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Novak Djokovic, ATP ranking second player and major threat to dethrone Rafa Nadal in the first place worldwide, said in Rome that is playing the best tennis of his life and is now somewhat closer to the number 1.

Novak Djokovic, ATP ranking second player and major threat to dethrone Rafa Nadal in the first place worldwide, said in Rome that is playing the best tennis of his life and is now somewhat closer to the number 1.

"I'm playing the best tennis of my life," Djokovic said in a press conference at the Foro Italico. The Serb reached this quote as flamboyant winner of the Madrid tournament after winning the final to Rafael Nadal and challenge Spanish supremacy on clay. A company a few months ago he found it "mission impossible" as he acknowledged in response to a question on whether he considered more difficult to beat Nadal on the ground or the Swiss Roger Federer on grass.

This party, "the best" of those has played this year and "one of the best" played in his life, is a "big step in his career, also in the mental aspect. "Against Nadal is always very difficult to play, especially in the area where he does his best tennis," Djokovic said, although he acknowledged that "if there is somewhere where you have opportunities against Rafa on land, probably in Madrid for their conditions" .

Having fought three end this season, the two could meet again in a hypothetical final on clay in Rome tournament in which the Serbian debut in the second round against Poland's Lukasz Kubot. In addition, the appointment of Rome, one of the last before Roland Garros, is particularly important in the fight for number 1. Asked about their chances to snatch the throne to Nadal, Djokovic admitted he was "a little bit closer" but still has much work to do. "All my life I dreamed of becoming the best in the world someday and now it is close, but still I have to work hard to get there, "he said.

The Serbian arrives in Rome with a streak of 32 straight wins this year, 34 if you add two in the Davis Cup final. He said the Davis Cup final against France he gave "very confident" and "was the beginning of this journey in which I am immersed. It's been a very long learning work for me, with hard work and dedication" , said.

'Nole', 23, blamed the improvement in his game to a higher concentration and maturity, both personally and sports. "I identify my success with the maturity I have now as a person and player. Everything has come together, after a period of several years of learning, gaining experience, of being patient and having worked hard. I've always had the qualities to beat the best players in the world in different areas, but now I think more about the track, I'm more stable emotionally and I know what I have to do, "he said.

Djokovic admitted that his strategy is to "keep our feet on the ground" without being distracted by the successes of their rivals and thinking about winning every game he plays. "I try to stay focused and be professional, I have a great team of people around me are doing great work and make my life easier on the tracks," he said. Djokovic acknowledged it has yet to win a major tournament and play with "record" to reach the top and said his dream is to take the crown of Wimbledom.

The Spanish Rafael Nadal continues a week ahead of the ATP world rankings, whose most significant development is that the Austrian Jurgen Melzer returns the tenth position at the expense of Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

The Spanish Rafael Nadal continues a week ahead of the ATP world rankings, whose most significant development is that the Austrian Jurgen Melzer returns the tenth position at the expense of Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

The week's tournaments past have not caused any new development on top of the list, or order or in scoring, so that the distances between Nadal, Swiss Roger Federer and Serb Novak Djokovic, the top three remain the same.

Continue in the group of privileged David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco, sixth and ninth, respectively, the latter despite losing the final of San Jose.

Ferrer beat Nadal 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Rafa will not play again until March.

In two hours and 33 minutes, beat David Ferrer 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to Rafael Nadal, and will face Australian Open semifinals to Andy Murray, winning in four sets Dolgopolov. In contrast, for the second consecutive year, Nadal lost in the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam ocean (of 360 points equals ATP 2010), and leaves the track with an injury mid-range.

In the last point of the third set, Nadal rebounded and won a left Ferrer. But just at that moment, when concretized their first game of the match (the score remained 2-1 to Ferrer), Nadal made a face of pain and worry. Immediately, touching the left leg called the physiotherapists of the tournament, with whom he went to the locker room of the Rod Laver Arena. Was declared `time out ', stopped the game, and Nadal came back with the left leg bandaged and face not a good feeling. "It's the hamstring," he was heard saying as he passed to Toni, his uncle and coach.

Maymó Rafael, Nadal physiotherapist, also went to the locker room after the time-out: regulation, Maymó Nadal can not attend, but only took over the situation. Returning from Maymó, Toni Nadal and had things clearer: "Rafa has had a hamstring problem in the` 'of the left leg and has been a bad move in the game and within the track. Before playing was uneventful. Maymó not assess the extent of the injury, a torn hamstring fibers in the area, as confirmed by Toni Nadal himself after the game. It is recalled that Nadal just enjoyed a week of rest after closing net official season 2010 with the final of the Masters Cup in London, and in December the same pre-season preparation was dispersed with displays Federer charitable company in Zurich and Madrid.

On his return from Nadal, Ferrer shot up 5-2. Putting the rest, even Nadal 5-4 and rowed to service, but in the service of the tenth game, Ferrer was subtracting more and more, to sentence the first round to the third 'set point', after 70 minutes. Nadal pessimism gestured toward his uncle Toni, who clearly told him: "Do not force." With Nadal playing clearly preserved, Ferrer easily settled second and third sets, 6-2, 6-3 in just 83 minutes added. With a total of 44 hits winners (Nadal, 19) seven times Ferrer broke Nadal's serve, who even managed to achieve three 'breaks' on the services of David.

This is the first victory over Nadal Ferrer since 2007, after seven consecutive victories Rafa. "Clearly, Rafa could not run well, and it was a difficult situation for everyone, but even so it is not easy to beat someone like Rafa, who always fights to the end," said Ferrer. Nadal's initial intention is by not compete throughout the month of February, only to reappear, if all goes well, in March, the tie Belgium-Spain Davis Cup and the 1000 U.S. Masters on hard courts: Indian Wells and Miami.

Nadal had never won their opening two games in a Masters Cup ATP · Adds 400 points to add to its roster · Today reached out to 210 km / h, near the 217 km / h whose record · Next stop: Tomas Berdych, Friday

Rafael Nadal made his move on track at Masters Cup semis 2010, which is being held in London after getting his second win over Novak Djokovic. The world No. 1 will close the 'Round Robin' on Friday against Tomas Berdych, who still has options to pass to the next phase.


Nadal and Djokovic, beyond the rankings, are two players who are called to mark an epoch in the modern game, no one can doubt. If a peer is worth to review the past U.S. Open final or the early stages of this clash in London, where either played at a level within reach of very few. 'Nole' like a cyclone went to the mat, winning his first two service games in black and have options to rest upside down thanks to an excellent plane opened impossible angles. Rafa who was nevertheless achieved the first break. He did it in a marathon fifth game that lasted for eight minutes and in which the number 1 showed no better passer than him when his opponent goes to the net. The Balearic error was then lower the intensity, then allowed Djokovic to make a contrabreak that allowed him to continue in the game.

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Nadal closed the group stage on Friday to Czech Tomas Berdych, before which has a `Head-to-head 'favorable of 8-3, with victory in the last seven meetings between the two for Spanish. A set to Czech the Balearic would be enough to get into the next phase. So far we have added 400 points ahead of the ATP rankings and his candidacy for the title gaining adherents at times.