Djokovic battles past Berdych to claim 4th Dubai crown
updated 3:06 PM EST, Sat March 2, 2013
World No.1 Novak Djokovic powered his way to another ATP title against Tomas Berdych in Dubai on Saturday.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Novak Djokovic beats Tomas Berdych in the final of Dubai Open 7-5 6-3
- Serb, who won a fourth Australian Open title in January, now unbeaten in 18 matches
- Venus Williams loses in semifinal of Brazil Tennis Cup to Russian ranked 109 in the world
(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic cruised to a fourth Dubai Open title with a straight sets 7-5 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on Saturday.
The world No.1 came back from a break down in the first set against the imposing Czech -- who beat Roger Federer in the semifinals on Friday -- to eventually prevail in just over 90 minutes and extend his unbeaten run to 18 matches.
Read: Federer: 'Naive to think tennis is clean'
Djokovic, who won a fourth Australian Open title in January, was last defeated by Sam Querrey at the BNP Paribas Masters on October 31st.
How Novak Djokovic stays on top
"I felt when I came from break down that I started believing in myself a little bit more. I hung in there and stayed tough. This is the important thing," Djokovic said, ATPWorldTour.com reported.
Read: Grand slam diet: How to supercharge your body
"I have been enjoying my time, always coming here with a big team, with family, friends," he added.
"Everybody has been welcomed. This generosity of the people and from the organisation is always remembered. So this is definitely one of my favourite tournaments throughout the year. Winning it four times now is something that I definitely enjoy."
Read: Visualizing greatness: How Novak Djokovic rose to the top
Meanwhile in the Brazil Tennis Cup, top seed Venus Williams was beaten by world 109 Olga Puchkova in the semifinals.
The Russian came from a set down to eventually beat the 32-year-old 4-6 6-4 7-5 to book her place in the final against Romania's Monica Niculescu.
Part of complete coverage on
updated 9:22 AM EDT, Thu May 23, 2013
World No. 2 Maria Sharapova reflects on her chances of repeating last year's French Open success at Roland Garros.
updated 5:39 AM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
Nicknamed the "kissing disease," mononucleosis or glandular fever is a viral illness that is affecting tennis stars.
updated 7:29 AM EDT, Wed May 1, 2013
She towers above him, but she can't do without him. Meet the man who has made Maria Sharapova the world's wealthiest female athlete.
updated 11:11 AM EDT, Mon April 22, 2013
When Maria Sharapova underwent shoulder surgery five years ago, many thought her tennis career wouldn't last.
updated 8:58 AM EDT, Thu April 18, 2013
Nine-year-old Rebecca Suarez stunned onlookers when she was pulled out of the crowd to team up with Del Potro against Nadal.
updated 5:15 PM EDT, Thu April 18, 2013
Janko Tipsarevic is of the belief that his fellow professionals aren't doping -- or at least not on a widespread basis.
updated 10:29 AM EDT, Thu March 21, 2013
Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska are hoping to take their relationship to a new level by emulating tennis' most famous sisters.
updated 10:02 AM EDT, Thu March 21, 2013
America's 18-time grand slam champion Chris Evert talks to Open Court about her career and training the next generation of players.
updated 9:44 AM EDT, Thu March 21, 2013
CNN's Don Riddell speaks with 11-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal during one of his comeback tournaments in Mexico.
updated 10:11 AM EDT, Thu March 21, 2013
Germany's veteran star Tommy Haas opens up to Pat Cash about being away from family on tour, and his many injuries.
updated 7:50 AM EDT, Mon March 11, 2013
You'd think John Isner and Nicolas Mahut would be sick of the sight of each other, but their friendship has grown since that epic match.
updated 11:08 AM EST, Mon March 4, 2013
Almost a decade after Andy Roddick's sole U.S. Open victory, America is still waiting for its next male grand slam winner. What's gone wrong?
updated 11:21 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
Open Court's Pat Cash meets American No. 1 John Isner, who experts claim has the potential to win a grand slam.
updated 4:17 AM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
CNN's Pat Cash looks at who the next U.S. grand slam champion might be.
updated 10:45 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
CNN's Patrick Snell looks at how the famous couple is helping groom the next generation of tennis stars.
updated 11:12 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
He's "Mac the Mouth" both on and off the court -- one of the most controversial and iconic players in tennis history, and he's still talking up a storm.
updated 6:31 AM EST, Tue January 29, 2013
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have transformed their careers since discovering a diet secret that is battling for mainstream acceptance.
updated 10:00 AM EST, Mon January 28, 2013
Novak Djokovic knew he was going to be a tennis star from an early age when growing up in war-torn Belgrade.
updated 8:25 AM EST, Thu January 17, 2013
Nine women, a bold proposal and a $1 bill. That was what it took for women's tennis to begin a 40-year journey of self-empowerment.
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|