Celebrates in style

Djokovic, Azarenka reign in Beijing Beijing- Agencies Top-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6, 6-2 yesterday to win his third China Open tennis title in Beijing then celebrated by dancing with the ball boys and girls on court. World No. 2 Djokovic dug deep in the first set after an early trade of breaks to win a close tie-breaker and then broke the third-seeded Tsonga twice in the second set. After receiving his trophy, Djokovic delighted the crowd by joining the ball girls and boys in doing the “horse dance” made popular by Billboard chart-topping South Korean rapper Psy in his “Gangnam Style” hit. Sunday’s victory gave Djokovic, who also won the China Open in 2009 and 2010, his fourth title of the year. “I think the first set was really even and maybe a couple of points decided the winner there,” Djokovic told reporters. “We both had our chances aside from those breaks that we converted... I managed to hold my nerve in the end. “I made that early break in the second (and) I felt much more comfortable on the court.” The Australian Open champion will remain in the hunt to take back the world number one ranking from Roger Federer at the end of the year. “That’s the target,” Djokovic said. “This will definitely help me in that race but it’s still quite open. There are still tournaments to come, big ones.” Tsonga said he needed to raise his game to beat top players such as Djokovic after his sixth straight loss to the Serbian. “I think it was a good match,” Tsonga said. “I missed maybe something in the middle of the first set. I was a break up and I was playing well but then he played solid. It was really difficult to control him. “I just tried to play my game, to be aggressive, but against a player like this, for the moment, my level is not high enough and it’s not enough to beat him.” Earlier, Mike Bryan overtook Australian Todd Woodbridge’s mark of 83 career doubles titles when he, along with brother Bob, beat Carlos Berlocq and Denis Istomin 6-3 6-2 for their third China Open title in four years. It was the seventh title of the year for the American pair. In the women’s final, world No.1 Victoria Azarenka thrashed second seed Maria Sharapova of Russia in straight sets yesterday to win the $4.8 million China Open. The Belarusian dispatched Sharapova, ranked number two in the world, 6-3, 6-1, in the final of the Beijing tournament — the last Premier Mandatory event of the women’s calendar. Azarenka, 23, sped to a 4-0 lead in the first set against the French Open champion, breaking her opponent’s serve twice and holding her own on both occasions. Sharapova, 25, won her first game in the fifth, before Australian Open champion Azarenka continued her 100 percent service game in the sixth. The Russian responded by upping her serving and return shots, winning two games in a row, but it was too little too late as Azarenka broke Sharapova in the final game to win the set 6-3 in 43 minutes. Azarenka continued her momentum into the second set, again winning the first four games with ease. The tennis star from Belarus then came from behind to hold her serve in a lengthy fifth game to make it 5-0 before Sharapova scraped a game, following an 18-shot rally. With Azarenka serving for the match Sharapova had two break points at advantage but the Russian was unable to convert. Azarenka then squandered a match point before finally taking the game and set to record a big win. It was Azarenka’s first China Open title in four attempts and her fifth tournament triumph of the season. “I’m really happy to have a good result because I’ve been coming here the last four years,” Azarenka said, praising the “incredible atmosphere” inside the capital’s National Tennis Stadium. Sharapova was full of praise for her opponent. “Victoria played an amazing match today,” she said. “There’s a reason she is number one in the world right now.” Both finalists had made it to the last two without dropping a set and Azarenka is now 7-4 to the good against Sharapova in head-to-heads. It was the sixth time the two had met in the final of a tournament and the fourth time this year. Azarenka has now won five and lost only one of their title deciders. The China Open is one of four compulsory events, ranking behind only the Grand Slams and end-of-season WTA Championships in prestige. Sharapova, a four-time Grand Slam winner, is yet to win a Premier Mandatory tournament. Nishikori makes history In Tokyo, Kei Nishikori made history by becoming the first Japanese to win the Japan Open tennis tournament yesterday when he defeated young Canadian star Milos Raonic in the final. The 22-year-old, who eliminated world number six Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals, pulverised Raonic’s serve-and-volley game to score a 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-0 victory in his fourth career final on the tour. “I can’t believe it,” said a jubilant Nishikori. “I’ve never played well in this tournament before, so I had thought I would never win this tournament. I’m really happy to win.” He was the first player from the host nation to win the Japan Open since it was sanctioned by the ATP in 1973. “I knew he has a very good serve, so I tried to move a step forward. My return was working really well this week,” Nishikori said. “I was able to cope with him using my returns...that was the key to the victory. “I want to take a rest and enjoy this victory, but I must prepare for my next tournament in Shanghai,” added Nishikori, ranked 17th against Raonic’s 15th. Raonic, who had lost only one service game in his previous four matches, lost another in the second game of the first set before breaking back in the fifth game. Nishikori, missing two set points in the 12th game, stormed back from 0-3 down in the tie breaker. He scored his second mini-break to take a commanding 6-4 lead before taking the set when Raonic’s backhand shot went wide. The Canadian managed to pull off the only break to tie the contest at one set all. But in the final set, Nishikori broke him in the second game and dominated the rest of the battle for a surprisingly lopsided scoreline. It was only Nishikori’s second title, following his maiden victory at Delray Beach in February 2008 when he become the second Japanese man to win a tour title. Nishikori, due to be ranked 15th in the world on Monday, received a winner’s cheque of $308,130. Raonic, 21, took the runner-up prize of $138,920.