Novak Djokovic was able to get the better of rival, Tomas Berdych, to win his second Monte-Carlo this weekend, taking it 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The Serbian Champion has now reached a 17 match winning streak in 2015,becoming the first player to win all of the opening three ATP World Tour tournaments of the season. The world number 1 Came to Monte-Carlo after having managed to win both Indian Wells and Miami for a third time and has now won 23 Masters 1000 trophies, joining Roger Federer in second place in the titles won list. A top tennis expert knows that he has now won 11 straight finals and has taken home the silverware at each of the previous six biggest tournaments on the calendar, including the 2014 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and 2015 Australian Open.”It was a battle,” Djokovic said. “I was up a set and 3-2, then there was the interruption and we came back, I had a break point but he played some amazing shots. If I made the break there, maybe the match could be done in two sets.He had his chances as well. The third set started very well at 4-0. I just lost that service game for no reason. After that, every single game went the distance: deuce, advantage. It was a real fight. I was trying to mentally stay tough and fight my way through.”
Djokovic managed to defeat Berdych in three sets, but it was not going to be easy as the Tomas took an early lead, winning eight of the first 10 points and breaking the top seed in the opening game. The World number 1 though, started to get into his groove and soon turned things around to win the first set after converting his third chance at 6-5. In the second there was that rain delay which allowed Berdych to take full advantage of a slightly distracted Djokovic, breaking for 4-3 and forcing a decider behind a punishing display of forehands that rattled the Djokovic. In the final set, Nole went ahead to take 4-0 double break lead and succeeded in winning the title after two hours and 43 minutes. “I left him get too much of a gap in the third set,” said Berdych. “That was the decider, definitely. It was really just about a couple of points that didn’t go my way. He defended them very well… I was making him run all the way through those three sets. There were just a couple of things that didn’t go as I would like to.”
A top tennis tipster would not suggest backing Berdych against Djokovicif they meet anytime soon, as he has now fallen down to 2-19 in their head-to-head. The Czech was contesting his third final of 2015, and called it his best start to a season. “Definitely it is. I’m having the most points. That’s the best proof of it. Winning the most matches so far, as well. I think I’m doing pretty well, but there are some things to still keep improving. I’m going to try to work on that.”
A sports betting expert has suggested that Berdych might continue this form but Djokovic certainly will, and the Serb looks unbeatable for the rest of 2015, if he avoids injury that is.