 11th win in 13 clay court meetings with his longtime rival and after losing his second set on clay this year he won the second and third sets commandingly. Not only is he 13-0 on clay this year, but Nadal has won 37 matches in a row on clay, his last loss on this surface came almost two years ago to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of Roland Garros. Nadal is playing his 61st ATP World Tour level final (45-15, includes a 31-2 mark on clay). He is also in his 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final (19-8).

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic followed Nadal into the final, rallying from 64 31 down to beat surprise semi-finalist Thomaz Bellucci, 46 64 61. Not only is he a perfect 31-0 this year now, but Djokovic has won his last 33 matches in a row - two wins in Davis Cup at the end of last year. This is the equal-second-longest win streak to start off an ATP World Tour season since 1975, after John McEnroe’s 42-0 start to 1984 and tied Bjorn Borg’s 31-0 start to 1980. Djokovic is playing his 37th ATP World Tour level final (23-13, includes a 5-3 mark on clay). He is also in his 14th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final (7-6).

Nadal leads Djokovic in their head-to-head series, 16-9, but perhaps more relevant is that Nadal is 9-0 on clay (he has also won 21 of their 24 sets on this surface). But there are a few encouraging signs for Djokovic - not only has he won both of their meetings so far this year, in the Indian Wells and Miami finals, in their last meeting on clay here in the semi-finals two years ago, Djokovic came close to his first clay court win over Nadal, losing 36 76(5) 76(9). The match lasted a three-set record 4:03 and Djokovic held three match points before falling.

“He knows he can beat me and he did the last two times. He has a lot of confidence now,” Nadal said of Djokovic. “I accept this is going to be a very complicated match that I could lose even playing well. But the fact I am playing at home is special. Also it’s another final at a Masters 1000, so I will fight until the end.

“Of course the memories come back from Madrid in 2009 when we played that very, very long match,” Djokovic said. “I am motivated to win against everybody, especially Rafa, because it’s the ultimate challenge on clay. I think anyone would wish to play him in the final of a clay court tournament. He’s been winning on clay so much over the past couple of years - I need to step on the court and try to win.”

WHAT’S AT STAKE –
Winner:  € 590,000 and 1000 South African Airways 2011 ATP Ranking points
Runner-up: € 275,000 and 600 South African Airways 2011 ATP Ranking points

FINALS HISTORY –
 Nadal:  Appearing in his 61st ATP World Tour level final………..……..He is 45-15 in finals  
    Appearing in his 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final…....He is 19-8 in finals
 Djokovic:  Appearing in his 37th ATP World Tour level final………..……...He is 23-13 in finals  
    Appearing in his 14th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final……..He is 7-6 in finals

NOVAK STREAK – Djokovic’s 31-0 start is the best to begin a season since John McEnroe in 1984 when he went 42-0. Djokovic has won 33 straight matches going back to last year’s Davis Cup final and his last loss came to Roger Federer in the semi-finals at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London on Nov. 27, 2010. Here are the best starts on the ATP World Tour since 1975 (updated):
                                       No.         Year
John McEnroe                   42           1984 *
Novak Djokovic                 31           2011
Bjorn Borg                        31           1980 *(adjusted from 33 since Davis Cup matches played in June not Feb.)
Ivan Lendl                        29           1986 *
*All won Masters titles in January of that year but title was credited from preceding year
 
30-OVER MATCH WINNING STREAKS – Djokovic is tied for the eighth-longest match winning streak since 1975 when complete results were recorded. Federer and Nadal are also on the list. Here are the longest match winning streaks since ‘75:
                                              No.    Year
1)  Guillermo Vilas                   46     1977
2)  Ivan Lendl                         44      1981-82
3)  John McEnroe                    42      1984
4)  Roger Federer                    41      2006-07
     Bjorn Borg                         41      1979-80
6)  Roger Federer                   35      2005
     Thomas Muster                  35      1995
8)  Novak Djokovic                  33      2010-11
9)  Rafael Nadal                      32      2008
10) Ivan Lendl                        31      1985

Open Era Clay Court Title Leaders – Nadal is No. 3 in the Open Era clay court titles leaders list:
                                                    No.
1) Guillermo Vilas                           45
2) Thomas Muster                           40
3) Rafael Nadal                                31
4) Bjorn Borg, Manuel Orantes      30

CLAY COURT DOMINATOR – Here's a year-by-year look at Nadal's clay court supremacy since 2005, compiling an 189-6 match record and 30-2 mark (31-2 in career) in clay court finals on the ATP World Tour:
            W-L        Clay Finals
2011 - 13-0         2-0
2010 - 22-0         4-0
2009 - 23-2         3-1
2008 - 24-1         4-0
2007 - 31-1         5-1
2006 - 26-0         4-0
2005 - 50-2         8-0    Note: His last clay court loss came to Robin Soderling in 4th Rd. at ’09 Roland Garros

SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP FED-EX HEAD 2 HEADS –

(1)Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs (2) Novak Djokovic (SRB) Nadal Leads 16-9
06 Roland Garros (France) Clay QF Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4 ret
07 ATP Masters Series Indian Wells  Hard F Rafael Nadal 6-2 7-5
07 Sony Ericsson Open – Miami Hard QF Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4
07 ATP Masters Series Rome (Italy) Clay QF Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-3
07 Roland Garros (France) Clay SF Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-4 6-2
07 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass SF Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-1 4-1 ret
07 ATP Masters Series Montreal  Hard SF Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-3
07 Tennis Masters Cup (China) Hard RR Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4
08 ATP Masters Series Indian Wells  Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-2
08 ATP Masters Series Hamburg Clay SF Rafael Nadal 7-5 2-6 6-2
08 Roland Garros (France) Clay SF Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-2 7-6(3)
08 London / Queen's Club  Grass F Rafael Nadal 7-6(6) 7-5
08 ATP Masters Series Cincinnati  Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-1 7-5
08 Beijing Olympics (China) Hard SF Rafael Nadal 6-4 1-6 6-4
09 ESP vs. SRB WG 1st RD (Spain) Clay RR Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-4 6-1
09 ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo  Clay F Rafael Nadal 6-3 2-6 6-1
09 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome Clay F Rafael Nadal 7-6(2) 6-2
09 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid  Clay SF Rafael Nadal 3-6 7-6(5) 7-6(9)
09 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati  Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-4
09 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris  Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3
09 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals  Hard RR Novak Djokovic 7-6(5) 6-3
10 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard F Rafael Nadal 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2
10 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Hard RR Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-2
11 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells  Hard F Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-3 6-2
11 ATP Masters 1000 Miami Hard F Novak Djokovic 4-6    6-3   7-6(4)
 
                                                  Rafael Nadal    Novak Djokovic
Sets Won:                                                  38                      24
Tiebreak Sets Won:                                      5                        2

Match Wins By Surface:
Clay:                                                          9                         0
Hard:                                                         5                         9
Grass:                                                        2                         0

NADAL FASTFACTS

Tournament Highlights:
• The defending champ is appearing in the final for the fourth time in nine attempts…He won titles last year (d. Federer) and ’05 (d. Ljubicic in five sets) and reached the final two years ago (l. to Federer)
• He has a 24-6 career record…This week he opened with a 61 63 win over Marcos Baghdatis, received a walkover vs. Juan Martin del Potro on Thursday, beat Michael Llodra 62 62 on Friday and rival/No. 3 Federer 57 61 63 in the semi-finals…Has held 28 of  30  service games (93%), saving nine of 11 break points (82%) and leads in return games won (13 of 30, 43%)
• In 2008, he reached the semi-finals (l. to Simon) and quarter-finals in 2006 (l. to Berdych) and 2007 (l. to Nalbandian)
• Made his debut in 2003 (ranked No. 49) and lost to countryman Alex Corretja in the first round
• In 2009 semi-final, outlasted Djokovic 36 76(5) 76(9), saving three match points in the final set tie-break to prevail in four hours and three minute battle (longest three-setter)

2011 Highlights:
W: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (d Ferrer); Barcelona (d Ferrer); F: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Djokovic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l Djokovic); SF: Doha (l Davydenko); QF: Australian Open (l Ferrer)

2011 in Review
• The World No. 1 is appearing in his fifth straight final with a 32-4 mark on the season in his eighth tournament (13-0 on clay, 19-4 on hard)…He is the first player since Roger Federer in 2006 to begin the year reaching four straight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals (Federer went 2-2)
• He’s appearing in his fifth straight final for the third time (2007-08) in his career…He was runner-up in Indian Wells and Miami, falling in three sets to Djokovic both times, and then captured back-to-back titles on clay with his seventh straight crown at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo and sixth career title in Barcelona (d. Ferrer both times)…He is 19-8 in ATP Masters 1000 finals (14-2 on clay)
• He is 45-15 lifetime in finals (31-2 on clay, losing only to Federer) and is No. 12 on Open Era titles list
• Has a 37-match winning streak on clay since a 4th Rd. loss to Robin Soderling at Roland Garros in 2009 and has won 82 of 86 sets…It’s his third streak of 30 or more wins on clay (81, 33)
• He comes in with 504 career match wins (504-105) and ranked No. 1 for 94th overall week (first took over top spot on Aug. 18, 2008), 48 in a row since June 7, 2010 (after winning Roland Garros for fifth time in six years)…At 24 years, 10 months, he is the second-youngest to win 500 matches, only behind Bjorn Borg (23 years, 7 months)
• He opened year with a semi-final in Doha (l. to Davydneko) and followed with a quarter-final at the Australian Open where he injured his left adductor early in match against Ferrer (lost 64 62 63)
• In March, he led Spain to a 4-1 first round Davis Cup victory in Belgium by winning both of his singles matches (d. Ruben Bemelmans in second rubber, O. Rochus in dead rubber)…Spain plays U.S.in QFs

