Djokovic thrashes Nishikori to open Finals campaign

London, November 15

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No one has come close to cracking the riddle of beating Novak Djokovic on an indoor court for more than three years and Kei Nishikori became the latest player on Sunday to discover just how difficult it is to solve that puzzle.

Djokovic began his bid for a record fourth successive title at the ATP World Tour Finals with a brutal yet awe-inspiring 6-1 6-1 hammering that left Nishikori red faced.

“No question, it felt like the best tennis I played this year,” the 28-year-old Serb said.

“I was at my best and it was an incredible performance.”

Before the start of the match, both players stood heads bowed during a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of Friday’s Paris attacks — with the French flag’s red-white-blue tricolour plastered on the electronic banner surrounding the O2 Arena.

It was not long before Djokovic was at his unrelenting best. The Serbian world No. 1 showed the kind of form that has made him an unbeatable force on indoor courts for more than three years with a 65-minute demolition job.

Djokovic subjected Nishikori to an array of heavy-duty groundstrokes, cruel lobs and sublime volleys as he chalked up his 38th successive win on an indoor court dating back to October 2012.

As Djokovic romped to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, there were few opportunities for Nishikori’s fan club to pick up the vast numbers of Japanese flags draped over the arena’s metal railings.

The red and white flags made a fluttering appearance when Nishikori finally held in the fourth game but the joy was fleeting as Djokovic easily sealed the first set before finishing off his opponent with a backhand volley.

“He played unbelievable tennis. I’m very ashamed with this score,” said Nishikori. “I couldn’t do anything... didn’t feel like I had any chances today.”

Since none of Djokovic’s rivals have worked out how to beat him indoors, one reporter asked the Serb for a solution. “If I had (a solution), I wouldn’t share it with you, that’s for sure,” he quipped. — Reuters

Czechs beat Russia 3-2 to defend Fed Cup title

Prague: The Czech Republic defended their Fed Cup title on Sunday with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Russia as Karolina Pliskova won her singles match and then returned to the court to help secure victory in the deciding doubles. The Czechs, who claimed their fourth Fed Cup triumph in five years, fell behind 1-2 after Russia's Maria Sharapova defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6 6-4 6-2 in the opening match of the day. Pliskova then tied the final after cruising to a 6-3 6-4 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova as the Czech's service game and punishing forehand were too much for the Russian to handle. The Czechs claimed the title in the doubles after Pliskova and Barbora Strycova bounced back after losing the first set 4-6 to Elena Vesnina and Pavlyuchenkova to take the next two 6-3 6-2 in front of a boisterous home crowd at the O2 arena. — Reuters