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Unstoppable Djokovic overpowers Nadal in Miami

Novak Djokovic has gone 24 matches without defeat at the start of 2011 © PA Photos

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Novak Djokovic extended his unbeaten start to the year by grinding out a victory against Rafael Nadal in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Djokovic has now won 24 consecutive matches at the start of 2011 after sealing a 4-6 6-3 7-6(4) triumph in three hours and 21 minutes.

Despite labouring through the early stages of the contest, Djokovic dominated the second set before proving his resilience during a gruelling, closely-fought decider.

He is now just one triumph away from Ivan Lendl's run of 25 wins at the start of the 1986 season, and is gunning for John McEnroe's record of 39 in the spin, set in 1984.

Nadal appeared to be cruising towards the first set when he stormed into a 5-1 lead, with Djokovic struggling to adjust to the blustery conditions, but the Serb regained his composure and narrowed the deficit to 5-4, before Nadal held serve in a tense tenth game.

Ultimately Djokovic, who looked in formidable form towards the end of the set, was made to pay for only converting one of five break points in the opening frame. By contrast, the Spaniard was ruthless, seizing two of three to become the first man to steal a set from Djokovic at the tournament.

But Nadal had no answer to his opponent in the second as Djokovic snatched complete control of the contest, dictating the tempo and pattern of rallies throughout. Nadal struggled to impose his will on the game, and his cause wasn't helped by a second serve that carried little menace, allowing Djokovic to claim a crucial break and force a deciding set.

Both players' survival instincts kicked in during a back-and-forth third frame that was memorable for its stellar defensive play, with service games protected fervently. By the time the tie-break rolled around, Nadal appeared drained - and so it proved, as he succumbed to a series of unforced errors to present Djokovic with the victory.

"I want to congratulate Novak, what he's doing at the start of the season is something very difficult to repeat," Nadal said. "For me I think it was a really positive tournament, I played better every day."

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