Menu item #3 - Main Course: Novak v Andy

Andy Murray had come to this match behind a perfect Aussie summer, undefeated so far, including a tournament win in Brisbane. Novak Djokovic came into the tournament as the world's preeminent player and had done nothing to alter that classification. His taking apart of David Ferrer was disturbing, considering the form of the Spanish world number 5. The gulf exposed between the two was frightening.

Andy last played Novak here 12 months ago in the final that fizzed. This promised a whole lot better. Novak began with an easy service game hold thanks almost wholly to unforced mistakes from Andy. Not until the third point of Murray's first serve did some real tennis hit, when Murray won out after a long and entertaining rally. His mistakes which brought him to 15-40 must have been catching because Novak basically presented him with the rest of the game.

The shot making problems with which Novak had been temporarily beset extended into his second service game, and finally a couple of big serves cleared some of the air and saved a break point for the favourite. 2-1 to Djokovic.

Andy played a shocker, including missing an easy volley at the net then culminating in a double fault to go behind a break. Djokovic lad 40-15 and in cruise mode, but relaxed and let Andy back in the game, finally showing the touch and range of his previous matches this tournament. Novak lost the game with a scintillating Murray winner down the line. Back on serve 2-3 Andy.

The change of ends brought with it a change in fortunes as Andy served up a load of rubbish losing his serve badly. In reply, Djokovic laced an average game with a touch of magic from his forehand plus an ace to reach 5-2.

Andy Murray kept his part of the bargain and this time served a stronger game to force the number one seed to the line and win the set on his own serve. Several rallies full of decent shot making highlighted Novak's attempt to take his first step towards the final, and he delivered enough class to succeed in his attempt. One thing stood out - the Andy Murray from last year's final was long gone and the match would need to be won by Novak tonight not gift wrapped by the Scot and presented to him.

In the opening to set two, Andy relinquished his initial advantage of serving first in a generous gesture which Novak graciously acknowledged by holding his serve to lead 2-0. Murray then showed his maturity by scrambling out of danger to record his first scoreboard evidence of having been present for the second set. 2-1 to Novak.

Andy Murray played his best tennis for the night so far to pressure Djokovic into error and hit some great winners in his own right, levelling it at 2-2. To the strains of "Scotland The Brave" Andy Murray overtook Djokovic on the scoreboard for the first time 3-2 but still on serve. Speaking of serve, the Murray edition had started to make a significant impact, keeping Novak in areas of the court where his damage could be kept to a minimum.

No real surprise to see Andy Murray break again considering the way he was keeping the ball in play and mixing the shots up much in the Djokovic style. The point to bring up break point ended after a rally of about a thousand hits, possibly the point of the match. 4-2 Murray.

Unfortunately two double faults plus an improvement in Novak's choice of shot added up to an ill timed service break for Murray and we had 3-4 to Djokovic. 15-40 after two immense rallies in length and quality, one to each player. Murray broke for the third successive time and now was serving for one set each.

Saving two break points, on his way to taking the set 6-3 gave Murray reason to believe that another final was possible, even against the might of Djokovic. However, never underestimate the world's best, and no doubt the Scot would be the last to do that.

Novak escaped being broken for the fourth straight time but only by the skin of his teeth. Not so lucky the next time and Murray took the match lead by heading the number one seed 2-1. Novak appeared jaded and Andy hardly making a mistake either tacticly or technically.

The high rolling came cluttering to an end with a miserable service performance in the fifth for Novak to begin breathing again at 2-2. Novak survived more break points and a couple of nifty serves borrowed from a friend assisted him to find a way to the scoreline he had cherished for a full 5-10 minutes 3-2.

Neither player seemed too much bothered about touching the others serve for the next stanza and Murray continued the fun at 3-4. Nearing the end of the set, both players held their nerve and their serve and now Andy had to draw on his mental strength as he faced 4-5. Saving three set points with wonderful and courageous tennis Andy put the ball back in Novak's court (sort of) as the Serbian star served at 5-5.

