Day Fourteen on RLA was going to finish at night with defending champion Novak Djokovic attempting to win AO title #8, while the man who had defeated him four out of the last five meetings, Dominic Thiem, was after his first major.
Djokovic began proceedings with a comfortable service hold, then sent Thiem on a protracted journey. The Austrian led 40-15, but was dragged back to deuce. Two more game points disappeared, before Djokovic stepped in and outplayed Thiem at the net, creating a break point. Converted when Thiem’s forehand hit the net.
Thiem was taken to deuce in his next two service games, while Djokovic held with more comfort. Surprisingly, then, at 4-2, the second seed struck trouble. Two unforced forehand errors, and a Thiem forehand winner produced a pair of break points. A netted Serb backhand and games were back on serve.
A Djokovic forehand winner was equaled with one from Thiem. An ace for 30-15. A winning Serb forehand 30-30. A wild Thiem forehand and break point. Forehand Austrian volley winner and deuce. Thiem held for 4-4.
Serving at 4-5, Thiem faced a set point at 30-40. Saved after a Djokovic forehand landed long. A game point came and went, and a second set point arrived when Thiem hit the net. A double fault gave Djokovic a 6-4 start.
Set two began with two love games, and then Djokovic fell in a hole. A Serb forehand hit long, a Thiem backhand down the line, and a double fault, all conspired to produce a break point. Saved with a missed Thiem backhand. A second break chance also saved, a third break point converted when Djokovic double faulted again.
Thiem increased his lead to 4-2 saving a break point in the process.
Not so lucky when serving at 4-3 - his 40-30 lead crumbled with an errant forehand, and two backhand mistakes. 4-4.
Having fought hard to regain parity, Djokovic immediately chucked it away with an awful service game. He won the opening point, but from there, a Thiem forehand winner, a double fault, a time violation called, a failed drop shot attempt, another time violation called, and a forehand hit long. A break of serve and Thiem to serve for the set at 5-4.
The fifth seed converted the second of two set points when Djokovic missed with a backhand. 6-4 to Thiem.
A rattled Djokovic was rushing his shots, and this continued into set three, with the effects of the time violations probably still hanging around in his head. Thiem capitalised, racing to a 4-0 lead, the double break virtually wrapping up the set.
When serving for it, Thiem went to deuce four times, Djokovic saved three set points - double fault, forehand error, backhand return winner - Thiem saved a break point, but won the set 6-2 when converting the fourth set point - Djokovic hit the net with a forehand.
Djokovic looked down the barrel when facing a break point in the third game of set four, but his volleying skills put paid to Thiem’s hopes of a jump start to this chapter. The Austrian in fact was placed under some pressure when taken to deuce in the sixth game. He managed that concern with poise and at 3-3 , there was little indication of which way the final may ultimately swing, other than the more composed demeanour with which the second seed had been displaying since his lack lustre, hit without purpose, contribution mid match.
At 3-4, Djokovic upped the ante, and broke the Austrian, converting the second of two break points when Thiem committed a forehand mistake.
Serving at 5-3 for the set, a love game was just the tonic for the defending champion, and the sets were 2-2. Djokovic had lost just a half dozen points on serve for the set, and his decision to serve volley at key moments was beneficial.
Thiem’s errors, particularly from his forehand, helped Djokovic break in the third game of the deciding set, and also save two break points when attempting to consolidate for 3-1.
Djokovic was unrelenting in the pressure he placed on the Austrian serve, taking him to deuce in the fifth game, and creating a break chance in the seventh. Although Thiem held firm from the line in these games, he couldn’t make a mark on his opponent, and after holding for 4-5, Thiem handed the responsibility of serving for the title to Djokovic.
An opening consolidation point for Thiem, then the rest was all Serbian and the match was over when a Thiem shot was wide.
Novak Djokovic found a new way to win, but win he did - 8th Australian Open trophy, and seventeenth major overall. (5 of the last 7) 6-4 4-6 2-6 6-3 6-4
Dominic Thiem won the hearts and respect of the crowd throughout the fortnight, and especially for his efforts in the final, and no doubt he will contend for majors regularly in the future.
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