Novak Djokovic does not lose Australian Open finals, as tremendously hard as Andy Murray made him work to win an Open-era record No.5. Djokovic also owns two Wimbledon and one US Open titles, so is not exactly a Melbourne Park specialist, but — with four successes in the past five years — he is coming very close.
Djokovic ground down Murray 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0 in three hours and 38 minutes for his eighth major singles crown, equal with Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Fred Perry and Ken Rosewall, and a tally that only seven men have bettered. He also joined 1960's legend Roy Emerson as just the second man in history to win five or more Australian titles.
The amateur-pro split, technology, and various other factors meant those were different times in tennis, which at the top level has now become an intensely physical game. The majority of Sunday night's decider — the day 14 crowd of 21,293 pushed the total tournament attendance past 700,000 for the first time — was extraordinarily punishing betwen two of the elite members of a magnificent men's era.
When a final netted Murray backhand sentenced the Scot to a fourth finals loss from the four he has contested at Melbourne Park, Djokovic raised his arms, exhaled, smiled and pointed at co-coach Boris Becker and the rest of his entourage. The fourth set was something of an anti-climax; an unfortunate way for Murray to end his first major final since major back surgery in late 2013. But he is now back into the top four, and seemingly primed for a fine year.
Djokovic has been a father only since October, but on the honour board here since 2008, and wished Murray and fiancee Kim Sears "a wonderful engagement and many kids". The Serb praised Murray's competitiveness, while Murray acknowledged Djokovic's "fantastic, incredible record" at his best tournament, which is also the loser's most consistent. "I'll try and come back next year, hopefully have a slightly different outcome in the final."
Another victory was particularly special for Djokovic at this stage of his career. "I think it has deeper meaning, more intrinsic value now to my life because I'm a father and a husband. It's the first grand slam title I won as a father and a husband. Just feel very, very proud of it."
The 72-minute opening set alone was worth the hefty ticket price, Djokovic scintillating to start, smacking 14 winners in the first five games, and not hitting an unforced error for 20 minutes. Murray had the first three break chances, but Djokovic was earlier to convert.
Both are supreme athletes and defensive players; the rallies were long and brutal, as were so many games. Djokovic was gasping for breath at times, also irritated by the crowd noise during rallies, and attended at courtside by the trainer to spray the right thumb he had hurt during a tumble when Murray struck back in the eighth game. More breaks were traded, the tie-break left to decide it, after a full hour of quality play.
Djokovic opened with a double-fault, but at 4-2, with the strong wind at his back, Murray did likewise, and then at 5-5 pushed a routine forehand volley long, before Djokovic closed it out. Murray's parting gesture was a sarcastic thumbs-up to his box at the sit-down.
Murray had never beaten Djokovic on the 11 previous occasions he had conceded the first set, and the Serb has surrendered only one of his previous 37 career finals when taking the early advantage, the exception being against Rafael Nadal at last year's French Open, the only missing slam from Djokovic's expanding set.
It was a curious start to the second, Djokovic stumbling around the court as if he had lost his balance, and for a time he also lost his way. But the big change came at 0-2, when Djokovic broke for the first of two consecutive times, and held his own serve to love on either side.
Murray was growing increasingly frustrated, a miraculously-recovered Djoker gaining control, playing quickly, sensing blood. How would Murray respond? Sears, his excitable partner, had also been under fierce scrutiny due to her expletive-laden semi-final rant at Tomas Berdych, and countered humourously with a black sweatshirt declaring "Parental advisory – explicit content" and showing it off to the world.
Murray, too, responded well to his own, more serious, situation. A long delay necessary to eject some politically-motivated court invaders, as well as their vocal friends in the stands, served as a cooling-off period from Djokovic's excellence, and Murray's own angst. The sixth seed resumed more positively, running through the next three games, and then conjuring a set point at 5-4 on the Djokovic serve, but netting a backhand down the line in what was the longest game of the match.
It was exhausting, absorbing, brilliant stuff. Murray's second serve was under growing pressure, Djokovic pressing again in the next game, but none of his three break points were converted. Murray led 6-2 in the tie-break, Djokovic saving two set points, but not the third, courtesy of a forehand return at his shoelaces that thwarted a rare serve-volley attempt.
Two sets. More than two-and-a-half hours. More of Djokovic's curious wobbling and apparent exhaustion early in the third, the world No.1 falling 0-2 behind again, before, abracadabra, full health. Murray was annoyed, perhaps because he fell for it, and then even more cranky to find himself two sets to love down, the third having taken about half the time of either of the first two.
But it left Murray with a huge mountain to scale, and with so much energy already expended. He would need his own minor miracle. Instead, Djokovic pressed home the advantage early in the fourth and then swung freely until the end to maintain his perfect record in Australian Open finals, and kill Murray's dream for a fourth time, but not his long-time rival's optimism.
"They've been a great couple of weeks compared with where I was a couple of months ago. It's like night and day really," said Murray. "Playing way, way better in almost every part of my game. Moving better. Physically I feel better, more confident, more belief. I was a lot calmer, like, before my matches. Mentally I felt much, much stronger than I did at the end of last year and during the majors really last year. So, yeah, for me a lot of positives. I wouldn't want to come away from here feeling negative about the way that I played or reaching a slam final. Novak has won five times here now. There's no disgrace obviously in losing to him."
The trophy was presented by Emerson, to mark the 50th anniversary of the fourth of his sixth titles, the great Queenslander no doubt aware that his status as Australian record-holder is gravely imperilled by the 27-year-old Serb who has many more chances ahead. But next is Roland Garros, where he is 0-2 in finals. A long way from Melbourne, in every respect.
