What an epic match we witnessed today. Djokovic surely proved to the world that Djoker Slam is a strong possibility this year. Both these players battled out like two warriors on a mission today. No words can justify the level of tennis that was played. They have taken tennis to a whole new level it seems. But overall an inspiring win for Nole today- but I am sure the fight that Nadal put up will def raise his confidence for the rest of the season!

Just goes on to show how much you can achieve with your will and determination : Novak Djokovic (The Steel Man) wins the Battle of Will against Rafael Nadal! http://bit.ly/ya9oln

Glad you picked Rafa Pete. You and Laver. Gutsy play from the Spaniard and who would have thought Nole would win 2 back to back 5 setters against the #4 and #2 players in the world? Not I.

Bodo, come on, calling into question the authenticity of his exhaustion is ridiculous. Novak has made no secret of being a Sampras admirer, but Sampras never put on this kind of physical display.
Maybe you missed the the ATP stats on 5-set matches? Nadal tops it, but Novak isn't far behind. He also leads the hard court and outdoor lists.

Being an ardent Nole fan, I am thrilled by his third Oz title and the history he made with Rafa getting to it. He has truly deserved to be dubbed Invictus not only by his fans, but also by pundists who so often doubt him (you included, Mr. Bodo)!
Of a truth, I must stress how awed I am at Rafa's courageous refusal to give in to his demons and how inhumanely hard he made Nole work for this title! Almost six hours of the Clash of The Tennis Titans, where they both well nigh expired on the court leaving their champions' hearts bleeding on it.
May they both remain healthy and brave for many a year to come and gift us with more epicness than ever!
The Oz trophy should have been cleaved in two, so that both Rafa and Nole got a half of it. Only that would have been divinely fair.

Direct from one wobbly , massive bubble of champagne YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't want to hear a word about Nadal, PLEASE just this once. Let the glory be Nole's , please. I know Rafa was magnificent, but this night is NOle's alone
NOLE IS THE BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will I spoil my joy by reading the article NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
GO NOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm waiting for Steve. He's the man with a heart.

Pete, you alluded to it when Nole won Montreal, when is it enough? That's the analysis I'm sure will trickle out of this website in the near future.

Regardless whether Djokovic's exhaustion was real or not, at least he didn't call any MTO's during the match or do anything to really break opponent's rhythm...

On the other hand, Uncle Toni was blatantly illegally coaching and gesturing throughout the match and nothing was done about it.

So Nadal shouldn't have anything to complain about IMHO.

Great match regardless, though the quality of the tennis itself wasn't THAT great, the sheer endurance and willpower of the 2 made it a riveting match!

And lol the "somewhere Roger Federer is smiling"...

If Nadal played with the aggressive variety game like Fed throughout the match rather than his usual defensive game, combined with his enormous willpower he would have won the match...

And if Fed played with more grit like Nadal, combined with his game he would have won the SF...

But such is life :P That's why they all have their own "nemesis" :>

Nadal has yet to find an answer against Djokovic!

http://myballsmyballs.blogspot.com/2012/01/djokovic-wins-his-fifth-grand-slam.html

Thank you Bodo on not writing about Nole, after all he only won today!?!?

NOLE what a GUUUUUUUUUUUUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many wise men, from Mr Bodo to Fernando, predicted a Rafa victory today; and had we all been informed from the start that this match would go beyond 5 hours, Nole would have had even less backers. (I had Novak down, but my money was sure on Nadal when we entered a fifth..) But Novak's proved so much today - not the greatness of his tennis; we knew all about that. He's proved two conspicuously Rafa-like virtues: a logic-defying fitness and an irrepressible, oh-so-courageous heart. It is a stunning win.

And is it me, or is there already a sense of inevitability when it comes to that likely Roland Garros final...

But I'm still glad Nole is not a Nike doll....

That was an insane performance from both men. If Rafa-Roger Wimby 08 is the greatest match of all time, this was the most impressive match physically.

I worry about the impact this is going to have on Rafa mentally. I mean, he sounded positive in his interview, but this has to sting horribly. He must know that the beginning of the end for the greats is not usually when you start losing badly, but when you start losing the close ones that you used to pull out (see Federer, Roger).

THAT WAS A CLASSIC MATCH. RAFA PLAYED UNREAL SHOTS THROUGHOUT. NOVAK WAS JUST MORE AGGRESSIVE ON THE BIG POINTS IN THE 5TH SET. RAFA STILL WAITING FOR THE ERRORS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO WIN THE POINT AGGRESSIVELY.
WHAT A MATCH THOUGH.
http://www.top-tennis-training.net/

I'M SO GLAD NADAL LOST. HE'S SO OVER!!

Luckily Novak pulled second set against Ferer. It was visible even against Hewit that this pollen allergy is ruining him. So it is true surprise that some 85% of Novak was able to overcome some 100% of Murray. But this? Barely 80% of Novak won over 95% of Rafa? Now that is the MESSAGE.
Game was horrible, like some female tennis – only because Novak is, effectively, ill. One of worst finals I can remember, medieval mud drag fest. But Novak stirred to it: if he physically cannot do his natural butterfly thing he will mentally do his champion thing. One ball after another, he did his crazy-depth thing, often starting with his crazy-return thing. No place for Rafa to hide, no space to play. Nadal is doomed to run left-right or to pick up volley after volley – from the base line. Game of no game, ugly but it works. It was strange and lucky that Rafa survived break points late in 4th set. Even more all the inches and lines saved him in tie break. He, similar to Murray, got then real chance to win. But that much more it must hurt him now. If not now, when Novak is both tired and ill – when? Uncle Nadal coaching didn’t help. Neither Mats Willander pro-Nike “expertise”.

Simple statistics: even in this text, few hours after great victory, find "Nadal" - 48 matches, find "Djokovic" - 33 matches. 7 - 0, keep on suffering. :)

Helios

+1

Our congratulations to Djokovic on his much-deserved win over Nadal. Nadal and his team were perhaps confident of Nada's victory since Djokovic was weakened by Murray yesterday. That is why Nadal was more offensive than defensive. I feel Djokovic would have won in straight sets comfortably if he had not been exhausted by a grueling five-setter yesterday with Andy Murray. For Djokovic, Nadal has become a boy-toy who is tossed away by him every where they meet. If Nadal could not win over an exhausted Djokovic, his future encounter with him, if any, may end up in similar humiliating defeat. An arrogant and egoistic Nadal should learn a lesson of humility.

Novak is the best player of new era tennis and ATP.com, tennis.com, euro sport with Matts W. need to accept that aa soon as posible.
Long live king of tennis Novak Djokovic !!!

NITB...

Yes,you are right!
Nole-is-the-best!

I'm a Fed Fan till my last breath.
But today,Nole made me a "convert"(in someways,only)
Today,Nole got a "new fan" in me!

Will Djokovic dominate the ATP as he won 4 out of the last 5 Slams?

Mr.Bodo,

This summary is simply beautiful.You are great for a RR.

"Somewhere, Roger Federer, who knows what Nadal must be feeling, is smiling"
This line puts me in "peace"!
THANK YOU.

MA,

Hope not!
Let the WEALTH be distributed.
I wish the ATP just "gives" off a Slam to Murray.
Hopefully,TMF takes one at least!I'm hopeful.

MA - why not?

Angelo, what a dumb comment. Nadal is the clear no 2 player, how can he be over?

Bravo to both, and special congratulations to Mr. Djokovic - but, please it was so close there in the final game of the fifth set that "chance" - a very real factor in ALL sports - could have favored Mr. Nadal. (A difference of one string in racquet-ball contact can affect line-in-out results, etc.) This was neither a decisive Djokovic win nor a decisive Nadal loss. Again, bravo to both - and those of you who are gloating or mourning should not "use" these great athletes as an excuse to do so.

Science has spoken

In...blue cor...krzzzrr...afa "Nike doll" ..frzzrf..Nadal...And in the red corner, undisputed champion of the world,...ffrzr... Novak "Balboa" Djokovic...

I believe it's a must to have Federer being mentioned even in this blog report only 4 (four) times. It must be a going in right direction, it easily could be worse, the whole article could be about Federer again.

You are lucky to have all these people coming here leaving their insightful comments, that's the only reason I keep coming to this site.

@But Djokovic has shown, time and again, that he can be at his most dangerous when he appears most vulnerable to fatigue. (You wonder, did he study all those tapes of Pete Sampras, moping around during matches that he inevitably went on to win going away?)

Really Peter? This is what you saw?

Great game, two real athletes.

oh rafa,you badly choked at 4-2,30-15,simple backhand and just wide i knew from there on he was going to lose.win that point he wins the game,and he breaks joker at 5-2 to win the title.i think he knew that also.what an unbelievable achievent from nole,back to back 5 setters against the fittest and strongest men on the tour with himself,over 10 and 1/2 hours in 2 days,stand up to applause that too good,proud owner of winnerof longest open era final,aussie open match and his 1st 5 set win over rafa.

what can you say about nadal.brilliant comeback after i got convinced he was going to be destroyed in 4,mental toughness to the extreme,won the tie break winning 4 straight points to bring it to a 5th.

the thing i said before the match is nadal is going to be broke more times than nole is going to be broken.rafa inability to return serve without skill or aggression realy hurts him v nole whereas murray can put enourmous pressure on nole for fun ,like it seems.his shots again where way to short,rafa spent around 65% of the match on the run whereas nole was stuck to the baseline dictating,his match with murray imo was a tougher more gruelling affair.the average shot rally was 5.4 the murray match hit a hieght of 9.4 and balanced out at around 7.8.he has to learn to be aggressive with the return and beef up his serve or he will continue to lose.after a match like that it seems unlikely rafa will beat nole again,murray and fed seem the more plausable candidate

amazing match,5hr and 53 mins went past so quickly it is unreal,gutted for nadal as he should of won but nole is the best player i have ever seen,sorry rafa and fed fans but that tennis is out of this world and has never been seen before,and will never ever be played after nole,what a champion,both of them.

That was epic. I enjoyed it more than the "greatest match of all time" to be honest (rafa-roger wimby), and neither of these guys are my favorite.

It was a war from start to finish. I really enjoyed Rafa's face in between points from somewhere in the 4th set onward...It wasn't about "tennis" it was about perservance, fighting to the end. Pushing self beyond the limit...and then pushing beyond the new limit again...Brilliant by both men.

Tennis is the greatest sport in the world.
:)

"I don't want to hear a word about Nadal, PLEASE just this once. Let the glory be Nole's , please. I know Rafa was magnificent, but this night is NOle's alone" (noleisthebest)

You know that Rafa's "magnificent" performance is a part of what made such a magnificent win for Djokovic. Considering Rafa's efforts, Djokovic didn't just win a slam in tennis - he carved his name into the Valhalla of sports.

The best become the best by defeating the most worthy opponents, and that was exactly what happened here. I'm glad to have witnessed such efforts.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda - if Nadal hadn't double faulted giving Nole the second set, who knows.

Just like any successful business, the bottom line is what matters. Who won? nuff said.

Suddenly Laver's decision to put Novak ahead of Lendl, Connors and Agassi on his list of the top 10 all-time greats seems a whole lot more justified. I have little doubt that Novak will win at least 10 slams (imagine the huge drop-off he would have to experience to "only" win 8). That plus one of the greatest years ever and domination of two men who are, for now, rightly ahead of him on the list...

And it's only just begun - that's what's really scary.

what an awesome performance by Nole. two five setters in a row, and longest match ever, Last year Rafa was thinking(hoping) nole couldn't keep this level for long, Nole proved with 70% of his reserves he can beat two days rested Rafa.

Can not wait for clay season to begin, yet I am not a Rafa fan what an irony.

Helios,

What made you think Novak was "ill"? His allergies flared up a little, so what? Plus, that's disrespectful of Nadal's effort. Oh, maybe that's what you were intending to do...

Can you imagine Rod Laver ripping off his shirt and letting out a guttural scream? Anyone tuning in would think Novak had won the UFC championship. Class vs Crass.

Well, here's my little "statement of truth":

Both athletes gave each other "gifts" throughout the match which caused so many changes in momentum. But the biggest gift given by either athlete, to the other, was their undying effort. And what a gift that was -- to each other, and to all of us fans.

@You know that Rafa's "magnificent" performance is a part of what made such a magnificent win for Djokovic. Considering Rafa's efforts, Djokovic didn't just win a slam in tennis - he carved his name into the Valhalla of sports.

Totally agree. Tennis has won today.

Somewhere, Roger Federer, who knows what Nadal must be feeling, is smiling"

Hehehehehe..... how do you guys come up with this kind of stuff.....

let the clay start as Balaji mentioned, with this loss Noles proves he can beat Rafa with half a body.

Nole's victories are great and meaningful because he has a worthy opponent like Nadal, just like Nadal's victories were great because he had an opponent as worthy as Federer. So Nole has a well deserved Trophy but it cannot be only about him. Great match from both.

k4, well said

Tennis lost, science won

Laver's decision to put Novak ahead of Lendl, Connors and Agassi on his list of the top 10 all-time greats
---------------

he did? And yet he picked Rafa to win this match?

Arthur,
You are also missing important thing.. Nadal is not 100% in this match doesn't he wearing a bandage on knee... also he is tired from the semifinal match.

Although you are 100% right all the credit goes to Nadal in Nole's success.

I think what sticks out to me the most was in the fifth set, both guys hitting improbable shots and...giving out strangled grunts as they gave it their all...5h53min of pure endurance tennis...and early in the fifth set when Nole was flat on his back exhausted after another insane point and the camera pans to Rafa who is breathing quite hard...I'm not surprised that Nole flipped out when he won that match at all...to win such a physical punishing battle brings out such raw emotion...I could barely stand to watch the back
and forth battle much less imagine what Rafa and Nole put each other through...was not the cleanest match but for passionate, in your face tennis this match has to be my favorite...

May the new rivalry b/w Rafa and Nole continue to prosper...

I really can't beleive how Nadal gave away this match to Djokovic. He should have won it.

Bodo predicted that Sharapova would win.
Bodo predicted that Nadal would win.
We see Peter's Principle at work:
Everybody "tends to rise to his level of incompetence."
Mr. Bodo you are already there.
Congrats!

nadal is just not mentally in top anymore...end of. the problem for me is that the game is really lacking future stars.....that murray and djoko atre carrying the flame of mens tennis is worrying....nadal and federer look a bit washed up it has to be said

Ra(fa)ging Ra(fa)bbit pretended to be a tiger
But failed to scare Serbski Lion.

I wish they did the on-court interview a la Wimbledon at all the majors, instead of letting the players give their boring stump speech. Roger, Novak and Rafa have won so many majors that there's little chance they are going to be moved to say something unusual in their speeches. Novak didn't even hoist the trophy when it was first given to him...but maybe he was just too tired. He seemed really put out by all the requests to hoist it at different angles for the pics. Who can blame him?

Quality of play, finesse, better GS finals blah - never mind the haters, this was the most dramatic tennis event in history. Nadal came so close and at some point in the 5th Djoko was so far from winning that there was just one last outside chance, superhuman effort nobody EVER pulled against Rafa, to beat him in the 5th set from a break down, and Novak somehow found it. Incredible. Sheer fighting spirit. He just became a bigger mental warrior than the biggest mental warrior in tennis history. What a monster the standards of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal created!

I am really sad today, Rafa should have won this match , he was serving 4-2 and there is not many instances Rafa would let anyone to take the trophy from his hands. Rafa is still one of the greatest champion and he will comeback with vengence.....I know this is one of the toughest losses Rafa ever experienced, but he will be the 2012 french and wimbledon champion.

Congratulations to Djokovic and his fans. He deserves all the praise he gets. I don't think I have ever seen a mentally stronger player (not even Nadal at his most intense), nor one who was as dominant over the rest of the competition as Djokovic has been for the past year.

I must say that I am also pleasantly surprised to see less gloating from the Djokovic KADs and Serbian ultra-nationalists than I had expected. I have seen a few gloating comments from the usual suspects, but many of you have resisted the temptation to give us Nadal fans another kick while we are down. Many of you have shown class. I appreciate that.

So, where does this match leave us Nadal fans? I am proud of Rafa fighting like a lion, but disappointed with everything else. He still played too defensively over long stretches of the match. For all the talk he and his team have been doing about changing and adjusting, playing more agrressively, I have only seen that in small doses. And in the fifth set, when he was a break ahead and had a chance to win against all odds, he choked. In the end, the better player won deservedly.

I hate to say it, but I think I may have officially lost faith in Rafa tonight. Not in his fighting spirit, which is as magnificent as ever, perhaps more so. But in his game and in his ability to beat Djokovic again.

Tina and other Djokovic fans should rejoice, it looks like their man is in for a long period of dominance. Maybe a "Novak slam"? Who knows.

Whether it is a good thing for tennis overall remains to be seen. We had the Federer-Nadal rivalry which has been pretty one-sided since 2008, now we have the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry which is totally and utterly one-sided. For anyone who isn't a Djokovic KAD who loves seeing him beat the tar out of the competition, week in, week out, there might be some rather boring times ahead in men's tennis.

History repeating. But,only one major difference. Federer mostly defeated himslef against Nadal in allmost all loses and Djokovic defeats Nadal.

NOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE :))))))))))))))))))))

@ Tina

He did, ranked Djokovic only one place behind Nadal. Guess he thought no one beats Nadal in 7 straight finals.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/gallery-fn77kxzt-1226250654969?page=12

S-Rao,

biggest EVER Nole hug for you :)))) !!!!!

let us remember....djoko nadal federer murray then who....azarenka?

to Bone , to arthur and to whoever it applies.

This night belongs to Nole...Don't side track with Rafa, Roger...this is Nole, he will complete Nole slam.

Fed and Nadal are sentimental favorites for most. Laver's prediction might have been more of wishful thinking.

Still battling with the first bottle of champers, down, bottle down!!!!!
NOOOLEEEEEEEEEEEEE :)))))))))!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Novak was down and out in the fifth set both against Murray and Nadal but then took some magic elixir and came bouncing back. Fishy.

Tennis=Joker's games

Fishy..... take comfort where ever you finds it.

Some comments from EuroSport

------
1st set
------

Humidity favors Nadal.

Nadal lacking flat FH to stand on base line.

Nadal is staying 10 ft behind the base line, like on clay.

Nadal returns on base line.

40C today, 33C now.

Crowd favorite (Nadal) vs bookmaking favorite (Djokovic).

Storm is coming.

If roof is closed, Djokovic will benefit.

Djokovic is 5th man for 3 GS in a road.

Novak won coin.

Nadal is 10ft behind the line.

Djokovic lost 1st game in both opening sets at US open.

Nadal is 6-7 ft behind the line, even for 2nd serve.

Nadal could be 1st in open era to lose 3 consecutive GS finals.

This is 3rd racket for Djokovic.

Djokovic has sluggish start.

No electricity, not gripping as any of semifinals.

Is it Nadal or Ivanisevic? (after Nadal's serve)

Djokovic on more than 20 wins stroke on GSs.

Too many cheep points on serve for Nadal.

------
2nd set
------

Nadal 1st serve is key to hold.

New balls change the complexity of match completely.

Nadal need more slice BH to neutralise position when Djokovic is commanding point.

Nadal's new racket is not good for slicing, but for power.

Nadal dictating point with his deep BH.

Djokovic is serving on 5:3, look that confidence and nerves.

Nadal is behind Melbourne receiving serve.

2nd miscalculation from Novak so far.

Novak needs pace to generate power on BH side and there is non from Nadal.

...to be continued

Why would anyone put Nadal & Novak ahead of Jimmy Connors , Lendl and Rod Laver. That's a joke.
Nadal's numbers are just skewed because they are mostly from clay court. Novak has better allround game and eventually he could win more majors than Nadal.

I did not watch the first two sets of the final because I had better things to do (I was sleeping because in my country the match began at 4:00 AM) I picked the action when the gluten-free guy and the muscular champ were one set apiece. I watched the entire third set and then I left because, again, I had better things to do (I ran in a 5k organized by my son's highschool). When I got back home I found out Djokovic was serving for the match. I think it was a well deserved victory for Djokovic. He is more versatile than Nadal. At least, he is willing to attack the net once in a while and shorten the points. He also played a few drop shots that unbalanced Nadal. On the other hand, Nadal always played the same. He tried to grind Djokovic out without success. Both of them displayed tremendous athleticism and power but they lack Federer's magic, something I will sorely miss in this new era.
I wonder what excuse Fernando [mod-edited] is concocting this time.

First off I would usually say a Nadal loss due to injury (which this was) is meaningless, but in this case the match was very meaningful. You see, the real winner was Rafael Nadal - for him to put up the effort he did with one bad wheel was Herculean - he embarrassed Frauderer again, and was within an inch of besting Novak. He shouldn't have even been in this tournament! Therefore, the asterisk must come into play. Nadal cemented his reputation as truly the People's champion, and he knows what to do now to get over the Djoker problem. Novak better enjoy his position as top dog while it lasts because the 4 year Rafa domination plan starts at the French Open again.
My other takeaways from this match:
-Men's tennis has become a joke when a match on a (supposed) hard court goes almost 6 hours. Rafa doesn't need the ITF and ATP to slow down Wimbledon and outdoor hardcourts to beat the rest of the field - ask Fed.
-For women to make the same prize money at the Grand Slams is ludicrous
-Thank you to Novak for being a warrior for Christ

Peter you make it sound like Rafa can just turn on an offensive minded game plan like I can turn on a light? And thank you for taking away any credit Novak deserves for putting Rafa in that position.

"You see, the real winner was Rafael Nadal..." (Slick)

No. Nadal put up a fight which no one is likely to forget, but Djokovic was unquestionably the winner.

@What a monster the standards of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal created!

I believe you are right, Bone. Novak learnt from them to become what he is. There wasn't other way to him, but to master these skills from both to be able to pull through. And what he became...

Nole fans are being ridiculous. You can't be great by yourself. That's like one hand clapping.

Rafa lost, but I feel much better about this loss than his previous ones. He showed grit, nerves of steel and beat Novak in many of the long rallies he was losing last year. Rafa said his new offensive game was still work in progress, which is probably why he couldn’t sustain it for extended periods during the match. However, when Rafa did get on the offensive he was untouchable. I disagree with the commentators (McEnroe et al) that Rafa would be devastated with this loss; of course he will be disappointed, but he’ll also be encouraged that, at a tournament he started with hardly any preparation to fine tune his new offensive game and with an injury scare to boot, he reached the final, played spectacular tennis and pushed the current number one to within a couple of points of losing the match. This bodes very well for future encounters between these two.

If there’s ever been a loss that has almost as many positives as a win, this is it.

@ Overhead

Nadal also often squeezes something from suspicious sachets. So what?
Murray got some bottles from Lendl. You are quite far from sport world. Aren’t you?

kjklj

That was a great match. Huge respect to both guys as they showed the world their hearts. Novak in the end was just to strong from the baseline taking most balls on the rise. Nadal will be in huge pain today. If you read his book you will know how badly he took the loss to Fed at wimbledon 07. This will be worst i suspect as he has not beaten him for a long time.
http://www.top-tennis-training.net/

Great match. Shame that someone had to lose. The corporate speeches after the match were way too long. These guys couldn't even stand and were cramping up. And Nadal went down the front of his pants and was adjusting himself or had to go to the bathroom...right on national t.v.

art: "Why would anyone put Nadal & Novak ahead of Jimmy Connors , Lendl and Rod Laver."

Take it up with Rod Laver, they are his picks, but he left himself off the list for the record.

Nadal will be crying for sure. I hope he can get over this. He has to take comfort in knowing he was close to beating Joker. It was only 1 or 2 points and it would have been Nadal's match.

An absoutely astonishing match. I was worried for Nole he looked pale in the first set but then "normal service is resumed" in sets 2 and 3. To Nadal fans YES NOVAK IS IN NADALS HEAD AND Nadal's game matches up to Novak. Bottom line is that you always end up playing your game whatever "tweeks" you make( see Federer playing agressive and patient tennis from " the book of Novak on how to beat Nadal" in set 1 then going back to his normal stuff and losing!
Amazing Nadal to come back from 0-40 at 4all in the 4th. You might not like Nadal but that was amazing least of all gutsy play. But the last and overal praise has to go to Novak who, having 1 day's less rest, missed virtual match points in the 4th and going a break down in the 5th won the title. The era of Novak is here, I'm astounded.
All this said let there be no shadow of a doubt that for a great match you need 2 great players and both played exceptionally well. To anyone who criticises their game, think about this: How well do you think you can play after 3 let alone 5 hours of tennis! How hard can you hit the ball and place it as well as both Nadal and Djokovic? It came down to momentum swings but no one can claim Novak to dominate Nadal, it was that close today either could have won. Novak has the game to beat nadal but today it was as close as you could get. Honour both men, for anyone who doesn't is a disgrace to tennis.
Wonder if theses guys will be on a drip tonight? insane what they achieved.
Enjoy your tennis
Peace out.

