Thanks Pete, I'll start reading now.

After today's performance it's very clear that right now, in men's tennis, nobody is mentally as strong as Nole. He has now won critical matches in tremendous pressure against Federer, Nadal & Murray. If Rafa really has to win against Djokovic, he better look out for those winners. Djokovic hit 83 winners in their last two meetings (Wimby+US Open). More importantly he has to believe in himself that he can win this battle. Djokovic/Nadal's Mind War: What does the stats indicate? http://bit.ly/xOwaeS

Mr Bodo, I can see you made this racquet reaction about the two players, their game and the mental attitude of both players. So it is only things that relate to your buddy roger that you lose all sense of perspective.

Only caught the second set, just witnessing it's physical brutality tired me enough to go back to sleep exhausted.

It certainly looked like a turning point for Murray. But you never know with these things. Sometimes a great loss like this is the peak (ahem, Verdasco), not a harbinger of things to come. although Murray has a far better pedigree than FeVer and the like...

match of the evnt so far ,gutted murray lost but he can take alot of confidence from this i hope,serve was a liability in the 5th set,well done boys bravo i hope nole wins just for that match,rafa heart must of sunk when nole won,after he thought murray as going to break to serve for it

True grit: perfect description in only two words.

Congrats to both players.

Even though he lost, a coming of age for Murray. Huge credit to him (and Lendl) for that performance. Let's hope this new version is here to stay.

A possible new rivalry born? We'll see...

@ ciaran:

Rafa didn't want Nole to get through this much is for certain.

But w/an easier match and an extra day's rest, this might be one of the better chances Rafa has to get his 6-match losing streak off his back...if he does not win this one...

"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."
No, service winner and forhend nailed on line what was efectively a match point for both of them. Can not teach that. Just Loko Djoko at his craziest.

I just lost everything I typed so I'll be succinct on my second try.

Simply put, I think Nole has come full circle after the FO semi 2011 loss.

He accepts his fate and is at peace with it because he musters all the true grit that he can in matches that are tense. In other words, win or lose, he knows that he tried his best, attitude-wise and effort-wise.

Incredible. Equally satisfying as a Nole fan and heartbreaking as one standing firmly behind Murray against the classless British haters. Maybe Andy should've won, but Nole pulled that something special out again. What happened at the USO and here after the 3rd is something bigger than tennis. It's sheer, raw fighting spirit, superhuman effort or simply a showcase of the big heart. So many smack he got over the years because certain fans didn't like his colorful persona, so much to endure when he had this game in him only to fail for years, this is Novak's unleashing HELL and showing how justice is done. Absolutely breathtaking!

I'd like to congratulation to Andy Murray, what a warrior! Can anybody honestly say that Novak doesn't stand a chance on Sunday because he'll be tired, first serve this, Nadal that etc? There's another extraordinary chapter to write, won't be easy, but Djokovic is bringing his best, no excuses!

well done to both, especially impressed with Murray. Hopefully it was a career turning point, even if in defeat.

"Djokovic had just one more, 26 to 24"

EEK!! Way to go with basic arithmetic, 26-24 = 1? O-kayyyy.

Craig!!! Murray - Verdasco?
come off it.

Bodo: It was brutal and majestic.

No it wasn't. Tomorrow Nole will feel brutality and Rafa's majesty.

Who would have thought that coming out of the Australian Open it would be Andy Murray who would improve his stature by the most? If there's such a thing as a moral win, this match was it.

(Unless of course, Nadal saves 57 matchpoints against Novak on Sunday in a heart stopping comeback; but with Djokovic breathings so heavily hard to say he would IMPROVE his standing right?)

Here's my post match interview:

How did you survive: I didn't. I'm a drained adrenalin mess. Murray's stiff resistance got me turn off the live stream before the 2nd set tie-break.

What kept you going back to your computer to check the live score: Bee Gees Staying alive I was playing non-stop after I stopped watching the match.
I would also like to thank my box, my tennis friend Tenez, for supporting me during this terrible ordeal through which I have even punished my fringe by cutting the extra annoying 2mm.

Will you be able to recover for the final on Sunday: I hope so. I've suffered a minor injury, somehow I managed pulled the back muscle, but should recover for Sunday.

Any last words of wisdom: there's nothing new under the sun: Nole is the best!

never thought I'd say this
Murray will a slam!

if he keeps that leval

I feel bad for Murray's loss, but I feel good about the grit and the composure he showed today. Today's Murray can beat Nadal, so he has to believe and keep on working on his attitude. Not being a great fan of his, I still hope he will eventually win a major.

