In a match that is being described as potentially the greatest of all time, Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open after an epic battle with Rafael Nadal.
Such hyperbole should be taken with a pinch of salt considering that the event is still very fresh in the memory, but it certainly was a phenomenal contest that ended on a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 scoreline at 1.30 in the morning in the Rod Laver arena.
The match lasted five hours and 53 minutes in total, easily the longest ever Grand Slam Final in the professional era and almost an hour longer than the previous record holder, the 1988 US Open Final, when Mats Wilander beat Ivan Lendl in five sets.
It was Djokovic’s fifth Grand Slam success (third in a row) and Nadal’s third consecutive loss in a Grand Slam Final. Nadal is the first man to endure three consecutive Grand Slam defeats in the Open era, an unwanted and extremely unfortunate milestone for the muscular Spaniard.
For now, it will be of little consolation to him that he played a huge role in one of the all-time epics. The AUS$1,150,000 he’ll receive as runner-up, however, might cheer him up just a tad.
