Nadal shows Djokivic what clay tennis is about.

I just had the pleasure of not only watching tennis of the highest quality, but the essence of competition on display. It was obvious from the beginning that Djokivic felt he had bigger strokes and more game than Nadal. He came out firing hitting huge cross court shots catching Rafa off guard with his aggressive attack. However, it was not long until Nadal showed Novak the other part of the clay court tennis equation.

Time after time Djokovic would set up a well constructed point. Continually, he put Nadal under the gun. But, regardless of how much pressure Novak applied, Rafa would come back with something amazing. In a way, it was a vindication for all of Nadals victims. It was apparent to all who watched that Djokovic is pure talent. And, he was on. However, as big of a game as Novak brought he came up short.

People who follow these two warriors know that Djokivic looks better on hard court. But out there on the clay, Nadal's intangible advantage was obvious to see. Some say he has heart. Some say he is a fighter. It is more than that. Rafael Nadal is relentless to an absolute. He is driven to compete on every point with absolute belief he will find a way to win it. And, on clay, Rafa most always does.

We were all intrigued to see Nadal and Djokovic meet on clay. Everyone had their opinions about the outcome. However, in the end, the summary was written all over Djokivic's face. He had fired every weapon in his arsenal and Nadal was unfazed. In the last game the defeated Djokivic's fierce ground stroke had degraded to slice defense and desperate drop shots. He was mentally dominated. Rafael Nadal had shown Novak Djokivic what clay court tennis is all about.