Both had played stunning tennis to reach the final - Rafa falling behind Federer before pulling out some of the most thrilling shots to silence the Fed Express, and Djokovic taking almost five hours to quell Andy Murray in a semi final, the same opponent that he annihilated in last year's final. To predict the winner of this year's final was not difficult. To justify why one player should be selected over the other was the tough task. My selection before the tournament was Novak to defeat Roger, and I saw no reason to change my mind just because the opponent was different. That does not mean I was supremely confident in that selection. It was just an educated guess.
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| Fresh as a daisy - unaware of what was to come |
Two netted errors from Novak and three long or wide from Rafa were countered by a Serbian off forehand winner, in sum total giving Djokovic the 1-0 lead.
Easy response for Nadal with the one notable shot being an ace. 1-1. In the third game, a forehand down the line winner by Nadal for 0-30 followed by one which just about exited the stadium. An ace then a forehand stunner of Novak's own making took the number one seed out of imminent danger, a second of those forehands forcing a Spanish mistake and the scoreboard to change to 2-1.
Nadal comfortable on serve again levelled at 2-2, including a scary moment for Novak where he turned awkwardly on his ankle. Three aces were not enough to counter two brilliant forehands from Nadal and unforced errors from Novak, and Rafa had the first break for a 3-2 lead. Novak threw his racquet and enrolled in anger management classes.
A classy dink backhand cross court by Djokovic and a touch of luck with the net received a brilliant down the line winner by Rafa in reply to save a break point. Then a forehand winner coupled with a Rafa error long created another. This one saved by a Djokovic mistake. After deuce was reached for the four hundredth time Nadal lost patience and called in the Inquisition which promptly dragged Novak away while Nadal won the last two points and held serve for 4-2.
The seventh game saw glimpses of the real Djokovic for the first time in the match with attractive passing shots and looks of assurance. He may have considered using this version of himself at other stages of the match should his fancy be the title. 4-3 Nadal.
Another deuce game on the Nadal serve and these two appeared determined to have us here very late. Two more break points saved and the trend continued. Not the third, as the Djokovic tactic of pushing Nadal to the sidelines worked a treat in that game. 4-4.
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| "A final damnit and the balls won't bounce!" |
Fine serving by Nadal brought the scores together at 5-5, despite Novak rallying from 40-0 down to pressure the number two seed.
Nadal played the perfect return of service game pushing Djokovic to every part of the court, and playing the perfect final point or forcing the final error. Finally Novak was pushed too close to the edge and fell over dropping serve to trail 5-6. Rafa would serve for set one.
Two set points saved bravely by Djokovic before Nadal closed the door and locked it behind him 7-5. At least that was quick - breezed by in a matter of eighty minutes. Nadal off to a great start in his quest to equal Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg as winners of eleven grand slam singles titles.
Novak kindly received permission to serve first once again in the second set. Well he held OK so he learnt from yesterday's Sharapova disaster. Nadal's first performance at the line could only be described as erratic - extremely ordinary until 0-40, excellent all court tennis to save the break points and earn a game point then spasmodic until he wandered over the line to take the roses. 1-1.
Djokovic put together an acceptable game that featured his standard backhand forcing shots and plenty of useful defence, even a touch of forward movement to shorten points, but the spark for this final had yet to be lit. Or maybe we had just been spoilt by what these two had provided us previously. 2-1 Novak
Some of the kind of tennis we expect came in the fourth game with excellence from both players, including down the line winners, but especially the returning of Djokovic who managed to retrieve some monsters from Rafa. The break came with a shot landing on the baseline and Novak led 3-1.
At 30-30, Djokovichander who was forced into error. Novak consolidated his break to extend the numerical advantage to 4-1.
Nadal steadied to hold onto his next serve and games were 4-2 Djokovic. Novak looked confident as he served his way to 5-2, making sure to keep the ball in play and minimising his error count. He understood that Rafa had to take the risks at this point.
Now to stay in the set Nadal to serve. Djokovic would be hard to work with in the Post Office. His policy is return everything to sender, and that is practically what he did in the eighth game. However, Nadal managed to survive a set point and win the game to trail 3-5.
At 30-15 Djokovic produced the most exquisite stop volley off a wonderful Nadal retrieval to give him two set points. The first one he wasted, pushing it wide, the second was lost to a Rafa screamer down the line. A fabulous rally went the way of Nadal and the break point was converted through a double fault. 5-4 Djokovic. He had wasted several break points and a set point on the Nadal serve and now had wasted set points on his own serve. These could be telling in the final result.
Yet another deuce game on a Nadal serve - and Novak played a smashing backhand down the line for set point. Double fault and that seemed to be the only way for Djokovic to convert an important break point, in this case winning him the second set 6-4 to tie the match.
With winning the set on Nadal's serve, Djokovic had gained the advantage of serving first for the third set straight. And he did not let the chance go by, winning it to love, capping it off with a signature down the line winner. Rafa clearly loved serving because he had been spending a lot of the time in this match practising in the hope that he may finally do it correctly. He went to deuce several more times in the third set's second game, and on coming back to Melbourne Park from the town of Deuce he had collected himself another game similar in configuration to the one Novak had purloined sometime earlier.
