Djokovic beats Nadal, leads Serbia to ATP Cup win

Novak Djokovic overpowered Rafael Nadal in leading Serbia to victory in the inaugural ATP Cup final Sunday, capping a perfect build up to his Australian Open title defence.

Serbia won its first-ever ATP Cup in Sydney on Sunday after it defeated Spain in the final.

Novak Djokovic helped seal victory for Serbia in the inaugural ATP Cup team event after defeating his long-term Spanish rival Rafael Nadal in singles on Sunday before going on to play a pivotal role in the deciding doubles match.

With the final locked at 1-1 after the singles were shared, Djokovic partnered veteran Victor Troicki to beat Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta and Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4 and win the title. The 16-times Grand Slam champion proved to be a calming influence throughout, especially after the Serbian pair fell behind early in the match.

 

He used his powerful serve and fleet-footed returns to haul his country back into the first set and create a momentum shift Serbia rode all the way to a victory completed in the early hours of Monday morning.

Djokovic earlier beat Nadal 6-2. 7-6(4), extending his dominance over the Spaniard on hardcourts, a surface Nadal has not beaten him on since 2013.

Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut completed a flawless tournament by defeating Serbia's Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 6-1.