and at the Dubai Tennis Championships last month.

Djokovic, who is replacing the former world number one Roger Federer of Switzerland at the number two spot, has looked very impressive as he has defeated the Swiss at all three of his ATP Tour competitions this year.

Sunday’s final marked only the second time this year that Djokovic had dropped the opening set in match play.

“At the end of the first set, I started to serve really bad, and the second set still in the beginning, even if I won the games because he had more mistakes than usual with the second serve return, I play less aggressive,” Nadal said.

“I was thinking too much about the serve more than the game in that moment, so I stop a little bit the legs. The serve was the difference.”

Nadal remains at atop the ATP Tour World Rankings with a 14-3 record.

The 23 year old Djokovic scored his lone grand slam championship titles at this year’s and the 2008 Australian Opens.

In the first match of the day at Indian Wells, the women’s final, the top ranked Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was more consistent in the end to stop the Frenchwoman and 15th seeded Marion Bartoli 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 and win her second WTA Tour title of the year.