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| "Hey this line judge gig ain't half bad" |
Following up with efficient serving, highlighted by placement rather than power, the world number one cruised through his game to eke out the advantage to 4-1, a repeat of the second set progression. Nadal, sporting the latest national colours of Spain - white with fluorescent green - must have been thinking of reverting to the old red and yellow that his "behind the times" fans were waving in his support.
Rafa escaped a break point thanks to some kindness from his opponent - from deuce Djokovic played a couple of careless shots, a rarity in recent memory. 4-2 Novak. Whereas Novak was reading the Spanish serve as if it was written in Serb, Nadal just could not find a handle on the Djokovic delivery, and another love game passed by, the score to 5-2.
Whatever troubles Nadal had on serve and at 0-40 he had many, nothing could have prevented the shot to win the third set. Yet another ripping Djokovic forehand whistled past a frustrated Rafa as he watched it and the set sail away. Novak Djokovic led 5-7 6-4 6-2.
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| Appreciation for a fighter from the greatest |
Good signs for Nadal in another game in which he was at deuce. A solid rally won with a strong overhead followed with a confidence building ace levelled the set at 1-1. No effect on Djokovic who calmly fired down four biggies to lead 2-1 and send Rafa straight back to the line.
Some handy serving from Nadal where he put some extra something on the ball made the returning a little more difficult for Djokovic and errors occurred, sufficient to make the hold comfortable and the scoreline 2-2.
From 15-30 and one particular stunning passing shot by Rafa, Djokovic steadied with good serving to prevail and maintain the lead 3-2, still with no breaks. A classy backhand sewed up the sixth game for Nadal after a hairy 30-30 position was traversed without incident.
After winning the first point, Nadal took the pressure off Djokovic who merely served into play for Rafa to lash out in vain attempts at return winners. The lead now 4-3 to Novak and a critical time of the set and match.
Some of the best tennis for the match in the one game - first from Djokovic with a brilliant returning and passing exhibition to have three break points, then a seriously spectacular fightback with just as much brilliance from Nadal to win five points in a row and hold for 4-4.
Then just to add to the drama we had rain - an interruption to play and the roof would be closed for the remainder of the match.
The first rally back was long and searching and the search found Novak safe at 15-0 following confirmation of Rafa in the net. At 40-0 and in no real need for heroics, Djokovic hit a magical forehand passing shot which I don't think Rafa actually saw. 5-4
Nadal serving to stay in the match. Not appearing to feel the pressure, Nadal reached 40-15. He did hold on and the struggle continued 5-5. If Nadal won the set in a tiebreak, he would be serving first in the decider. Novak did not want the lottery of a tiebreak so desperately craved the next two games. He found himself stressed at 30-30 due to his unforced error but served his way clear to 6-5 and again Rafa had the job to do.
The task looked easy enough - done to love in fact and a tie break would decide the future of the match.
3-3 with one point against serve each. Forehand winner for a 5-3 lead to Novak but he missed wide the next one and back on serve at 5-4 with two to come from Nadal. Netted by Djokovic and 5-5.
5-6 and Djokovic to serve to stay in the set. Pushed wide and the set to Nadal 7-6. Seven points to five in the tie break.
Nadal to serve first in the fifth set. And it had ticked over four hours forty minutes.
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| Rod Laver makes the moment special for the 3 time champ |
Both the next two games went with serve so Djokovic would be next to try at 1-2. Worrying times at 15-30 for Djokovic but good first serving saw him allude the danger and hold for 2-2.
Five hours of match time now elapsed. 3-2 Nadal after another easy game for the second seed. Pressure really now on Djokovic as the player in the catch-up role.
30-40 after pressure of Nadal making him play that one extra ball forced Djokovic to go for too much and he missed wide. The break came as no surprise and Nadal looked the winner at 4-2 and serving. A crisp Djokovic backhand winner off a second serve and it was 15-15. However, the Nadal serve was switched on now and nothing could stop this momentum. Or could it? 30-40 after a netted Nadal attempt. And out of nowhere, the defending champion received a life line. Still behind 3-4 but at least back on serve and with the knowledge that the Spanish serve was not impregnable.
0-15 and alarm bells, but a brave game from Djokovic including coming into the net to cut off a Nadal shot. 4-4. An ill timed Djokovic drop shot attempt gave Nadal 30-0 and breathing space but errors on the next two points from the Spaniard made things tight. Deuce arrived, and so did a wide backhand from Nadal. Big serve saved break point. Another helped give him game point. The game was Nadal's and now Djokovic had to hold to keep the match going.
Two fine shots, one to start and one to finish the game, and enough other stuff assisted Djokovic to level at 5-5.
The break came and it was to Djokovic, on the second opportunity he received. Now he had the chance to serve for the title at 6-5.
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| Novak's cup runneth over with joy |
In five hours fifty three minutes of amazing, gritty, at times sensational tennis, Novak Djokovic defended his Australian Open Men's Singles Title in the process winning number four of the last five Grand Slam singles titles available. Rafael Nadal can consider himself unfortunate but through the disappointment he did not at any stage drop his bundle - the match could have gone either way and in the end a few points decided the result. 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5 Novak Djokovic
A great climax to a great fortnight.
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