Hello and welcome to live game-by-game coverage of the Monte-Carlo Masters final between world number one Novak Djokovic and Rafal Nadal; the king of clay.

Djokovic 3-6 1-6 - GAME, SET, MATCH & CHAMPIONSHIP! Djokovic really has given up. He gets a slices back into court, but leans on his racket as Nadal smashes down the middle for the winner. Djokovic tries to get over the high ball, but not enough as it goes long and it's two championship points...an ace out wide and it's the perfect finish for Nadal. That's an astonishing eight straight tournament wins here.

Djokovic 3-6 1-5 - BREAK! Maybe a false dawn though as the errors creep straight back in to give Rafa a 0-30 lead. A drilled crosscourt passing shot leaves Djokovic with no chance for three break points....and a pump of his massive bicep as Djokovic hits into the top of the net.

Djokovic 3-6 1-4 - BREAK! Is this all over? All of a sudden it's three break points for Djokovic, the first of the match for the world number one as Rafa hits into the net. And he does so again. Djokovic has one abck now, but he'll still need a second break and quickly as well.

Djokovic 3-6 0-4 - BREAK! Only the fourth point in this set that Djokovic has won as Rafa hits into the net as he goes for the winner. Glimpses of promise though for the Serbian as he follows it up with a dominant rally and the point. It was only a glimpse though - he now looks like he's all but given up as he's sent the wrong way. Superhuman from Nadal as he lobs Novak, then slots the follow up away with ease.

Djokovic 3-6 0-3 - Error, error, error, error, game. That sums up that. Rafa's won 17 of the past 22 points and this match is very nearly all over. This is the worst that Djokovic has played for a good couple of years.

Djokovic 3-6 0-2 - BREAK! A lovely drop volley from Nadal brings the scores to 15-15. Djokovic is the first to blink as he goes for the drop shot and Rafa gets there with ease. It's just getting inexplicable from Novac as a simple backhand is about 15 feet long. Two break points...he's not beaten yet as he swings one way then the other and out of the reach of the Spaniard. Once again that backhand miles long and the early break.

Djokovic 3-6 0-1 - Djokovic opens with a promising return winner to open the second set, but Rafa reels off four consecutive points with ease to take the game. Here's a stat for you, when Rafa's won the opening set on clay, he's only ever lost twice...in 191 matches.

Djokovic 3-6 - SET! More terrible errors from Djokovic; the second schoolboy as his smash from midcourt goes into the net. He reduces the arrears by forcing the Nadal error, but once again his backhand lets him down and it's two set points...one rescued superbly with a volley over his shoulder, but the errors continue to stack up and that's the net as his backhand drifts out.

Djokovic 3-5 - Nadal's put on the backfoot by a vicious return, but Djokovic hits the follow up wide. The Serbian with an almost unfeasible get, but Nadal once again bludgeons it onto the line for a winner. Another winner into the forehand side of Djokovic for 40-0. You can see why Rafa's avoiding that backhand side as Djokovic rips off a winner, but it won't matter.

Djokovic 3-4 - Djokovic clips the line with an angled inside-out forehand, then takes the game as he shows just what he can do; incredible angled groundstrokes and a gorgeous drop shot winner.

Djokovic 2-4 - Djokovic comes to the net and puts away the volley with ease. More poor play from Novak though as he hits a midcourt backhand into the net. He batters the next short ball from Nadal though for a winner, then somehow picks up a Nadal slice that bounces inches off the ground and puts it right in the corner. Djokovic's squash style forehand slice drifts out for deuce...once again Novak just needs to put the easy ball away and he knocks it wide. Break point, but he saves it...

Djokovic 2-4 - The crowd are almost a bit surprised by Novak's sloppiness. The fiercest returner in the game is struggling to get the ball back with any sort of interest. His latest forehand into the net gives Nadal a 40-0 lead once again, then the Spaniard sends his opponent the wrong way to take the game to love.

Djokovic 2-3 - Djokovic is really struggling to cut out the errors as he opens his serve with another. Rafa lets him off the hook though with one of his own. Djokovic almost drops a slice over Rafa's head, but it's out. A big crosscourt backhand puts Novak up and he takes the game after chasing down a drop shot and putting the ball deep enough to force Nadal into the net.

Djokovic 1-3 - Errors fly of Djokovic's racket as Nadal quickly races into a 40-0 lead. A rare double fault from Rafa though puts his opponent on the scoreboard. That's the break completed however as yet another weak return drifts low into the net.

Djokovic 1-2 - BREAK! Djokovic batters a forehand wide, Rafa is on top in the next rally, but frames a forehand and it drops just long. Djokovic missiles a backhand into the corner, then swats away the weak return. Nadal betters him though with a piercing backhand winner up the line. First break point for Rafa as Djokovic hits long...a terrible backhand miles wide and Nadal gets it.

Djokovic 1-1 - Breathtaking tennis from both players as Nadal eventually comes out on top with the smash. Novak on the next point though takes control, comes to the net and volleys the winner. Ominous signs for Rafa already...the Spaniard's forehand is whipped wide of the line, but he makes up for it with a big second serve. Important early hold as two heavy serves down the middle get him out of trouble.

Djokovic 1-0 - It's Djokovic who gets us underway on serve and it's a solid opening as he rattles off the opening two points, Nadal clipping the net twice. A complete hash of the return from Rafa then a brutal backhand up the line from way outside the court from Novak and it's the game to love.

Who is favourite today? It should be almightly close. Djokovic surely won't have the dominant season he had last year, and Nadal is certainly looking better than last year, but the Serbian will have a distinct psychological advantage here.

Nadal edges their head-to-head record 16 matches to 14, but Novak has astonishingly won their past seven meetings, two of them coming on this surface