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 Third-ranked Novak Djokovic was broken in the first game and never recovered, falling to No. 6 David Ferrer of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in the other Gold Group round-robin match. The tournament features the top eight men's singles players and doubles pairs.
Nadal looked uncharacteristically slow and subdued as eighth-ranked Gasquet fended off an early break point, then broke Nadal as he served at 3-4 in the first set. Nadal fell behind 0-40, won the next two points, then Gasquet sent a stinging forehand winner down the line. The Frenchman finished off the set with a pair of service winners.
Even though both of his knees were taped, Nadal claimed he was feeling "perfect," but said he was a little nervous at the start in the season-ending Masters Cup.
"Every match is very difficult because you play only against the best," he said. "So I start the match with, well, little bit doubts. But later I play a little bit more aggressive. I finish much better than I start."
In the second set, Gasquet shanked an overhead into the net on game point while serving at 1-2. Nadal rallied to break when Gasquet tried a drop shot that fell well wide. Nadal was suddenly fired up, pumping his fists while tracking down the Frenchman's array of groundstrokes, volleys and spins.
Gasquet's serve, so strong in the first set, let him down, too. He got only 53 percent of his first serves in during the second set, and Nadal picked on Gasquet's second serves, winning 10 of 13.
"It was important to serve well against Rafa," said Gasquet, who claimed his spot here by moving five spots after reaching the Paris semifinals last week. "My strategy was to go to the net every time ... because if you play at the baseline with him, with a lot of long shots, it's really hard."
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Gasquet, whose record fell to 0-4 against Nadal, broke back in the next game. But Nadal broke again to pull ahead 4-2 and held serve to finish off the set.
With unforced errors piling up, Gasquet served at 30-30 at 2-2 in the final set. He thought he had an ace, challenged the out call and lost, then double-faulted. He saved one break point, but back-to-back forehand errors handed Nadal the last break he needed.
After the Spaniard cracked a clean winner on match point, he leaned back and shouted, his fists clenched.
Ferrer never let up after getting the early break against the 20-year-old Djokovic, who won five ATP titles this year and reached his first Grand Slam final, losing in the U.S. Open to top-ranked Roger Federer.
"It wasn't my day," Djokovic said. "He proved that he's a great player and absolutely he deserved to win."
Ferrer never gave Djokovic an opening in the first set, broke the Serb for a 5-4 lead in the second and fended a break point while serving for the match. It ended when a Djokovic forehand hit the tape and ricocheted well wide.
"I play with confidence all the match," Ferrer said. "I played really, really good."
Federer, the defending champion, and the rest of the Red Group open play Monday at 15,000-seat Qi Zhong Tennis Stadium.
[Associated Press; By PAUL ALEXANDER]
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