Murray proved too solid for everything that Djokovic threw at him in the eleventh game and now the Scot would be given his chance to take the two sets to one advantage. 6-5. Too much too handle and now the tiebreak would have to arbitrate since the players couldn't agree on who should win the set in normal time.

The players called in to deputise for Murray and Djokovic while they had a rest did pretty well and after eleven points the decision handed down was in favour of the Scottish player; he now led the race to the 2012 Aus Open final 3-6 6-3 7-6.

Don't count out the Djoker or do so at your peril. He could yet lose this one, but breaking Murray in the first two service games that the Scot put together either side of convincingly holding one of his own, meant that a five set match became a distinct possibility if not a likelihood. When 4-0 ticked over after Novak smashed his way through another game, Andy needed to regroup, gather his thoughts and any other cliched actions that may assist in his fourth set recovery.

Holding serve completed step one in the rehabilitation. Taking advantage of a game winning position on the Djokovic serve would have been step two but he didn't. 5-1 to Novak.

By holding serve, Andy would avoid having to serve second in the advantage deciding set. He was broken to love with brilliant passing shots from the world's number one. Two sets all and Novak to serve first in the final set 6-3 3-6 6-7 6-1

Three exciting games to start the last set and each player had reason to be happy with the position Murray serving at 1-2. In the face of many good efforts by the returner, and more break points saved by Murray, we reached 2-3, and Andy again the specimen under the microscope.

Once more he was mighty under the most devilish pressure by Djokovic, saving still more break points, but went to the well just that one extra time to find a water restrictions sign had been erected, and he couldn't save himself. Djokovic led 4-2 which quickly in turn became 5-2.

5-3 and Djokovic serving for a match with Nadal. Not to be and back on serve 4-5 Murray.

5-5 and three break points saved by Djokovic - totally gripping stuff. Novak back from the brink this time and leading 6-5. Coming up to four hours fifty minutes for the match. Lucky it is the weekend.

Novak Djokovic did it once again, breaking Andy Murray in the 12th game to win the semi final 6-3 3-6 6-7 6-1 7-5 Andy Murray superb in defeat. Rafa v Novak for the third Grand Slam singles final in a row.

Menu item #2 - Women's Doubles Final

Italy v Russia - it could be a Fed Cup final doubles rubber. Unseeded but extremely dangerous Russian pair, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva were battling Italian number 11 seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci for the Aus Open Women Doubles title of 2012.

Some doubles theory suggests that serving brings advantage not seen to the same extent in singles. The four finalists went out of their way to trash that school of thought. After a couple of service holds, we reached a point in the first set where serve was broken seven out of eleven times. This statistic by itself may suggest a less than acceptable standard of tennis - on the contrary, the rallies were very even, and once they were started, the receiving team took the final initiative on most occasions.

Roberta and Sara did an Italian job on the others to hold serve and go one set up 7-5.

Svetlana had won this title some years back with Australia's Alicia Molik, so had the experience of the thrill - her doubles probably steadied the Russian team after the disappointment of dropping the first set, and after players made a conscious effort to regard their respective service games with a little more respect, the second set resembled something closer to a textbook version of what a women's doubles final could be.

Having the advantage of serving first, the Russian team at 4-3 placed scoreboard pressure on the Italians, and each of the two chances provided them in the set to break serve was accepted gratefully. In contrast, the Italian team had many opportunities, all but one which went begging, and so the second set could well have been a match winning one but for the resolve of Sveta and Vera to scratch and claw their way through the break point troubles.

Instead we had a third set to determine the 2012 champions. Because they broke to win the second set, the Russians served first in the final set. The fourth game was the crucial point of the set as the Italians lost serve. For the rest of the set, essentially nothing separated the teams, as the doubles on display lifted in intensity and quality.

Once more the Italians created a handful of break chances and could convert none of them. The Russians had no more break points with which to convert, but they already had used the single opportunity to maximum effect. The final game of the match was one of the longest as Sveta attempted to serve it out. A few championship points were saved by Sara and Roberta before Vera and Sveta could finally rejoice, the two highly credentialed singles players but an unseeded doubles pairing the 2012 Women's Doubles winners 5-7 6-4 6-3.

