SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

On the long-running television reality/game show, "Survivor", they lean heavily on the slogan, "Outwit.  Outplay.  Outlast."  In yesterday's epic clash on Key Biscayne, Novak Djokovic survived Rafael Nadal.  Over at Tennis World, Peter Bodo described the match as a bar room brawl.

Outwit:
Djokovic used the drop shot to exceptional effect in this match.  With Rafa's speed, no player is going to win too many points on clean drop shot winners.  But Djokovic used the dropper to draw Nadal into the net and set up passing shots.  When Djokovic decided to break the pattern of punishing groundstrokes, Nadal was unable to make him pay.  As Bodo points out, this match was not necessarily about tactics.  In the "outwit" category, Djokovic's use of the drop shot was the only clear advantage either player gained.

Outplay:
Throwing out a very shaky start from the Serb which saw Nadal storm to a 5-1 lead in the first set, Nadal seemed nearly incapable of hitting the ball by Djokovic.  Nadal usually finds angles that stretch the geometry of the court and take other players so far out of position they leave the court wide open for Nadal to rip winners.  Every long rally in this match seemed to go Djokovic's way.  And it visibly took its toll on Rafa, as he showed more frustration on the court than we're used to seeing.

The Spaniard also did not help his cause with his serve.  He certainly didn't have enough confidence to use the serve as a weapon, which he did in winning the U.S. Open last September.  Yesterday, his serve wasn't even good enough to gain him the advantage from point to point.  He was forced to work in every service game.  Six double faults in a match is way out of character for the steady serving Nadal.  His serve let him down when he needed it most in the tiebreaker.

Outlast:
I can't remember ever seeing Rafael Nadal more exhausted than his opponent.  Djokovic, who has had breathing issues in the past when the weather heated up, held strong during the humid Miami afternoon.  The heat, humidity, and tension of the three hour and twenty-one minute wore on Nadal.  When the match was on the line during the third set tiebreaker, Nadal earned a mini-break and served at 2-1.  Djokovic won yet another long rally and Nadal appeared spent.  He toweled off his entire body and took some extra extra time, but double faulted on the very next point.  Djokovic now served with a 3-2 lead and built it into a 6-2 lead.  Nadal fought off a couple of match points, but couldn't hold out any longer.  Djokovic ripped a winner to take the match and end the brutality.

Thus, Novak Djokovic, undoubtedly the hottest player on tour and the best on the hard courts, outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted the champion and beast that is Rafael Nadal.  The tribe may not have spoken, but the Serb certainly did.