Undefeated Novak Djokovic humbles Rafael Nadal to win sixth China Open title

Novak Djokovic maintained his unbeaten run in Beijing with a successful China Open title defence against Rafael Nadal.

New Delhi: World number one Novak Djokovic maintained his unbeaten run in Beijing with a successful China Open title defence against his familiar foe Rafael Nadal on Sunday.

The Serbian won the match in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 in one and half hour despite the huge billing the final match had received into the clash.

Djokovic started his title defence in superb form, breaking third-seeded Nadal in the very first game of the match. He broke the Spaniard again in the seventh game for a 5-2 lead. Then, closed out the set on love in the eight game in 42 minutes.

The similar script followed in the second set, with Djokovic breaking Nadal twice in the third and fifth game. Serving for the match on 5-2, faced one last resistance from Nadal, winning the title in third Match Point. The set lasted 50 minutes.

In a repeat of the 2013 final, which Djokovic won in straight sets, made short work of Nadal with a dominating game.

It is his sixth title in the Chinese capital, following victories in 2009-10 and 2012-14, with a 29-match winning streak.

The World number one, who has beaten the 14-time Grand Slam champion in the last three meetings including an exhibition match in Bangkok earlier this month, improved his head-to-head record against Nadal to 22-23, in the 45th meeting. The pair has played each other more than any other in the Open Era.

In an incredible season, he has won eight titles after narrowly missing out on the calendar slam as he was beaten in the French Open final by Stan Wawrinka.

Besides the three Major titles, he also won in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome; and has already secured the year-end top spot in the ATP Rankings for the fourth time in five years.

The 28-year-old Serbian, who beat another Spaniard David Ferrer 6-2, 6-3 in the semis, already secured the year-end top spot in the ATP Rankings for the fourth time in five years.

Eighth ranked Nadal was playing in his sixth singles final of 2015, after beating his US Open nemesis Fabio Fognini of Italy 7-5 6-3. The King of Clay was looking for his fourth title, following wins in Buenos Aires, Stuttgart and Hamburg.

Earlier, Garbine Muguruza battled past Timea Bacsinszky to win her second WTA title and climbed a career high ranking of No. 4.

The Spaniard, who retired from the Wuhan Open final against Venus Williams last week due to exhaustion, won the match 7-5, 6-4 in an hour and 35 minutes.

The Wimbledon finalists recovered from a slow start to win the first set in 54 minutes. She was down 2-5, but produced back-to-back breaks, before winning the set.

In the second set, the 22-year-old got the all-important break in the ninth game to serve for the match.

She won her first title in January 2014 at Hobart, then steadily gained her status as one of the rising stars in the WTA circuit.

Muguruza, seeded fifth, defeated fourth seed Agnieska Radwanska 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semis.

Swiss Bacsinszky was playing in her first ever WTA premier final after defeating eighth-seeded Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 yesterday.