• ATP Tour

Nadal and Novak shine in Bogota exhibition

ESPN staff
March 22, 2011
Rafael Nadal showed neat footwork before and during his match with Novak Djokovic © Getty Images
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A little over 24 hours after his crushing defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells, Rafael Nadal gained a semblance of revenge in an exhibition match in Colombia.

The US spring hard-court season is in full swing, with the action switching from California to Miami for the Sony Ericsson Open. The world's No. 1 and 2 have received byes into the second round and will not be in action until later in the week, which allowed them to head to Bogota for an exhibition hit.

The intensity was not as high as in California on Sunday, when Nadal started supremely well only to be overwhelmed by a rampant Djokovic. A crowd of 14,000 packed into the Coliseo El Campin in Bogota and they were not let down.

Both players produced some sizzling tennis, with stunning rallies from the back and front of the court. Nadal served better than he did 24 hours previous and edged a tight first set in a tiebreak before going on to wrap up a 7-6(5) 6-3 win.

The crowd were wowed throughout, with Djokovic playing the role of court jester before and during the contest. Ahead of the match he produced a song and dance routine and cracked jokes throughout the match as Bogota was served up a treat, while Nadal treated a female member of the crowd to his Latino dancing skills.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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