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 History
• The all-time leader with 19 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles (since 1990) is 19-8 in ATP Masters 1000 finals…He has 204 career match wins (204-40), third behind Federer (236) and Agassi (209)
• He’s won at least two titles in each of the past six years (2005-10)…Won a personal-best four in 2005 and three each from 2007-10…He captured his 18th career title at age 23 and Agassi won his 17th title at age 34 in 2004…Has reached the final in eight of the current nine Masters 1000 finals (except Cincinnati)…He also won the former ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Hamburg in 2008

DJOKOVIC FASTFACTS

Tournament Highlights:
• The 23-year-old Serb has a 13-4 career mark and he’s appearing in the final for the first time…He has defeated Kevin Anderson 63 64, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 61 62, No. 6 David Ferrer 64 46 63 and Thomaz Bellucci 46 64 61…Has held serve 41of 46 games (89%) while breaking 15 of 44 games (34%)
• Two years ago in his last visit, he lost in the semi-finals (l. to Nadal 36 76 76, held three match points, in a three-set record 4:03 marathon)
• He also advanced to the semi-finals in 2007 (l. to Nalbandian)...Made his debut in 2006 and lost to No. 10 Fernando Gonzalez in the quarter-finals
• In 2008, (after a bye), defeated Victor Hanescu before losing to Ivo Karlovic in two tie-breaks in 3rd Rd.

2011 Highlights:
W: Australian Open (d Murray); Dubai (d Federer); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d Nadal); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (d Nadal); Belgrade (d Lopez)

2011 in Review:
• The World No. 2 enters with a 31-0 match record on the season, winning 67 of 75 sets, and he leads the ATP World Tour with five titles…He’s off to the best start since 1984 when John McEnroe went    42-0.  Overall, he’s won 33 straight matches going back to last year’s Davis Cup final…His five titles already equals a career-best (in 2007, ’09)
• Last Sunday he captured his hometown title in Belgrade (d. Lopez) and improved to 23-13 in career finals (5-3 on clay)….He is 7-6 in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals
• His four other titles have come on hard courts against Top 10 opponents, winning his second Australian Open (d. No. 5 Murray), Dubai (d. No. 2 Federer) and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami (d. No. 1 Nadal in both)…Overall, he is 9-0 vs. Top 10 this year
• He moved to No. 2 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings on Mar. 21 after Indian Wells title (last year was No. 2 for 26 weeks)

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 History:
• Has a career record of 121-39 and 7-6 in finals, winning back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami (d. Nadal in both)  this year
• This is his eighth different final in his career (except Shanghai)…In 2007, reached his first final in Indian Wells (l. to Nadal) and followed with his first title at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (d. Canas)…Also won in Montreal in ‘07, defeating the Top 3 players in succession – No. 3 Roddick (QF), No. 2 Nadal (SF) and No. 1 Federer (F)
• In 2008, won titles in Indian Wells (d. Fish), Rome and runner-up in Cincinnati (l. to Murray) and in ’09, won in Paris (d. Monfils)

ATP WORLD TOUR MASTERS 1000 TITLE LEADERS -- Nadal is attempting to capture his 20th career ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title while Djokovic his eighth. Here are the leaders (since 1990):

                            No. 
Rafael Nadal        19 
Andre Agassi          17 
Roger Federer       17 
Pete Sampras        11 
Thomas Muster       8
Michael Chang        7
Novak Djokovic     7
Andy Murray            6

2011 ATP World Tour Match Wins Leaders – The No. 1 and 2 players lead the ATP World Tour in match wins this season:
                                     W-L    Titles
1) Rafael Nadal               32-4         2  
2) Novak Djokovic           31-0        5
3) Roger Federer             27-6        1
    Juan Martin del Potro   27-6        2
    David Ferrer                27-7        2      

DOUBLES PREVIEW – BRYANS LOOK FOR FOURTH TITLE IN 2011 VS.  LLODRA-ZIMONJIC
• World No. 1 and three-time Mardrid champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan take on No. 6 seeds Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic in Sunday’s doubles final.
• The Bryans are attempting to capture their fourth  title of the season, in their sixth final. They won their third straight crown at the Australian Open in January, and were winners in Houston and Monte-Carlo last month. They were finalists in Sydney in January and Barcelona in their last outing  two weeks ago.
• This is the Bryans' fifth career final in Madrid after capturing titles last year and in 2006-07. They also were finalists in ’04. They have a 21-6 career mark in Madrid.
• The Bryans have a 70-40 career record in doubles finals and last year they finished as the No. 1 team for a record sixth time in the past eight years.
• Llodra and Zimonjic began playing together full-time at the start of the 2011 season and are playing their second ATP World Tour doubles final together (they were runners-up at Rotterdam in February)
• Llodra is 18-17 in ATP World Tour doubles finals; his titles include three Grand Slams, two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles and one Tennis Masters Cup (all of those with either Santoro or Clement)
• Zimonjic is 39-26 in ATP World Tour doubles finals; his titles include three Grand Slams, 11 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles and two Tennis Masters Cups (most of those with Nestor)

ATP WORLD TOUR MASTERS 1000 DOUBLES TITLE LEADERS (since 1990) --
   
                               No.
Daniel Nestor            24
Bob Bryan              18
Mike Bryan            18
Todd Woodbridge     18
Mark Knowles           17