Novak beat Nadal in a marathon five hour 53 minute Aussie Open final this morning, the world number one's third Slam in a row and fourth out of the last five overall.
If he wins the French Open in Paris in May, Djokovic could rightly claim a 'Serbian Slam', i.e. the tennis equivalent of golfs 'Tiger Slam' where all four trophies are in one mans possession.
But the record keepers who decide these things demand the victories all have to be won inside a single calendar year to qualify as an official Grand Slam.
Today's final is already being hailed as the best the sport has seen, surpassing even the legendary 1980 Borg/McEnroe Wimbledon clash featuring the immortal 18-16 fourth set tiebreak.
Again, who really cares about such trivia apart from those of us who love wasting away a night's banter debating these things that are as equally right as theyre never wrong?
Call it a classic, an epic, right now theyre all appropriate.
Lets do some hard-out trainspotting:
- The five hours 53 minutes beat the previous longest (Lendl/Wilander US Open 1988) by 59 minutes.
- When you add in Novak's five-set semi-final vs Andy Murray (four hours 50 minutes), he played 10 hours 43 minutes of the very best tennis in just two matches.
- The fourth set of the men's final was seven minutes longer than the entire women's final.
- Which makes that tired old argument about equal-pay-for-equal-play, men/women get the same prizemoney rather lame doesnt it?
- Azarenka earned US$28,000 per minute for winning. Novak just US$5665.
- That was the seventh final in a row that Djokovic has beaten Nadal, third consecutive Slam.
- Meaning, Novak is to Rafa what Rafa has been to Roger. Nadal leads Federer 8-2 in matches played at Slams.
- This final was almost twice as long as India spent at the crease in all four cricket Tests.
- Four hours 40 minutes into this epic, first game of the fifth set, Rafa hit a 162kmh forehand - the hardest shot in the match.
- The only glitch was a delay to shut the roof when it started raining. Apparently the tournament director was the only person in the whole of Victoria who didn't know that clouds in Melbourne indicated incoming precipitation.
For anyone who managed to stay the distance, what a wonderful privileged experience it was.
Today you witnessed sporting history.
A Grand Slam final between two laydown future Hall-of-Famers that turned tennis into something tantric.
Truly one of those 'if I hadn't have seen it, I wouldn't have believed it' moments.
What do you think? Do you agree with Martin? Add a comment below.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentPunDMC said on 2012-01-30 @ 16:43 NZDT: Report abusive post
This match was incredible. We don't need Martin Devlin to tell us that twenty times in the same column. It also isn't the greatest final in Slam history. It's not even the best slam final in the last five years (Wimbledon 2008 takes that hands down). What a massive waste of time.
debtysall said on 2012-01-30 @ 15:49 NZDT: Report abusive post
I am in California so I watched the match that started at my time 12.30 am....and I feel like I am shell shocked. I know I witnessed a historic match, and being a Rafa fan, well, the disappointment I feel is devastating, but I think both men were so incredible, it's almost like there are no words to describe something this amazing. I know I will never forget watching this match, it was worth staying up through the night for...I would do it again in a heart beat. That is, if my heart makes it..!
catfer said on 2012-01-30 @ 13:58 NZDT: Report abusive post
Amazing tennis and edge of your seat stuff for those sitting up watching in early hours. Shame someone had to lose.