Menu item #1 - Mixed Doubles Appetiser

The final Friday of the Aus Open would feature the first of the major finals that being for the Women's Doubles crown. However, the main interest logically lay with the second of the men's singles semi finals later in the evening. Preceding both of those matches was a semi final in the oft forgotten Grand Slam event - Mixed Doubles. Of the great things the Hopman Cup has done for tennis in Western Australia and the nation, one is to revive interest in mixed doubles at the highest level, and many of the top singles players now dabble in it now and then at the four majors. Today, Indian sixth seeded team Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi were pitted against the eighth seeded team of colourful American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Romanian Horia Tecau.

Horia served first, and while taken to deuce, managed to hang on for the team to lead 1-0. Effective counter punching saw the Romericans also break the Bhupathi effort and extend to 2-0, only for that advantage to be swallowed up by some smart returning from the Indian pair in the third game.

The doubles hotted up in the fourth game, most notably off the racquet of Tecau, and with Bethanie in support, the team knocked over Mirza's serve for 3-1. Bethanie and Horia had taken possession of the net position and volleyed with purpose and precision to leave little room for Sania and Mahesh to attack. Fortunately Mahesh had his service weapon firing properly with his second attempt and this kept the 6th seeds in the set - just.

At 4-2, Mattek-Sands also cleaned her act up on serve to push the 8th seeds to within a single game of the first set. After each player had delivered two service games the Indians trailed 3-5, with the only player yet to have serve broken, Tecau, serving for the set. After some concern at letting the game go to deuce Tecau served an ace to put any doubt away, and the first set 6-3.

The problems for Mirza and Bhupathi did not abate in set number two, where the serving of Tecau and Mattek-Sands provided even less opportunities for breaks. On the other hand, both Mirza early and Bhupathi in the final game failed to hold serve, and the tournament ended for that pairing. Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Horia Tecau won a spot in Sunday's final with the 6-3 6-3 victory. Their opponents would be the winners of the other semi final between Vinci/Bracciali and Vesnina/Paes.

Roger v Rafa - seems like a final really

Semi final number one for the guys and two names that may surprise us have snuck through the draw to reach Thursday night's main fare. Roger Federer has been accused quite rightly of clinically carving up five opponents using elements of slice, spin, power, hands both back and fore, all against a background of pure evil. He has picked on those less equipped and unable to participate in a fair fight.

Rafael Nadal, seeded one above Roger at number two, has by contrast, been called upon to produce more than just a clinical display of dominance. For four matches this proved sufficient, but against 7th seed Tomas Berdych, the Spanish number one lost the first set, and despite wanting to leave his best tennis locked away until the final - assuming he made it - the insensitive Czech player forced Rafa's hand and the best tennis of the tournament by any one male player visited us on Tuesday night in sets three and four. (arguably usurped later by Djokovic against Ferrer)

So who should be favored to win the right to play Novak in the final? (the Joker has the semi final bye against Andy Murray - ok that is unfair but someone asked me to write it)
On the last official meeting criterion, Roger wins, but using the more appropriate measure of head to head contests in Grand Slam tournaments, Rafa has the edge. All that is helpful for trivia nights but has no bearing on this semi final. At this stage of Federer's career, Grand Slam singles titles are difficult to win, and Djokovic has also done no favours for Nadal who was enjoying winning most big things on offer in 2010.

On par with Federer's other matches the start was precise and no bother on the Swiss serve. The Spanish version did contain some flaws however and the surgeon opposite operated to remove Rafa's serve and take it as a reward. 2-1 and the fireworks had come early. The ones of the non metaphoric kind were due a little later in the evening designed to disrupt the tennis annually on this day.

Rafa put a score on the board and some joy in the hearts of fans, but Roger rolled on winning his serve and almost laconically piling up winners from every part. 4-1 to the Swiss great.

Rafa did not want to play lacky to the star of the show for any longer so asserted himself in games six and seven, playing tennis that was too good for everyone else even Roger at this point. 4-3 Federer but Nadal closing in.
Serve was held for the next four games, with most shots feeling they belonged in a match of this importance. At 5-6, a tiebreak appeared almost certain, but Nadal had to do the right thing first. Out of loyalty he did. 6-6.

In a tiebreak decided by mistakes rather than clean winners, it was Federer the more reliable, taking two points from the Nadal serve early, and able to surrender one of those towards the middle before winning it on his third set point seven points to five, Rafa hitting way out of court. Federer the vital first set 7-6.

Roger jumped all over the Nadal serve to give himself a set and break lead, but Rafa steeled himself to immediately turn the tables on Federer, playing an immaculate range of passing shots and forcing error to level 1-1.

Serves settled themselves back to normal for awhile and games were 3-2 to Nadal. The tennis, though was as inspiring as a paint drying championship, with lots of mistakes and little initiative. This couldn't last - one had to switch it up soon.

The one was Rafa and HOW! Breaking Roger with jaw dropping brilliance, the highlight a running forehand crosscourt winner past Roger's nose, with a backhand down the line to win the game coming in a close second - it too centimetres from Roger's none too happy countenance.

4-2 and a serve to follow. A pretty simple hold thanks to an error riddled return effort from Federer left it at 5-2 Nadal, just in time for the Australia Day fireworks, hopefully as exciting as the Nadal forehand.

The fireworks break did no favours for Federer - a double fault followed by a stunning backhand crosscourt winner conspired to ruin the Swiss service game and parcel up the second set for express post to the Nadal camp. 6-2. One set apiece.

Set three saw Federer survive a big scare, trailing 0-40 after two successive double faults - his mind appeared to have returned after its short vacation away from Rod Laver Arena, but there will be stern words within the camp over the poor performance of the remote Federer-body movement controller.

2-2 and the tennis began to resemble the kind which we had expected to be witness to for a much greater percentage of the time. But hell we have been spoilt over the years by these two.

Federer officially announced his return to the match with his break of the Nadal serve in the traditionally important seventh game. Could this short term gain be translated into a set win or could Nadal do one of his conjuring tricks and escape from the shackles?

A definitive affirmative to the latter. What were these two playing at, apart from rollercoaster tennis? 4-4 and serious time. About time for Federer to serve volley just a little more often - he risked being burnt at the baseline. A good group of serves from Roger, plus a point won at the net (following my advice) sent it to 5-5

Saving a set point, Federer forced the second tie break for the evening. Rafa tried to lose the tiebreak from six points to one but served it out 7 to 5 and now led 6-7 6-2 7-6. The point to go up five points to one was special, won with two successive backhands the first to set up Federer where he wanted him, the second to leave him there as he passed him down the line.

The fourth set went with serve all the way to 4-4 and the tennis did improve. Both players, especially Federer had to save break points, and Roger was amazing in the way he struck winners to stay ahead. However the ninth game spelt doom for the third seed as Rafa unleashed the special stuff again, and Roger could not hold back the floodgates one more time. The break came and Rafa served for the match. Roger saved one match point, created a number of break back chances, but finally Rafa was the winner in four sets in just under three and three quarter hours 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-4.

Wimbledon final 2011 revisited

Maria Sharapova has no time for those who defeat her in important matches, and none is so significant as a Wimbledon Final, especially considering that Maria's first Grand Slam singles success came there in 2004. So being defeated last year by someone who, like Maria had been in 2004, was featuring in her first final at the highest level, angered the Russian to her core.

The 2012 Aus Open semi final offered an oportunity to exact some revenge on the world number two from the Czech Republic, and continue the quest for both a second Aus Open crown and the regaining of the world number one ranking.

Petra had the goal of a second Grand Slam title out of the last three, and yes she would assume the world number one ranking too should she take out the Aus Open.

Both girls opened with strong games on serve, but Petra stumbled first with a nervous performance in the third, losing it badly and gifting the advantage to Sharapova 2-1. An advantage lasting one game, in the process highlighting Sharapova's occasional propensity to lapse into the service yips. 2-2 from where Kvitova wasted a game point, compounding by delivering a double fault, and that was a triple treat of service breaks.

Maria stopped the run of games against serve but I didn't run urgently to a thesaurus searching for superlatives; I guess this match had risen to great heights, if the perspective was that of an ant. Kvitova's standard may have been close to that of a first round loser in qualifying, but she probably needed to improve to reach that level. Even an inconsistent Sharapova managed to break the Czech serve three times without any great effort.

The set to Sharapova 6-2, but in contrast to Azarenka v Clijsters, where highlight reels could be put together from just about any portion of the match, here I struggled to think of just a few memorable things about set one.

Hopefully there would be two sets left, and they would be top class.

Not quite top class but things improved markedly, with Petra's ground strokes making some of their first appearances for the match on the way to assisting their designer holding serve. In turn, while Maria's serve was being broken both girls hit some appetizing shots. During game three Petra's offering became closer to cordon bleu than Maria's as she consolidated to lead 3-0, but nothing indicated certainty of anything at this point of the match.

If we had any problems about the quality of tennis in this match, the two games to follow shut us up - the second and fourth seeds would have shot the lights out had there been the need for any, each service game held with sheer class from both sides. 1-4 with Maria to serve again.

Sharapova scraped through her game saving a break point, but the flood of Kvitova winners continued unabated into the seventh game which she held to love for 5-2.
Another love game, this time featuring four fantastic serves, rounded out the set 6-3 for a vastly improved Kvitova, and the second semi promised now to be a third set dog fight.

First blood in the final chapter of the semi was drawn by a still impressive Kvitova as she piled the pressure on a resilient but in the end helpless Sharapova who lost her serve in the third game to fall behind 1-2. However, Petra had to consolidate the break to feel any where near comfortable. No comfort in this environment and Petra played her first poor period of tennis for some time. Ill timed at that and Maria could take charge with her experience.

Another long game but Maria came home with the chocolates and once more had the lead 3-2 with games still on serve. Maria saved break points to lead 4-3 and things seemed to be falling her way. Petra was having to play catch up. The rallies were phenomenal, the winners frequent and fantastic.

Unfortunately Petra could not absorb the pressure of serving second when it mattered most and Sharapova won through 6-2 3-6 6-4. Her ability to withstand multiple break points and several other situations where behind on serve, was the difference.

A noisy final on Saturday against Azarenka is assured, with the winner the new world number one. Kvitova is still a force to be reckoned with in women's tennis and will be vying for the top position all 2012.

The Vika of Belarus - praying for first GS Final

Could Vika overcome that major box yet unticked of never having never made it past the semis of a Grand Slam singles tournament? Multi award winner Kim Clijsters had a definitive strategy to deny the Belarusian her important breakthrough in the first of the 2012 Aus Open women's semi finals.

The early running was Vika's, taking the first break of the match and leading 2-1. Kim then failed to convert a truckload of break points in the fourth game, and Azarenka strode happily to 3-1, a stretch backhand that only permitted the use of a single hand on the racquet clinching the deal.

The group of aircraft brought in partly for Australia Day, but more especially to drown out the noise emanating from Azarenka were successful in their assignment, but would have little hope of repeating that goal when Sharapova entered the scene later on.

Kim had been given only a short time in which to complete her next service game and happily for her and her fans she ended it with sufficient points to constitute another tick in the games column adjacent to her name. 3-2 to Vika became 5-3 to the same lady, and what appeared to be an easy hold for Kim evolved into a long running Belgian soap opera with only the cliffhanger missing.

Clijsters won the game and charged Azarenka with the difficulty of serving for a one set lead. Both girls must have robotic extendable arms because on countless occasions they were able to extend the course of rallies by reaching for backhands and forehands that physically are not capable of such reach by the human body in its natural form. Not only did the players reach the quality shots from the other side of the net, but they produced amazing counter responses which often equated to winners.

