Djokovic "wasn't there" against Nadal

Novak Djokovic admitted the emotion of losing his grandfather had played a part in his defeat to Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo.

Nadal claimed his eight straight title in the Principality with a 6-3 6-1 victory over the world number one to begin his clay-court season and a tilt at French Open title number seven in perfect fashion. It was an uncharacteristic performance by the Serb but understandable given the circumstances, as his grandfather passed away mid-way through the tournament. Djokovic learnt the news on Thursday and decided to play on despite the emotional turmoil he was feeling, reaching the final with a three-set victory over Tomas Berdych. But he was no match for the undisputed king of clay, succumbing to a tame defeat on Sunday, and the five-time Grand Slam winner admitted that he has found it difficult to cope with an unfamiliar situation. "I had no emotional energy left in me," he told reporters after the match. "It was a bad day. I just wasn't there. I've never been caught up in this kind of emotional situation before. "It's been a very difficult week for me to go through mentally. I won three matches since the news. I think I did pretty well." Nadal admitted his sympathy for Djokovic but confessed that he had played in several matches in the past when he did not feel anywhere near 100 per cent. "Yes, Djokovic wasn't the real best Djokovic," said the Spaniard. "In other finals that I played against him, I wasn't my real best, too. My real best is when I play well and when I play bad." The players now move to Spain for the Barcelona Open but Djokovic will not participate, with Nadal favourite to add another clay-court title to his tally and Andy Murray the man most likely to challenge him.