Now, I am happy Djoko won, as I feel he is really the only one who can beat Nadal (whom I respect tremendously but don't support).

I remember the wonderful first line of Raquet Reaction after the 2011 US Open final: "Djokovic plunged a dagger in the heart of Rafael Nadal in the first set. But Nadal being the immense champion he is, it took him another 4 hours to expire".

I hope we'll have the same type of intense boxing match; it was one of the most exciting, jaw-dropping tennis matches I have ever seen (watched it numerous times afterward).

Well, this was certainly a great match, if not consistently excellent throughout. I'm sure Nadal was happy to see it stretch to nearly five hours.

I have been, and remain, a big Murray fan, but I have now officially slipped into the not-likely-to-win-a-slam camp, and here's why.

1. Murray is unable to hold himself together for extended runs. Clearly (to me, anyway) he has a game equal to the other players at the top of the game (In fact, in the last year, nobody gave Djokovic more trouble than Murray.), but he is unable to sustain that level, often letting down at just the wrong moment. His failure to consolidate breaks and his let-down at the start of the fourth set are perfect examples. Against lesser opponents this is not a fatal flaw, but it means he's always fighting back against his top rivals.

2. Murray does not handle opportunity well. I'd be curious to see what his first serve percentage was when he held game point, especially multiple game points. Likewise, what was his percentage of returns back in play on break points against the Djokovic serve. My guess is that the numbers for both of those factors is lower than the same numbers across the entire match. That is when he most needs to close he blinks. Yes, maybe in his head he's going for it, but there were so many times through the match that his failure to put the ball back into play gave Djokovic hope. Most everybody plays better from behind, but champions play best when it matters most. (Heck, Sampras built his career on playing the most important points well.)

Full credit to Djokovic. This is a match he might have lost, but he held himself together at just the right times. In my view, this was Murray's match to win. He certainly played level w/ Djokovic for most of the match (except start of match and fourth set) and had his chances. This was literally a match decided by a few key points, mostly lost by Murray w/ balls into the net or by delivering sitter second serves.

Alas, so it goes . . .

Good luck to all four finalists. Not sure who I'm pulling for, but I think Djokovic and Shreikapova have the upper hand. We'll see.

both guys were amazing.

well done Nole
unlucky Murray

amazing amazing amazing amazing match

In some victories, there are calls for asterisks to be added to the win because the integrity of the win was questionable.

In this case, it's not Djokovic's win which deserves an asterisk -- it's Murray's loss which does.

Murray, as always, came up with some huge first serves down break point. He is a great clutch server, but why can't he ever make a first serve when he's ahead?! He'll bomb and ace to save break point and then smack the tape on deuce. In terms of raw power, he has the biggest first serve of the top four (not counting Nadal's brief spell of inspired serving during the 2010 US Open), which makes sense since he's even an inch taller than Novak. He just has a horrible % and a one-dimension second serve.

Anyway, great match. I think Murray gains a lot from this. He would have had a real shot against Nadal if he had pulled it out.

It has been a great match played at a lower level than yesterday´s, in my humble opinion. Epic? Yeah... but Andy could have done way better mentally. He gave away a set for free. That´s signing out your defeat.

Kudos to Murray anyway. Great guy indeed.

if if if

Statistics are more than clear whose match this was to win. No question about that.

Great match, loved Murray's attitude, but have the biggest respect for Nole. At the US Open he swung that forehand return on match point against him. Today with Murray having the second break point at 5 all, they have an incredible rally and Djoker goes for the winner with the forehand....and makes it. He's incredible.

My only wish is that everyone shuts up on how tired Nole might be on Sunday. I hope he doesn't use this as an excuse. And imagine if Rafa walked on the court without any bandages, tapes, etc. That would be my dream final beginning. I can't take all this talk about tiredness, injuries, etc. anymore...man up!

I'm at work now, (9AM) exhausted, after getting up early in USA (2AM) to watch this match, and ACTUALLY WATCHING THESE GUYS PLAY! They wore me out!

It was indeed "brutal and majestic." I knew days ago that it would be. I am a rabid Nole fan, but Lendl has really worked wonders with Murray--form and attitude. (ex..I saw Murray pull himself up short at least three or four times when he was about to bang his racquet or melt into an emotional potato.)

Congrats to both for some gritty, down in the dirt, play. I'm no great Murray fan, but he bears watching this year. (He and Ferrer) Great to see the legendary Mr. Laver enjoying himself. My first racquet when I was a kid was a wooden Rod Laver...oops but I'm dating myself...

Can't wait for men's final.

We're all praising Murray's performance, and rightly so; but am I the only won who still thinks he throws in too many boneheaded errors at crucial stages of the match?

He had something like 15 double faults, and while that is partly due to Djokovic's insane return game, some of those second serves went into the net, which is indicative of fatigue and/or lack of concentration.

And like Federer last night, why didn't he stick to a game plan that was working? Djokovic was wearing down and having trouble breathing, yet in the fifth set he often went back to slicing his backhand and hooking his forehand instead of continuing the physical punishment. Strange. Hopefully Lendl will help point that out when they watch the tape, cause Djokovic was really for the taking here, and I would have fancied Murray against Nadal in the final.

Now in the meanwhile let's see what the peevish British press does with Murray's skewering. Stupid gits.

dan--I clearly said that Murray is far greater than Verdasco in my post.

I also said that a loss like this for a relatively young player tends to mean he/she will break through. But not always. I just feel like Murray played the match of his life...and lost.

But if you want a slightly better example, how about Vitas G, an excellent player. Had many matches where he was THIS close to breaking through and never did. On the female side, Elena D...

@Fed Fan

"...am I the only won who still thinks he [Murray] throws in too many boneheaded errors at crucial stages of the match?"

My take; Murray's a big guy (rangy) and he seems to "lumber" about during the worst possible moments, like his legs and feet are too heavy. That's generally when he makes his mistakes.

Nole on the other hand, is more in line with a Monfils, in terms of body type and agility. You rarely see Nole and Gael "lumbering" around. They literally seem to fly around the court during their peak moments.

I don't think Murray is hindered so much by being "bone-headed" when he makes those unforced errors but moreso by his inability to maintain his agility throughout a match--especially when he's tired.

"a career turning point for Murray as a big-match player"

:-D

I was exhausted yesterday and I am exhausted today but the reward was two thrilling matches. Murray did not relapse into defense but kept his game together and he will break through because Nadal's body will break down in a year or two, Fed is slipping slightly and Djoko cannot win everything. Lendl was an inspired choice as coach because Andy has never had a strong masculine presence in his life and Lendl is probably happy to have a pseudo son after all those daughters.

But, Craig - Vitas did break through; he won the Australian Open in 1977.

Saying "never did" is almost true. He did suffer many defeats before and during finals. But he did win AO '77, and deserves his credit for it.

"Lendl was an inspired choice as coach because Andy has never had a strong masculine presence in his life"

I was wondering about that yesterday.

I like the implication that comment has for Brad G ;-)

It becomes increasingly clear that the gulf in ability/attitude/consistency/talent etc between the top 4 guys and the rest is just huge. No one has tested any of them, except for a few games here and there, for the entire tournament, but when they play each other....well, its all of the things that have been observed - epic, brutal, unrelenting, terrifying tennis. It is something to be savoured, even if it means just waiting til the last couple of rounds of the slams to see anything of genuine note happen....

I feel you Wiseowl. I watch the Fed/Rafa match, too. Still, two days of exhaustion for us....imagine what those guys are feeling???

@Cotton Jack

"I like the implication that comment has for Brad G ;-)"

Now that's funny.

Does anybody know the semis are scheduled on separate days? It seems that is a advantage for Rafa.

Pete,

I agreed with (what underlied) and perfectly understood your failure to give Nadal credit in the face of Roger's abandoning his best strategy and appreciate your effort to provide insight into it. I was surprised by how effective Federer's use of what actually amounted to Nadal's strategy against him worked so well. In fact, It makes you wonder why Federer doesn't serve to Nadal's backhand on every single serve and see how that works! My take is that Nadal's growth on clay gives him a discipline/focus at mining a strategy over a long period that Federer lacks.

Another great review - keep up the good work (just continue to get your work reviewed by editors so no glaring factual errors creep in).

One thing that I'll definitely never forget from this match:

The way Djokovic screamed during a dramatic volley late in the third set, which he ultimately lost.

That really summed up just how hard Murray was pushing him, and how hard he was struggling to fight back. It was simultaneously a sound of desperation and strength. It was wrought with fragility, yet intensely powerful.

In so many other sports, that kind of sound is lost or greatly diminished because the fans are cheering wildly. That is just one of the things that makes tennis great.

Tonight Murray has now shown that he can compete with the best in the world, when did we have 4 guys not only dominate the rest but also be on such relatively equal terms? Outstanding tennis turely outstanding. Andy must be gutted but if he bounces back and takes all the positives then the year could be exceptional for him.
As for Novak, bummer that he only gets a day's rest. Nadal and fans must be rubbing their hands together big time! I cannot see Novak doing a Nadal 2009 Oz final.
If he does, then I would not be surprised if Nadal cries too at the ceremony (he and fed aren't all that different really)after 7 consecutive final defeats AND facing a broken and knackered Novak.
The Final should be very interesting. A classic? Maybe not but hopefully gritty and continuous plot change. Novak to win in 4 (standard Rafol sets)or 5 if rallies aren't too long but Nadal to win in 3 (blowout) or 5 (Grinding) sets.
enjoy your tennis
Peace out.

I haven't watched yet, but I can hardly wait to hear the commentary on this one.

I did see most of the first though, and if the "commentators" comments then were any indication, then I guess Lendl has failed. Sometimes, they should just zip it, after all, he's only been working with Andy for what, less than a month.

Way to go Nole. Let's all remember - 5 hour match or bum knee? Who has the advantage....we'll see.

this is the match of the tourney so far for me. couldnt hav asked for a more gripping match. rest well nole and be ready for the final.

btw credit must also goes to murray for his fighting spirits to make it such an unbelievable match

Call me crazy but...

If the finals goes into the 5th, Djokovic will win it.

congratulations to both!
this could have ended up either way; it was so close.

Murray proved beyond a doubt he is as good as djokovic, possibly better.
and i do think djo is an excellent tennis player. so is Murray.
i pick murray to go the distance and win Wimbledon this year.

"yet in the fifth set he often went back to slicing his backhand and hooking his forehand instead of continuing the physical punishment. Strange."

Take a second look at the match duration.Murray is only a human.

Nole is going to have a tough year. Everyone's coming hard at the new #1 who owns the eye-popping, record-setting 2011 season. That alone makes all of his opponents step up their game, trying to bring him back down to earth. Remember how hard Tipsy played him late last year then went back to playing normal with everyone else.

But hey, that's just the way it is. I think Novak's got the stuff to win at least 3 majors this year. Plus, he doesn't know it, but I've been mixing up this special "spritual strengh" powder for him. I'm going to sprinkle it over my television during Sunday's final. LOL

Hopefully this will have positive effect on Murray, but still not sure will it. Pressure on Murray is huge. Being the "next season wonder" for couple of years already and always failed to deliver top performances when it counts, definitely is great pressure, maybe even bigger than Novak's pressure after his 2011 year. We will see, he showed great improvement, today that was not enough, but with right attitude reward will come very soon.

As for Novak, I will quote Pete ..."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" ... This starts to becoming his trademark, dangerous game, but tennis is sport played with mind, heart and balls and by balls I don't mean those yellow ones.

Murray had Djokovic on the ropes after the third set, when both played their best tennis and it was Murray who came out on top, but Djokovic had a deep pool of confidence from last season to replenish his mental strength from, and in the end, that made all the difference.

This was a legendary match, i hope thats a sign of things to come for Andy, hopefully with a better ending next time.

Oh i can hear Rafa now.... "Novak is number 1 and beat me about million times in a row so he is the favorite, no ?" No Rafa, Novak played a 5 hour marathon and has only 1 day of rest before another marathon with you, you are the favorite, lets see how that treats you mentally.

Certainly a step up for Murray in ters of mental strength, but ominously that still wasn't enough to get him past Nole. He might win a slam if he catches a lucky break, possibly after Fed retires. No way will he ever beat two of the current big three back to back.

bravo murray and novak..They played awesome tennis ,this match was one of the finest matches i have ever seen...But after novak having such a tough match , if rafa with an extra day rest cannot beat novak then he never can...

No no1 was able to retain the ranking since 2007. Tennis became more physical, competition became deeper and pressure became heavier, Nole will have his hands full this year.

Much depends on Sunday however. Outside of 1600 points in difference depending on the winner, the question is whether Nadal can change the mental map of tennis 2011. Make no mistake, Federer and Murray play some great tennis, but they can't play great tennis a season long, so if Djokovic wins, as long as he somehow survives those two, he'll always hold the key for no1 vs. Rafa. If Nadal wins, that's not necessarily a game changer, but an important step that way.

