Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2016: Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal Score and Reaction

Novak Djokovic easily beat Rafael Nadal in the final of the 2016 Qatar ExxonMobil Open, grabbing silverware in his first tournament of the year. Djokovic led from start to finish, and the final score of 6-1, 6-2 reflects just how one-sided this match was.

The Serb dominated Nadal in every facet of the game and needed little over an hour to win the final, and with the Australian Open right around the corner, Djokovic once again looks like the man to beat.

Nadal came out firing early and immediately put pressure on Djokovic, who had to defend a break point in his first serve game. But the Spaniard's charge was short-lived, as some sloppy play on his forehand saw the Djoker grab a quick lead and the eventual break in the second game.

Tennis writer Courtney Nguyen stated the obvious:

Djokovic has struggled to find his best form all week in Doha, but he very much looked himself early in the final. Nadal certainly didn't play badly and found plenty of room to fire his patented backhand down the line, but the Serb handled it remarkably well.

He also held the advantage in the rallies, where Nadal struggled to put distance on his shots and push Djokovic out of the court.

Nadal finally got on the board in the fourth game of the opening set, but any hopes of a comeback were crushed almost immediately as Djokovic continued to play exquisite tennis. His serve was clicking, and another break in the sixth game put him up 5-1 and within reach of grabbing the first set.

Live Tennis was impressed:

"

A superb backhand winner from #Djokovic & he will serve at 5-1. Just stunning tennis from the world no. 1. pic.twitter.com/8tSXgkSJID

— Live Tennis (@livetennis) January 9, 2016"

The World No. 1 finished things off emphatically on his serve, taking the first set 6-1 in dominant fashion. Tennis writer Ricky Dimon couldn't help himself:

TennisTV shared some of the key stats from the first set, which highlighted Djokovic's dominance in the rallies:

It wasn't just his ability to hit winners that stood out―Djokovic's return game was impeccable in the first set, just as it was for most of 2015.

He showed it once again in the first game of the second set, grabbing a handful of break points with some more immaculate tennis. Nadal managed to contain the damage and pull level at deuce, but Djokovic eventually pulled ahead, despite a challenge from Nadal.

The Spaniard looked almost desperate as Djokovic completely dominated the next game as well, and Nguyen couldn't help but point out this statistic:

Nadal got on the board in the next game but looked powerless to do anything about Djokovic's serve, which the Serb used to devastating effect. Where he went for power in the first set, he started slicing his serve further outside in the second, handing him a huge advantage in the rallies.

Djokovic found another break in the next game, all but ending the final in the process. Nadal looked dejected and almost unwilling to play on, an unfortunate finish to what has been a productive week for the Spaniard.

Meanwhile, BBC 5 Live's David Law is already worried about what 2016 may hold for Djokovic:

Nadal managed to hold serve in the next game, but Djokovic finished things on his own serve in the next game, finding his 30th winner to grab his first trophy of the year.

As shared by tennis commentator Nick Lester, the Qatar ExxonMobil Open trophy has a special place in Djokovic's heart:

Judging by his performance in his first final of the year, Djokovic looks every bit as dominant as he did last year, and that's bad news for the rest of the ATP World Tour field. One has to assume the Serb will put everything into winning Roland Garros for the first time this year, but he remains the toughest man to beat on hard court right now.

Djokovic has already won the Australian Open five times, and he'll be a heavy favourite again entering this year's edition.  

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