DJOKOVIC BAGS AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012

The tennis has got a great opening in the year 2012 with the longest, surely the hardest and arguably the greatest Grand Slam final in history. The visual treat for tennis game fans all over the world lasted for almost six hours and finally ended up with Novak Djokovic’s victory over Rafael Nadal. I understand just because a match is long, it does not necessarily follow that the quality has to be high. But I find this as one of the greatest matches ever played with so much heat. This is Novak’s third Australian Open title and his fifth Grand Slam trophy. Also it was his seventh successive win in a final and his third consecutive victory over Nadal in a Grand Slam final. I personally felt the match ended with two winners though literally only one title was awarded. 

Nadal was looking so strong, determined with lot of passion and he was never going to give in. Still Djokovic beated him and he seemed unshakable. He won the Australian Open with 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 with some pulsating events in the final set. The opening set had been long but not exciting and the next two sets had been more or less one-way traffic. Then, in the fourth set, just when Nadal looked to be on his way home, the Spaniard pounced. From 3-4 and 0-40 down in that set, Nadal exploded into action. In five points the match had been turned on its head. After five-and-a-half hours, both were still dead level at two sets all and 4-4 and deuce. Nadal was not going to give in and Djokovic too. Finally Djokovic moved into the driving seat by winning the last eight points of the set, the last four on Nadal's serve.

Post match, Novak expressed that he was playing against one of the greatest players ever. And also admitted that Nadal is mentally strong, and he always comes up with his best game and best shots at the right moments. But still when he was 4‑2 down, he pushed himself up to the limit. It was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, took the last drop of energy that they had from their bodies.