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BEIJING -- Novak Djokovic lost his top ranking to the resurgent Rafael Nadal, but quickly gained some consolation with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the Spaniard to claim the China Open on Sunday for the fourth time in five years. Nadal was assured of replacing Djokovic atop the rankings by reaching the final in Beijing. But the Serb proved too much for Nadal, breaking him in the second game of the first set and again in the first game of the second. He racked up four aces to the Nadals two and claimed 19 winners to the Spaniards nine. "I needed this win today. I really wanted to get my hands on the trophy and win against Nadal who has been the best player so far in 2013," said Djokovic, who had lost their last three meetings, including one at the U.S. Open. Djokovic credited his almost flawless serve for the win this time, as well as his ability to keep calm. He said playing doubles also helped, both in sharpening his game and building his confidence. "Thats crucial to get that necessary confidence when youre playing top guys, somebody like Nadal, who loves to get into the rally, loves to be in his comfort zone and I was always trying to move him around the court and Ive done pretty well," Djokovic said. Djokovic has yet to lose a match in Beijing. "Center Court is exceptional. I enjoy it, and I try to cherish every moment that I spend here. And the results are showing how much I really enjoy being here and enjoy playing in this tournament." Nadal, the reigning French Open and U.S. Open champion, has had a dominant year since returning in February from a seven-month layoff due to a left knee injury. He has won 10 titles and reached 12 finals overall, compiling an ATP Tour-best record of 65-3 on the season. He hadnt lost a match since falling in the opening round at Wimbledon to 135th-ranked Steve Darcis of Belgium in June, his only previous blip this year. Beijing also marked Nadals only loss on hard courts, a defeat he put down to Djokovics serve. "I was not able to have any chance when I was returning through the whole match," Nadal said. "When thats happening against a player like Novak, you are dead." Yet Nadal seemed to put the setback behind him in light of an extraordinary comeback season that sees him returning to the top ranking for the first time since July 2011. "I am back at the No. 1, something that I really thought that I would never have the chance to be back there," he said. "Im playing one of the best seasons of my career, probably one of the more emotional years, if not the most for so many facts." This years tournament was plagued by bad pollution in the Chinese capital, but Djokovic brushed aside its impact on the event. "Its not ideal in terms of pollution. Yes, weve been talking about the weather conditions, but it is what it is, its something that has been the same for the last few years that Ive been coming back here," he said. American Serena Williams meets Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the womens final later Sunday. . -- Canada played to expectation up until halftime. . - Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has signed with WME-IMG, saying the sports management powerhouse will help maximize the value of my brand. http://www.thegrizzliesofficial.com/Aut ... es-Jersey/. The day began ominously for the Rangers when star pitcher Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start with stiffness in his neck. Fill-in Scott Baker gave up three hits over six innings and Chris Gimenez hit a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the sixth off Phil Hughes. .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. . Nwaneri, who was born in Dallas and attended Naaman Forest High School in nearby Garland, Texas, tweeted, "Its official! Im coming home, Im coming home.Gstaad, Switzerland - Former champion Marcel Granollers cruised into the quarterfinals, while two seeds, including Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, came up second-round losers Wednesday at the Swiss Open tennis event. The second-seeded Spaniard Granollers grounded Swiss wild card Yann Marti 6-1, 6-4. The 2011 champ will next face fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar on Friday. Former top-10 Argentine Juan Monaco upended the third-seeded Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 and is now 6-2 lifetime against the Spaniard, while another mild upset came when Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci drove out fellow South American Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-4, 6-4 on the red clay at Roy Emerson Arena. Bellucci was the Gsttaad champion in 2009 and 2012 and is now 12-2 at this tournament.dddddddddddd Bellucci and Monaco will square off in the quarters. Another second-round result saw Andujar level Slovenian Blaz Rola 6-3, 6-3, while one final first-round affair saw Swiss wild card Henri Laaksonen get past French qualifier Gianni Mina 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) in a match that was suspended on Tuesday. On Thursday, top-seeded Russian veteran and reigning champion Mikhail Youzhny will open his week with a second-round match against Frenchman Kenny De Schepper. Youzhny titled here last year with a victory over Dutchman Robin Haase in the final. The 2014 Swiss Open champ will earn $105,000. 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