Dominant Djokovic trounces Nadal in Doha final

Novak Djokovic laid down an ominous marker for the 2016 season as he thrashed Rafael Nadal 6-1 6-2 to claim the Qatar Open title on Saturday.

Djokovic reigned supreme on the ATP Tour last year and was only denied a calendar Grand Slam by Stan Wawrinka's victory in the French Open final at Roland Garros.

The Serb's dominance is illustrated by the fact he has reached the final of each of the 16 tournaments he has played since last year's Qatar Open - in which he suffered a last-eight exit at the hands of Ivo Karlovic.

And while his achievements in 2015 will take some topping, the manner of Djokovic's latest success suggests he is in no mood to let his level drop this year.

After seeing a break point go begging in the first game, Nadal was taken apart as his rival cruised to a sixth successive title and moved level with Andre Agassi on 60 ATP Tour victories.

A first-serve percentage of 75 per cent enabled Djokovic to hold with ease after his early scare, while Nadal was broken with regularity as he failed to gain a foothold in the match.

Djokovic now leads Nadal 24-23 in head-to-head meetings and will head to the Australian Open later this month as a firm favourite to add to his five victories at Melbourne Park.