Posts
Novak Djokovic beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to win the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters title.
Nole improved to 52-23 in tour-level title matches and erned €628,100 and 1,000 ATP Rankings points.
"It was a battle," Djokovic said. "I was up a set and 3-2, then a (rain) interruption, we came back, I had a break point but he played some amazing shots. If I made the break there, maybe the match could be done in two sets.
"He had his chances as well. The third set started very well at 4-0. I just lost that service game for no reason. After that, every single game went the distance: deuce, advantage. It was a real fight. I was trying to mentally stay tough and fight my way through."
"I'm 27," said Djokovic. "Obviously I'm experiencing the time of my life on the tennis court, and also private life is very good. I became a father. I'm just trying to sometimes pinch myself and say, 'Where am I at this point in my life?' I'm very grateful for this, for everything that I have. That's the kind of philosophy."
Djokovic withstood a baseline barrage from his Czech opponent and hailed the match as one that was decided with sheer passion and desire. "I won this match with my heart and with battle," he added. "That's how I feel like I won it. I don't think I played at the level that I wish to play and that I have played throughout the whole week. But also credit to Tomas because he has played very aggressively, staying close to the line, pushing me back. So I had to defend a lot of times.
"I was just trying to stay with the right intensity and focus for each point because obviously you get tense when you're not feeling so comfortable on the court. When you start missing, you kind of back up. I had to adjust my position and movement on the court several times. In the end I'm sitting here with this trophy that is very special to me. This is what matters. Sometimes winning ugly is necessary. It's been a remarkable start of the season for me. I couldn't ask for a better start of clay court season."
Djokovic will take a "much needed" two-week break before seeking to add to his ATP World Tour Masters 1000 haul in both Madrid and Rome. The Belgrade is proud of what he's achieved thus far in 2015 and hopes his dominant run of form will continue.
"The fact that now I won (the first) three Masters 1000 in a row and nobody ever has done that, of course I'm aware of that. That has given me more motivation. I'm very proud of what I have achieved. It can only serve as an incentive, imperative for what's coming up."
Photo Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe
