Australian Open: Djokovic beats Nadal, again

-DR. ABDUL RUFF

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It was a thrilling experience  for  any one who watched the  tournament directly or on TV sets, but watching the intense battle between the top  two tennis aces in Melbourne was an exceptional experience. But then to add to the mounting tension, action was suspended while the roof was closed and the court dried due to rain. When play restarted the set went to a tie-break, with Nadal clinching the set at his first opportunity, as Novak Djokovic went long and wide on the forehand.

Finally, world number one Djokovic, a Serb from East Europe, won his third Australian Open title in the early hours of Jan 30 when he outlasted Spain’s Rafa Nadal. The defending champion battled past Nadal in an epic, five-set Australian Open final which clocked in at 5hr 53min — the longest title match in grand slam history. It was the Serb’s seventh successive win in a final and his third consecutive victory over Nadal in a Grand Slam final. Nadal was strong, he was determined and he was never going to give in.



It was a match of wildly swinging fortunes, which started before 8:00 pm on Sunday, but did not wind up until 1:40 am. At several points Nadal over powered the world’s number one but Djokovic became the ultimate winner. The Serb had cut a frustrated figure in the first set, slamming his racquet to the ground when he was broken for the first time and falling one set behind. Djokovic fought back from losing the first set to take a 2-1 lead, but he was then taken to a gripping fifth set by resurgent Nadal before winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 for his third consecutive major title.



In a dramatic fifth set Nadal secured a crucial break in the sixth game. But with the Spaniard now suddenly looking the more likely winner, Djokovic battled back to break. The 25-year-old Spaniard from Majorca, deposed from the top ranking by Djokovic after his defeat in last year’s Wimbledon final, dug deep in the fourth set, getting back into the contest through sheer force of will. A re-energized Djokovic found his rhythm in the second set, leveling the match on his fourth set point and, starting to dictate, ran away with the third set, overpowering Nadal and breaking him to love to win it 6-2.



The Spanish left-hander saved three break points in the eighth game, producing a fist-pumping celebration when he leveled at 4-4. A stunning 31-shot rally at the start of the ninth game left Djokovic on his back, and Nadal then fought off a break point to hold.The match outstripped the 1988 US Open final between Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl, which lasted 4hr 54min, and also beat the Australian Open record of 5hr 14min set by Nadal and Fernando Verdasco.

Djokovic, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2008 and 2011, has now won five grand slam titles in total and continues his recent domination over the Spaniard, having beaten him in their last seven meetings, all in finals.

In the woman’s final a Belarus from East Europe, Victoria (3) Azarenka thrashed Russia’s Maria Sharapova (4) to claim the  world’s number one .  Both these players have the habit of howling while hitting the ball, making their  play almost unbearable.

Flexing of muscles when the tennis players win a game or make a point or set is the  ugly show and hardly none  in the field who has  avoided this  dirty gestures, while they lose a game or point or  set, they  behave like wounded solders. That is also unnecessary nonsense. Federer has tried to made some amendments but  but  too late.

The Serb, as usual, fell on to the court on his back as if  with fits movements, and then ripped off his shirt in celebration and marched to his players’ box flexing his muscles and then hugging his coach. Djokovic, who picks up a cheque for Aus$2.3 million (US$2.4 million), has now beaten the Spaniard in three consecutive grand slam finals and seven consecutive title matches overall.

The man from Serbia seems invincible. By winning his third Australian Open title and his fifth Grand Slam trophy in seven minutes short of six hours, he has rewritten history, that is for sure. Melbourne Park has never witnessed a longer match. Once again R. Federer has been reduced to stay way behind, signaling his earlier  exit from Tennis and Djokovic inflicted the deepest of wounds to Nadal’s psyche.. .

The match took  353 minutes and involved 369 points.  Nadal said he played more aggressive, trying to put a positive spin on matters. “I played with more winners than ever.  My serve worked well.  The mentality and the passion was there another time better than probably never another time.”

Djokovic said he was playing against one of the greatest players ever, tired but euphoric after the match,  the player that is so mentally strong, and he always comes up with his best game and best shots at the right moments”. Nadal fought back as never before. He still remains the most serious contender for the top slot.