Rafa tastes victory again

Nadal took advantage of a tentative and nervous start from his more inexperienced opponent by taking the first four games with the loss of just a solitary point, before the match eventually settled into a much more even contest.

The Spaniard stuck to the baseline throughout the entire match and produced the type of power game that reaped such benefits for him in the middle part of last season.

Djokovic had no answer to all the early pressure and didn't do himself any favours by with a first serve percentage of just 32 % in the opening set which his lost 6-2.

However, for most of the second set he was arguably the better player and very nearly broke in the fourth game of the set.

Then he had three break points, but lost 29 shot rally on the third, before Nadal eventually dug himself out of a hole and took the game.

Everything then went to serve, until the 11th game when Nadal broke Djokovic after a double fault from the young Serb had gifted him two break points.

Nadal then held serve to 30 to take the match on his third match point, before dropping to the floor with joy.

Djokovic meanwhile, was giving a rousing reception by the 19,000 crowd for his efforts, and he should go into next week's Miami Masters in confident mood.

Before coming here I was never thinking about this victory so this in an unbelievable tournament for me," Nadal said.

Nadal didn't drop a set during the tournament and became the first Spaniard since Alex Corretja in 2000 to win the title.

It was Nadal's seventh ATP Masters Series crown and his third on hard courts.