Novak Djokovic, shown during Monday's play in the men's singles final of the French Open, actually saw his ranking points advantage increase over match winner Rafael Nadal. UPI/David Silpa |
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LONDON, June 11 (UPI) -- Novak Djokovic lost the final of the French Open but strengthened his hold on the No. 1 position in the men's tennis rankings.
Djokovic fell to Rafael Nadal in Monday's completion of the French Open men's singles championship. Nadal won the first two sets of the match but Djokovic took the third and was up a break in the fourth before rain caused a suspension of play Sunday. Nadal evened the set with a break as play resumed Monday and then had another break to finish the match.
That snapped a three-match losing streak to Djokovic in major tournament finals for Nadal. It kept Djokovic from completing the personal Grand Slam.
Djokovic was beaten by Roger Federer in the 2011 French Open semifinals, a tournament Nadal won. So even though Nadal protected his ranking points, Djokovic netted more.
He has 12,280 points to 10,060 for Nadal. Djokovic has been No. 1 for the last 51 weeks. If he can hold on for nine weeks -- Wimbledon, where he is defending champion, is in that timeframe -- his 59-week string would be the ninth-longest.
With the nine highest-ranked players making at least the fourth round at Roland Garros, there is only one change in the Top 10 after the year's second major tournament. That saw John Isner, despite a first-round loss, go from 11th to No. 10.
Federer is third with 9,310 points and Andy Murray (6,980) remains fourth. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sits in the No. 5 spot with 5,230 points.
David Ferrer (5,180), a semifinalist like Federer, is sixth ahead of No. 7 Tomas Berdych (4,685) and eighth-ranked Janko Tipsarevic at 3,200. Juan Martin del Potro has the ninth spot with 2,655 points, 50 ahead of Isner.
The only men's unseeded men's player to reach the fourth round of the French Open was lucky-loser David Goffin, who saw his ranking improve 45 spots to No. 64 in the world.
