By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, April 19, 2015

 

Novak Djokovic defeated Tomas Berdych, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, to capture his 23rd career Masters title and make history as the first man to win the opening three Masters titles of the season.

Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters

Celebrating a hard-fought hold in the final set with his version of a group hug, Novak Djokovic turned toward the Monte-Carlo crowd and waved his arms in the air exhorting fans to make some more noise.

In a topsy-turvy final disrupted by a 70-minute rain delay, Djokovic embraced all challenges to make Masters history.

Djokovic tamed Tomas Berdych, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, racking up his 17th consecutive win and becoming the first man in history to win the opening three Masters championships of the season.

Semifinals: Djokovic Rises Over Nadal

It wasn't always pretty — early nerves, a spongy red clay court and a second-set concentration lapse created complications — but Djokovic grinded through all of it extending his winning streak even when his best tennis eluded him at times.

The world No. 1 showed his resourcefulness using his defense and transition skills to squeeze 50 unforced errors from Berdych. Continuing his career-long mastery of the Czech, Djokovic has now won 19 of their 21 meetings.

It is Djokovic's 23rd career Masters championship, tying him with Roger Federer for second-place on the all-time list, four behind record-holder Rafael Nadal.

The top seed dispatched eight-time champion Nadal, 6-3, 6-3, in Saturday's semifinals and encountered a much different opponent and conditions today.

A dank day created heavy conditions that became sludgier when rains arrived later in the second set. The slow red clay figured to make it even more demanding for the flatter hitting sixth seed to put the ball past his opponent.

But Berdych came out hitting cleanly, bolting a backhand winner down the line for break point in the opening game. A shanked error gave Berdych the break.

Finding his range and mixing in the drop shot at the right time, Djokovic started hitting his stride. He thumped an ace out wide, holding for 2-3.

The depth of Djokovic's drives — combined with his suffocating court coverage — gave Berdych little operating room in the sixth game. He saved a break point, but sprayed a wild forehand wide of the sideline to face a second break point. Running around his backhand, Berdych scattered another forehand error, ending a sloppy game to give back the break. Djokovic backed up the break for 4-3. Berdych began trying to squeeze shots closer to the lines. But when he sailed a backhand beyond the baseline, Djokovic had his second straight break for 5-3.

The top seed stumbled trying to serve out the set, losing his concentration and committing successive errors as Berdych got back on serve then held at love to level at 5-5. Slicing an ace off the back wall, Djokovic held for 6-5.

Staring down set points, Berdych saved the first with a smash and second with a curling short-angled forehand. Undeterred, Djokovic curled a heavy topspin forehand down the line to create space, then stepped in and drilled forehand down the line to close the 53-minute opener with a clenched fist.

Spitting showers turned into a steadier drizzle as Berdych navigated a demanding hold for 2-all. After Djokovic held for 3-2, play was suspended for about 70 minutes.

The break brought Berdych some tactical clarity. He knew he needed to serve big and play boldly to test the No. 1 on the sloggy track. Berdych did exactly that snapping off a smash to save break point holding for 3-all.

Hitting with more authority, Berdych forced a running forehand error into net, winning one of the longest points of the match to break for 4-3.

Dialed in on his forehand, Berdych dotted the back edge of the baseline with a forehand holding for 5-3. A sweeping forehand swing volley gave him double set point. He needed only one, taking the set when Djokovic sailed a forehand.

Because Berdych doesn't move as well as Djokovic, court positioning is critical. When the Czech is pushed too far off the baseline, his forehand can get unruly. A netted forehand followed by a mis-hit forehand that ballooned long elicited a groan from the Czech, who dropped serve trailing 0-2 in the decider.

The flexible Serbian can stretch small margins into lethal gaps quickly. Djokovic came back from 15-30 down in the next game with a three-point spurt stamp a 3-0 lead.

At that point, Berdych's forehand was misbehaving and Djokovic put the baseline in lockdown. Successive forehand errors from the Czech donated a break and 4-0 advantage.

Credit Berdych for refusing to capitulate. One of his best moments of the decider came when Berdych won an electrying 35-shot rally — pasting the lines with a few shots that probably would have been winners against most — and raised his index finger after that exhausting rally.

That point showcased both Berdych's ball-striking skills and the degree of difficulty he faced. Even when losing a point, Djokovic can drain an opponent.

It was a spirited effort from the world No. 8, but Djokovic is the more agile athlete, he's quicker around the court, a better ball-striker on the run and shrewder at changing up the spins on his shots, which gives him access to angles the flatter-hitting Berdych can't consistently produce. Still, Berdych earned a break point in the seventh game but on a second serve he netted a forehand return, Djokovic worked through the test to hold for 5-2 and never looked back.

The part-time Monte-Carlo resident wrapped up the win in two hours, 42 minutes, raising his record to 30-2 and celebrating by high-fiving the ball kids.