A three-team panel previews and picks Sunday’s Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. It is the third final at this event between Djokovic and Murray.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (6) Andy Murray
Ricky Dimon (The Grandstand): The question here, of course, is which Djokovic is going to show up. You pretty much know what you’re going to get from Murray, who has been the most impressive player the entire way this fortnight. The Scot was only tested to the max by Grigor Dimitrov and he even handed a bagel to a previously red-hot Tomas Berdych. Djokovic had been solid through five matches before a performance against Stan Wawrinka that should have sent him packing from Melbourne (49 errors to just 27 winners, including zero winners in the entire fourth set). However, you have to think the world No. 1 will be a different man for the final. He is 4-0 lifetime in Australian Open title matches, whereas Murray is 0-3. Djokovic is also 7-0 in his last seven hard-court matches against Murray and 12-1 in the last 13 hard-court sets between the two rivals. Djokovic 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-3.
Pete Ziebron (Tennis Acumen): Welcome back to the Big 4, Murray! The Scot’s impressive march to the 2015 Australian Open final will elevate you back to where you belong in the ATP rankings. Murray will certainly benefit from the fact that he will have an extra day of rest heading into the final and that the top-seeded Djokovic was extended to five sets by Wawrinka in Friday’s semifinal. However, despite three previous final appearances, Murray has yet to win the Aussie Open and he will be facing a four-time champion in Djokovic. The Serb, who tends to ricochet quickly back into form following a poorly-played match, now finds himself back in familiar territory in Melbourne: in the final, where he will reign supreme once again. Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(3).
Jared Pine (The Second Serb): Following his win over Wawrinka, Djokovic has now won six of his seven slam semifinals that have gone five sets. However, the Serb has only gone on to win the final two of those times–and both were on hard courts over Rafael Nadal, whom Djokovic was dominating in the head-to-head at the time. Djokovic has met Murray in major finals four times and each has won two, accounting for the Scot’s only two such titles. The two that Djokovic won were both at the Australian Open. Murray hasn’t been in a Grand Slam final since winning Wimbledon in 2013; it has been a long ride back to the biggest stage of the sport. Djokovic is going to be the player who is much more ready for this because he has continued to be in the final rounds of slams, whereas Murray had been struggling just to reach quarterfinals. Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
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finally free points on serve are coming for murray!
I feeling quite perky about Nadal now, watching these two.
NO! what was that???????
It has been a long and dull final. At least Murray got that second set to make this an interesting one. I really do not like a drunk Djokovic winning easily.
he takes it! kudos to Andy. He improved his serving as well his groundstrokes and he DID NOT panic. Thoroughly deserved.
These two return so damn well that being up a break does not mean much. Andy was down a break in all three sets of the wimbledon final he won !
2.5 hrs for two sets? Are we heading for a repeat of the 2012 final if things stay like this? I guess the intensity will waver and this set will be 6-4 ish
that is some serious ball control by Andy Murray…0-30
Fakovic is back.
Have to say this appears to be accurate
OMG!! Whats Djoko trying to do? Everytime a set begins he begins to tumble and makes it seem as if he is having a hard time staying on his feet.
Murray has no chance when Djokovic drinks magic potion
YEah like Popeye having spinach
lol
Set two and the six games for set three combined, djokovic has won 52% of second serve points , as opposed to 73% win rate in the first set! How murray has turned things around in this category is quite impressive
Murray played that break point poorly! He could not overcome his tendency to drop floating shots in the centre of the court on two occasions and that was enough for djokovic. DO NOT do this Mr.Murray if you want to win this
Murray had so many opportunities to put Novak to bed……..he has just f@#%ed them up!!!
As anticipated, Murray is beginning to wilt letting drama queen into his head!
tsk tsk tsk
2 set to 1 Novak…….no more pain in finger!!!!! We will see!!
So Similar to 2013 final… two tie breaks and then 6-3
Commentators talking about Djokovic ‘bluffing’ and making a fool out of Murray
GSM
same as 2014 USO
yeah!
now a 6-2 ?
We are not the only ones complaining about Novak’s antics!!! Novak and Sharapova are the most disingenuous players on tour! I hardly heard Sharapova scream once when she played Serena yesterday….that’s why I love it so when Serena wipes the court with her arse!!!
Murray screamed that Djokovic fakes injury all the time yet he fell for it.
It is Murray’s fault if as a professional player he fell for it in the grand slam final. But i really do think that though he overdid it, Djoko is not himself in this match. The usual intensity is missing but still he is going to win
did he scream something like Djokovic faking???
He said he does if all the time
So Murray could not even avoid going down double break…had he done that, he would surely have had a few looks to break back.
unless he breaks back RIGHT here, its going to be a drubbing
Murray is playing like shit. I really wanted to cheer for him but the performance is pathetic. He should have been much, much better. He’s not a 19-year-old kid anymore. He knows what it is to play in a Grand Slam final. Yet he choked again.
Murray is losing the match Djokovic is not winning it. If Murray watches the recording of this I think he’ll top himself, seriously. He had Djokovic from the first ball and threw it.