Djokovic beats top-ranked Nadal to win Sony Ericsson Open

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KEY BISCAYNE, Florida, Apr 4 (AP): Novak Djokovic won his fourth consecutive tournament Sunday, beating top-ranked Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in a grueling final at the Sony Ericsson Open. Djokovic has won 26 consecutive matches since December, and his record of 24-0 in 2011 is the best to begin a year since Ivan Lendl started 25-0 in 1986. The No. 2-ranked Djokovic was pushed the distance by Nadal on a sunny, hot afternoon. They played for nearly 3{ hours, and it was Djokovic who looked fresher at the finish. "It was such a close match," he said. "To win against the No. 1 player of the world in a tiebreak in the third set, it's just incredible." He pulled a forehand winner crosscourt on the final point for his second Key Biscayne title. He also won in 2007. Djokovic beat Nadal in the final at Indian Wells two weeks ago and is 8-0 against top-10 opponents this year. He's the first man to win Indian Wells and Key Biscayne back to back since Roger Federer in 2006. "What he's doing is unbelievable," Nadal said. "First thing, he's very good; second thing, he's playing with big confidence. When you're winning, it's easier to keep winning." As the victories mount, his popularity rises. Djokovic seemed to have at least half the record capacity crowd of 14,625 in his corner. Fans frequently chanted "No-le! No-le!" - his nickname. In response came chants of "Ra-fa! Ra-fa!" The two finalists will keep the same rankings, even though Nadal hasn't won a tournament since Tokyo in October. "It's the best four months in my life, but it's only the start of the season," Djokovic said. "It's a bit early to talk about getting that top spot in the rankings. Rafa is definitely the best player in the world now. If I want to have the No. 1 ranking, I need to play consistently well throughout the whole year."