Vika remained strong and did win the set 6-4 to be statistically halfway to the final, but with far more than half the work yet to be done.

Kim battled manfully (because I could not think of the gender correct alternative adverb)in the first game of the second set and held on. As so often appears to happen, when opportunities are not taken, the non-takee is burnt the very next game on their serve. This is precisely what beset Vika and she trailed for the first time in the match by a break. Kim pushed the lead to 3-0 with incredible feats of retrieval learned from her days spent with Lleyton - she did gain something out of that relationship after all.

The next break of the Azarenka serve was due more to the inconsistency of the server and Kim now had the set in her pocket 4-0 then quickly 30-0. Mentally Vika now was preparing for the deciding set. She needed desperately to eradicate the errors that had frequented her game, because Clijsters was not making any of which to speak.

0-5 and deuce - Vika had to hold and avoid serving second in the last. She did hold, then once again went through the motions knowing the set was gone, and that the match was tied, with Vika at the line to take first advantage in an advantage final set. Clijsters the second set 6-1.

A break point saved, relief engulfed the third seed who led 1-0 after many searching rallies and clutch shots filled a fascinating entry into the third set. Lightning struck from nowhere and the weather forecasters have some explaining to do to Kim. Azarenka destroyed the Clijsters serve to love, and now had a break to add to her serving first. However nothing stays the same for long, and Kim had three break points of her own to play with only moments later. She picked the third of these as the one with which to force the return break, although the double fault from Vika saved Kim from having to do anything.

1-2 and back on serve, not that serve had anything advantageous associated with it at the moment. Evidence further pointed to that when Kim struggled at 15-40, recovered with fine tennis before finally tripping before the line with a double fault to trail 1-3.

Vika elected to ignore the prevailing protocol and hold onto her next serve which annoyed Kim immensely now that she fell 1-4 behind and felt the compulsion to win a succession of games. One in a row achieved, Clijsters set after the Kvitova delivery. A long service game finally went to Clijsters and she now had it back on serve 3-4.

Vika's disappointment turned to joy when Kim found herself at 0-40. Even some brilliance from the defending champ could not prevent the break and Vika would be serving for a final berth at 5-3. Not even an outstanding performance today from Kim Clijsters was destined to prevent Victoria Azarenka from making her debut Grand Slam singles final. A double fault at 40-0 only added a statistic on the way to a comfortable hold for the Belarusian who won 6-4 1-6 6-3. The match lived up to its billing of a Grand Slam semi final, and the winner of the next semi would be up against a finalist now on a 10 match winning streak in Australia.

Can Ferrer dump the top seed again?

Last year at this stage of the tournament David Ferrer caused a major upset, dumping top seed Rafael Nadal from the Australian Open. Admittedly Rafa was carrying a leg injury but his fellow Spaniard won on merit. The question 12 months on was could he do a similar job on a fully functional world number one Novak Djokovic? The easy response was in the negative and why should one go out on limb and select against the Serbian champion who has dominated men's tennis to such a degree and continues to command near reverence in the circles he moves. Those circles are ones in which mere mortals such as I dare not tread.

I was less certain now of Novak's impregnability in so far as the overall title was concerned, having already been burned with my Serena selection. However, my confidence in his winning the quarter against an in form Ferrer had not wavered, even having seen him drop a set to Lleyton Hewitt. I felt for both players - the draw is ridiculous and offers no rewards to players seeded higher than others where it so obviously should. Novak is seeded one, and by a long way. At the quarter final stage, players seeded 1, 2, 3 and 4 will play those seeded 5, 6, 7 and 8. Logically, the highest of the top group should have the best advantage, and that is to play the lowest ranked of the second group. The same principle should apply throughout so that the match ups would be: 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5.

In the infinite lack of wisdom of those putting together the draw, we had 1 v 5 tonight. No reward to Ferrer for being the top ranked in the second group or for Djokovic being the top of the tops. This is neither new nor unique to the Aus Open - it is a blight perpetuated in every Grand Slam tournament and many other top events worldwide.

