Indian Wells (California), March 21 (DPA): Novak Djokovic remained unbeaten this season, with the new world number two Serb reaching 18-0 since January with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 upset of top seed Rafael Nadal to win the Indian Wells Masters on Sunday.
Dane Caroline Wozniacki claimed the 14th title of her career Sunday as the top seed proved her credentials with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 defeat of France�s Marion Bartoli in the women�s final.
Djokovic�s win followed by a day his knockout of number two Roger Federer, whom the Serb will replace in the rankings Monday. Nadal, bothered by illness at the start of the year and later a hamstring injury, won his last title nearly six months ago in Tokyo.
Djokovic and Nadal fly together to Colombia for a one-night exhibition Monday in Bogata before heading to Miami for that Masters 1000 event starting on Wednesday.
�I�m playing with a lot of confidence,� said Djokovic. �I�m feeling the ball well on the court. I�m very dedicated. I have a big will to win each match I�m playing on.
�But it will not stop here, definitely. I want to keep on going and keep on playing good tennis. Hopefully I can recover and get ready for Miami.�
Nadal said that after a month off with his injury �to play a final in my first event back is fantastic. I lost today, but I lost to one of the greatest.
�I think I was too worried about my serve to play my best level from the baseline, and that�s what happens,� Nadal said. �My serve didn�t work. He had the chance all the time to attack me with the second serve.�
Djokovic will take up his 27th overall week at number two after serving his first 26 in 2010. The Serb, who owns Australian Open and Dubai titles in 2011 along with Indian Wells, also won the event in 2008. He stands 22-4 at the venue and 21-13 in career finals. He levelled his Masters 1000 finals record at 6-6 with the win over Nadal.
Nadal took the opening set in 27 minutes but felt the force of Djokovic as the Serb roared back into contention, thanks in part to 11 unforced errors from the Spaniard. But it took Djokovic a dramatic six set points to square the contest after 90 minutes from a Nadal error.
The Serb dominated in the third, taking a 4-0 lead on the way to the win. On the women�s side, Wozniacki will remain number one while 2007 Wimbledon finalist Bartoli will make a return into the top 10 for the first time in three years.
�This means a lot,� said the winner. �It�s pretty much a two-week event, and you have days in between like in the Grand Slams. It�s a big tournament, and I�m very, very happy.�
