Any doubt about how fit and ready Novak Djokovic is to reproduce the kind of year he had in 2011 were dispelled in an avalanche of inside-out forehands, down-the-line backhands, and—most important—wicked second serves, as Nole survived a brutal five-set clash with Andy Murray to advance to the Australian Open final for the second year in a row.
The scores were 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5. The only easy one was the fourth set, which Murray discreetly (actually, blatantly) let slip away after his post-tiebreaker letdown allowed Djokovic to strike with two service breaks.
To call this match a shoot-out is obvious but not terribly relevant. Oh sure, there were break points galore—a staggering grand total of 50 (Djokovic had just two more, 26 to 24). Clearly, it doesn't make much sense—and would take a week—to try to cite turning points, never mind focus on the blow-by-blow even at critical, late-set junctures.
That only 18 of those break points were converted (11 by Djokovic) gives you some idea of how well both men played under pressure, even if it was Djokovic who was more effective at damage control. That the winner count was both high and almost dead even is also a telling stat: Djokovic had two more than Murray, with 49.
But more than a shoot-out, this was first and foremost a harsh battle of will and stamina, and that was the most surprising aspect of this re-match of last year's Melbourne final. The way Murray sallied forth, it seemed very much like it would be a replay of that one-sided final. In the first set, Murray had just four winners and 20 unforced errors. Djokovic wasn't much better, at five to 15. The word tossed around by the commentators at ESPN was "scratchy." Djokovic bagged the set 6-3, and when he broke Murray early in the second, it looked as if the Scot was in for a humiliation to rival that of last year.
But Murray's resolve and resistance stiffened, and he began to find the length on his forehand and took good chances with his backhand. As Murray ratcheted up the pace of the rallies, showing a surprising ability to maintain the pace set by those punishing Djokovic groundstokes, the defending champ seemed to tire. He clearly had some sort of respiratory problem, because some rallies left him gasping like a fish out of water, and not just because of Murray's proficiency. Djokovic seemed unable to breathe through his nose. Instead of another error-strewn, quick set, we saw a bitter, 65-minute tug-of-war finally won by Murray.
It turned out to be a mere preview of the third set. If Murray made a critical error in this match, it might have been his inability to hold after he crafted critical breaks on three different occasions by midway through the third set. Had he been able to consolidate those breaks, he might have kept his foot on Djokovic's neck. The combination of Djokovic's ailments and Murray's unexpected surge might have proved too much for the defending champ to overcome. Still, Murray won that third set in a tiebreaker and seemed to be on his way to a place opposite Rafael Nadal in the final.
But this was the Novak Djokovic with whom we became familiar with last year, the guy who might look like he's at death's door, but then comes out blasting winners and leading his opponent through a remarkable series of punishing rallies until he gets his way. He was already finding a second wind—and will—in the late stages of the third set, and by the beginning of the fourth he seemed a new man. With veteran savvy, he took advantage of a letdown by Murray to snatch the set with those two early breaks, and Murray decided to angle for a big fifth-set push.
The move paid off because Murray, whose fitness fluctuated more visibly than that of Djokovic, indeed rallied. He survived three break points in the fourth game, but Djokovic broke him for 4-2 and held the next game. It seemed to be over, but that was the point at which the two outstanding elements of Murray's overall form in the match came to the forefront. He made great use of his forehand and his serve, and improbably broke Djokovic when the champ served for the match at 5-3.
Murray then held for 5-5, and came within a swing of breaking Djokovic twice in the next game, but a service winner by the world No. 1 and a backhand error by the Scot allowed Nole to take a 6-5 lead. The pressure was too much for Murray in the next game. After an inside-out forehand blast got Murray back to 15-all, Djokovic's pace helped create two Murray errors, and it ended on a sharp, cross-court volley winner.
Overall, this match had the same savage flavor as last year's U.S. Open final between Djokovic and Nadal. It was brutal and majestic. It probably marked a career turning point for Murray as a big-match player, and it certainly sent the message that Djokovic is not resting on his laurels.
—Pete Bodo
