
Australian Open - Men's Final
3 Novak Djokovic d 5 Andy Murray - 64 62 63
Novak stepped up like a true champion last might and really took it to Andy.
He could not have played any more comprehensive top-flight tennis.
Cold-comfort cliche: It's doubtful anybody would've beaten Novak yesterday.
Due: Novak will no longer be dogged by the 'one Slam wonder' tag.
He has long played 3rd clown to Rafa & Roger - 2011 might be different.
What am I saying? It already is.
Novak will not move up from his #3 ranking but he's closing the gap.
He and Roger will spend the next couple months in an arm-wrestle for #2.
Novak: You are facing a situation, playing the finals of a Grand Slam...
Being so close to winning a title.
... you get it there, you want to win it badly, but some things go wrong.
You're thinking too much. You're worrying too much in your head.
It's a mental battle, definitely.
Bottom line is that this is a very mental sport in the end.
***
Tough luck for Andy. He still has yet to win a set in 3 Slam finals.
Lots of negativeity being written/said about Andy... I hope he ignores it.
I would instead refer him to look at the Slam results of legend Ivan Lendl...
Ivan lost in his first 4 Slam finals and yet ended his career winning 8.

Photos: Reuters/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic Wins Historic Australian Open Final
Australian Open Men's Final
1 Novak Djokovic d 2 Rafael Nadal - 57 64 62 67(5) 75
Let's make that 7 Nole wins in-a-row over Rafa - H2H moves to 16-14/RN.
5:53 - They played the longest Slam final & longest Aussie Open match ever.
Nole wins his 5 Slam title & 3rd at the Aussie - also champ in '08 & '11.
He has now won 4 of the last 6 Slam titles.
In fact, between Rafa and Novak they've won the last 8 Slams.
Novak joins Laver, Sampras, Federer & Nadal in winning 3 Slams running.
Clearly he will head to Paris with all the talk of a Novak Slam.
Rafa becomes the 1st player to lose 3 straight Slam finals.
Rafa will be haunted by that easy backhand down-the-line error in the 5th.
This match was the very definition of an instant classic.
Hell, these great athletes couldn't even stand for the trophy ceremony.
Oddly enough, I couldn't sit through most of the last set and a half.
If this is a sign of what to expect for 2012 I'm gonna need medication.
Photos: Getty Images
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