Djokovic and Nadal in South America

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 22nd November 2013

PRESIDENT SEBASTIAN PIÑERA RECEIVES NADAL, DJOKOVIC, NALBANDIAN, GARIN AND MASSU AT LA MONEDA PALACE

Djokovic and Nadal in South America

epa03958503 President of Chile, Sebastian PiÃ±era, talks to international tennis players, Serbian Novak Djokovic (L); Spanish Rafael Nadal (2L); Chilean Nicolas Massu (R) and Argentinean David Nalbandian (2L); during an encounter at La Moneda Palace, in Santiago, Chile, on 20 November 2013. The tennis players arrived to the country to participate in the farawell match of Chilean Nicolas Massu, current captain of Davis Cup Chilean team. EPA/MARIO RUIZ |

Novak Djokovic tossed aside any fears of over-work after a long ATP season and flew to Chile only hours after playing on Serbia’s Davis Cup finals side last weekend. The world No. 2 who is still smarting after he lost his top ranking to Rafael Nadal last month, inflicted another defeat on his Spanish rival in an exhibition in Santiago, Chile.

While not an official match, the win did mark Djokovic’s third straight success over Nadal, whom he beat in October’s Beijing final as well as the final of the World Tour Finals in London ten days ago.

Djokovic then traveled to Belgrade and earned two singles points as Serbia lost at home to the Czech Republic 3-2 in the Davis Cup final. In Chile, Djokovic earned a 7-6(3) 6-4 win as he and Nadal celebrated the retirement of former Chilean player and 2004 Olympic gold medallist Nicolas Massu.

The exho series continues in Buenos Aires on Sunday, that one to mark the retirement of Argentine David Nalbandian. Djokovic and Nadal are following the trail blazed last December by Roger Federer – who is skipping South American this time around to concentrate on his form to the 2014 seasons – who made a highly successful tour of the continent where he had never played an ATP-level match.

Nadal came to South America last week after another well-paid exho on Neckar Island, owned by Virgin billionaire Richard Branson, a huge tennis fan who sponsors a hit-and -giggle exho after the regular Tour season ends.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Argentina, Atp, Chile, David Nalbandian, Nicolas Massu, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Richard Branson, Roger Federer, Tennis, Tennis News