Novak Djokovic triumphs in rain-delayed Monte Carlo final

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic won the Monte Carlo Masters for the second time in three years by defeating sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday. Djokovic, who has lost only two matches in 2015, became the first player in tennis history to win the first three Masters tournament of the year after completing the Indian Wells-Miami sweep this spring.

In windy and humid conditions, both players struggled with their serve and made several unforced errors in a final that lacked rhythm and was suspended by rain. Berdych put Djokovic on the back foot in the early stages with his powerful groundstrokes and forced the Serb into a deciding set for the first time this week but was ultimately made to pay for his erratic display.

Berdych raced into a 2-0 lead, dropping just two points on the way. But Berdych could not keep hitting with such accuracy for long, allowing Djokovic to break back in the sixth game when he made three mistakes on his forehand. The Czech big-hitter dropped his serve again to trail 5-3 but Djokovic could not serve out the set. The Serb raised his level in the 12th game, claiming the set on his third opportunity.

Berdych failed to seize his chance in the fifth game of the second set when Djokovic double-faulted to find himself 0-40 down. The Serb kept his head cool and won five consecutive points to move up 3-2 before the match was suspended for 70 minutes. The rain delay had a positive impact on Berdych. 

He fended off a break point after a long rally punctuated by a smashed winner and was rewarded with a break in the seventh game as he pushed Djokovic into a flow of mistakes with a series of deep returns. But the momentum swung again toward Djokovic as Berdych made five unforced errors in the first two games of the decider and dropped his serve for the fourth time.

Djokovic broke again for a 4-0 lead, but the eight-time Grand Slam champion failed to hold his serve in the next game. He overcame another break point with a kicked second serve to move up 5-2 and raised his arms in triumph as he returned to his chair. The Serb sealed the win on his second match point when his opponent sent a return long.