Nadal wins first match of 2016 at Qatar Open

The Serb squandered another break point just two games later but eventually closed out the set on Verdasco s serve to go one up in just 31 minutes. He’s also on a 17-match winning streak against Spanish players dating back to a 2014 loss to Tommy Robredo.

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2016 will open at Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha on January 4, and will conclude on January 9.

In today’s last quarter-final matches, Djokovic will face eighth-seeded Leonardo Mayer of Argentina, while Nadal plays Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov.

Haase came up with some outstanding stuff of his own midway through the second set, when he stayed alive in a rally with a forehand squash shot then flicked a bizarrely awesome victor past Nadal with both players up at net.

“I’m very pleased with the way I have started this season, two matches, straight sets”, Djokovic said.

Nadal was broken four times against the world number 79 from Russian Federation, but refused to be beaten as he attempts to regain the title he won two years ago. The second set was close. “I didn’t obviously play my game”. Nadal, meanwhile loked much better that his first round win over fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, to whom he conceded the first set. I like to enjoy life in general, and I think I’m a hard worker. By the time he could settle down, the Spaniard had already lost two serves.

For the first time since 2004 Nadal failed to win a grand slam title last season, but the Spaniard finished 2015 well leading to hopes of improvement this time around.

“I have played so many times against [him] and we know each other’s game very well”, said Djokovic of the Czech. I just took my chances in the first set and…in the second.

“Very nice feeling; no wind, ideal temperature”, Nadal added, referring to the conditions. Berdych dismissed Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund 6-3, 6-2 in the final Doha match on Thursday. Mayer defeated Pable Andujar of Spain 6-2, 6-4.

Djokovic was nowhere near his best but still found a way to win in straight sets as he triumphed 6-3, 7-5 in Doha.

Nadal lost the first set in a tie-break and looked set to follow defending champion David Ferrer out of the tournament, who lost earlier in the day to Ukraine’s Ilya Marchenko, ranked number 94 in the world.