However, when the guys hit the court, none of that off court garbage mattered a bit, because both players were worthy quarter finalists and the winner a strong opponent for the already semi finalist Andy Murray.

In fact Andy would have plenty with which to be concerned when the winner of this was revealed. His tournament really only begins then.

The opening twenty minutes was telling - we managed to see three completed games and David Ferrer did extremely well to survive each of his two service games especially the first where he trailed 0-40. Some of the rallies were no doubt indicative of what we were to see for the entire match - accurate searching powerful ground strokes demanding concentration and fitness of the highest degree. A love game to Novak bucked the trend and maybe things would be a tad more proactive than reactive going forward.

Novak certainly made things interesting by mixing his shot choice and surprising Ferrer at times - the service break came and helped with a couple of scintillating lobs. Ferrer held in the seventh game to love, his first respite all night on serve. Still the advantage lay with the top seed 4-3, although his experiment with the drop shot has been a failure and his only blemish thus far. That and I guess his inability to convert break point opportunities.

Another quick pair of games which included no threat to the ball deliverer set Novak up to serve for the set at 5-4. This he did with no small amount of trouble. One attractive backhand was followed by an unfortunate looking forehand, you would swear coming from different lineage, yet actually born of the same tennis racquet. The set to Djokovic 6-4 sealed with a stunning backhand pass.

Ferrer began set two in the same manner as the start of the match, struggling to hold serve - only difference here he failed. Djokovic during this period of the match had turned up the heat, attempting to make the most of a good run of form. Ferrer held at his next try but not before Djokovic had cemented his break to prevent anyone tripping on it. Amid all the excellence from Novak was this constant and unhealthy preoccupation with the drop shot, an abject failure at each turn, and sure to ultimately cause scoreboard pain and not just a small prick to the ego.

Scoreboard pain arrived in the next game but only because of an all round poor service performance from Novak and now Ferrer felt back in the contest. At 2-3 Djokovic now had the hammer firmly pressed on him and he was not moving particularly well either. (hope that isn't symptomatic) For an inconvenienced player Novak amazingly played himself out of trouble with some ripping crosscourt and down the line winners to tie it up at 3-3.

Djokovic just seemed to go through the motions in the seventh game, losing it to love and games remained on serve Ferrer leading 4-3. No trainer called so Novak was working through this by himself for now. At 4-5 his biggest test of the night needing to hold to stay in the set.

Ferrer had won several free points with aces or unplayable serves in his last two journeys to the line. Novak needed some of the same right here.

A textbook service game to love put the onus back on Ferrer. And what a wonderful effort from Djokovic when he appeared to be struggling to stay with Ferrer. He now summoned the willpower and natural ability to break and afford himself the chance to take a two set lead.

The net and Ferrer conspired to stop the Djokovic charge and we had a tiebreak.

A tiebreak that belonged to Ferrer until 4-2, swung dramatically with Novak winning the final five points full of lavish ground strokes most of which finished superb rallies. Ferrer just had no answer to the tennis of the world's best who in this brief cameo gave yet more evidence why he is at the top of the tree. Djokovic leading 6-4 7-6

Mentally that second set may have hurt Ferrer more than any physical toll taken on him. Novak had two sets plus immeasurable adrenalin on his side to begin the third set, and he did not mess around, serving beautifully to lead and then working studiously to crack open the wound that he had inflicted on Ferrer by winning the tiebreak. A straightforward service game and quickly it said 3-0. Just the single break but when 0-30 appeared next to the game score, signs were far from good for the Spanish 5th seed.

That drama traversed without damage, Novak insisted on maintaining his firm grip around David's neck with a standard form game from his end of the court to lead 4-1. More Serb magic made Ferrer seem tired, and Novak just put the ball wherever he wished breaking again for 5-1.

The glorious procession ended with an ace.

Djokovic 6-4 7-6 6-1 and to meet Andy Murray again this year but one match earlier.