@ teepee88

"Shame that someone had to lose."

Not at all. Let Nadal swallow the medicine he gave to Roger.

I think Nadal couldn't stand and being the loser, he understandably wanted to get off the court. But the guy is gracious and a good sport. He stayed composed. Yes, I did see him go down his pants. I think he just had to make some adjustments. If he had to pee badly, he wouldn't have been able to hold it and would have wet himself.

"You see, the real winner was Rafael Nadal..." (Slick)

hahaha i stopped reading after this line slick.

I don't think you are talking about 2012 AO.

Mister L, they say that one picture worths as a thousand words and this one is for you:
http://www.tennis.com/galleries/gallery/News/201201290903326244028-p2@stats.com.jpg

Do not give up on Rafa, he will need you (his fans) now the most.

I think Fed and Nadal won/lost legitimatelly. This Dokovich is good, but I question how this guy is able to have stamina for 5-set matches when he previously wasn't even able to finish 3 sets without being winded. I think it's highly suspicious.

@ tennismaven

"Nadal will be crying for sure. I hope he can get over this."

I don't care. Let the guy suffer.

Nadal is always grabbing the backside, but I saw him grab the front right in the beginning of the speeches. The guy needed to go. That was really too bad the idiot guys in the suits talked too long. Nadal should have wet the stage and then walked off.

Nadal is great. Without him and Fed, tennis would go down the toilet. Djokovic couldn't sustain any viewership without Fed and Nadal.

Sad to say, but I think that was Rafa's big chance to beat Nole. Nole played like crap for the first set and was clearly the more tired of the two for the match. He had less juice on his serve than usual.

I liken it to Roger's match against Rafa in 2009 in the AO. Roger really should have won that match but let it slip away. You could've taken from that match the idea that Roger had what it took to beat Rafa if he could just take advantage of a couple of points here and there, but all it has shown in hindsight is that it is exceedingly difficult for Roger to win a best of 5 against Rafa under any circumstances.

I think the same applies to this match. Rafa may say he doesn't feel too bad, but I believe he will come to regret it....

One more thought.
How long can these two guys keep this up this year?
It's January and they are already doing thrilla in Manilla AGAIN, what next? First one to have a limb drop off loses?
Its going to be a very interesting few months from FO to USOpen if they keep this up.

I hope Nadal trounces Djokovic at the French, Wimbledon and US Open. I certainly hope someone steals that egg Djokovic sits in, and steals the secret pills he takes underneath his towel.

Nadal takes positives from this. He was very close to beating this clown. Had he made one point, the match was his. Djokovich will never beat Nadal on clay in the FO finals. Not a chance.

@ Sammy: As a fellow Rafa fan, I can't say I see many positives at all. Djokovic played below par in the first set and basically gifted that one to Rafa. He deservedly won the second set. He completely dominated in the third set. A superhuman effort by Rafa evened the match against all probability, but even though Djokovic was barely able to stand upright anymore in the fifth, he still won.

Where is the positive from that? :-)

As I wrote above: I am proud of Rafa fighting like a lion, but disappointed with everything else. He still played too defensively over long stretches of the match. For all the talk he and his team have been doing about changing and adjusting, playing more agrressively, I have only seen that in small doses. And in the fifth set, when he was a break ahead and had a chance to win against all odds, he choked.

This "rivalry" between Djokovic 2.0 and Rafa is so one-sided, it makes even Federer-Nadal 2008-12 seem competitive. Great if you are a Djokovic KAD, not so great for everyone else. There could be some rather boring times ahead in men's tennis.

topdog,

Do not exhibit the weakness of your thinking.
People used to mumbled: Roger is GOAT.
Then: Rafa is great.

But Nole flushed them down the toilet.

I thought Nadal could have won this match. It was luck that Djokovic came up with this win. Nadal could have lost in the 4th, but his sheer will prevailed and sent it to a fifth set. In the fifth, it was Nadal's for the taking when he was up 4-2, but a costly miss actually cost him the match. Also, I think Nadal is the hottest male tennis player, I could watch him all day.