But a season is long. Injuries, mental issues, surprising runs can kick in at any moment. In that sense Novak's turnaround after the 3rd set is the most positive thing of him this year so far, he's still hungry and dealing with pressure well.

GO NOLE!

Murray was able to make a semblance of fight just because Nole was out of sorts.
That will also be the reason of Nole's demise on Sunday.

Does Pete Bodo even watch the matches after Fed is gone?

Bodo is busy imbibing Shiraz.

Bodo watches Fed tapes after Fed is gone.

Didn't Aussiemarg mention that it's a bad summer for allergies in Oz?

Remember Rome.

Very good analysis by Pete. I always knew that Murray has the tools to trouble and even beat Nole as he showed in Rome last year but at the end of the day Nole is more consistently powerful from the baseline and has tons of confidence in this kind of tight matches after 2011.

I agree with those who point out that if Murray could serve those aces more often winning matches against the top 3 would be a much easier task. Today while both got broken several times, it was Murray who got more free points from his serve. From the baseline vs a guy like Nole he is for the moment in a disadvantage because he needs to rely on forcing Nole to errors or out of position which is more difficult than hitting an outright winner as Nole does in crucial moments from either side backhand or forehand.

According to the Melbourne Evening Herald multiple eye-witnesses saw Toni Nadal getting into a spraying helicopter that later was seen spreading allergic pollen over the Rod Laver arena.

Talking of serves, Djoker couldn't buy a first serve for most of the match- it was down to 40% in one set, and those were rolled in! Murray really should have won.

tina: Didn't Aussiemarg mention that...

She also called Italians "Italiens".
Well, it's Australia.

A very good article. Enjoyed reading it! Now it the finals all bets are off, albeit Djoko is my boy!

Say what you may, Djokovic is a prosaic though supremely fit player. Murray showed far more artistry, Djokovic little, as usual. Murray kept it interesting. I've never liked baseline bashing at all and never will. Kudos to Djokovic for his dogged resilience, nonetheless. It's just not interesting enough to slog through impossibly long rallies for five hours.

AMAZING match! Bravo NOVACE

Great effort from Andy, he is shown a lot of talent, a lot of heart and deserves all the credit the way he fought.

Nole, no words for him. I am so proud so proud of him! Well done, a truly great match and another testiment of his spirit of a champion

How good was Nole to win even without being at his best. Nerves of steel, great serve and 200% committed. Nole to break Nadal in two sunday and start 2012 where he left Nadal in 2011 - a loser!

This makes me happy because no matter what happens after Novak is ready to fight and is not succumbing to pressure of no.1 and such a historic year. Another great year is in store for Novak!

Nole will stay No.1 this year, prepare for the year of Djokovic, again!

I hope Djokovic will be able to defend the title to become one of the few players in the Open Era to have won three straight Grand Slams.

Here is the match-up history between Nadal and Djokovic: http://myballsmyballs.blogspot.com/2012/01/djokovic-survived-murray-in-nearly-five.html

It was a painful match to watch, that kind of matches were you wish there was a tie in tennis, what a brutal battle between this two, if Andy keep it up there is no doubt he will win either Wimbledon or the US Open. I think the final will be a matter of stamina, I dont see why Nole wouldnt be at the top of this game by sunday, Nole in 4 sets.

The Duchess of Glasgow performed admirably (for a change), but it still wasn't enough. I really wish someone would take out Djokovic - the excessive celebrations after, for example, winners (yes, some of them are amazing) are too much. He looked like an "ape extra" from Rise of the Planet of the Apes a few times this morning. Just ridiculous. If only Pete were still around to stifle his rather boring, predictable game.

TSC

Murray is the best player who will never win a slam. For whatever reason he just doesn't have it in him to win 7 matches. Today we saw a typical Murray important match. A lot of brilliance, a lot of stupid errors and a second serve that belongs in the women's game. Consistency is what is lacking when a match that he has to win is on the line -- and so it will ever be.

i love murray but i respect him even more after this should of broken at 5-5 in the 5th but nole played a unreal forehand down the line,how the f does he do that and murray had a couple of errors.but the thing that costy him the match was 86 errors that is way to high to beat nole who is stingy in return and 7/24 bp conversion.i said before the match murray has to improve his concentration and focus on his bp ,cost him plenty of chances vs nadal last year.

i hope he is practicing like this the whole time as he will not beat nole,rafa and fed with his old game ,they just dont make errors when the chips are down in slams

lol nat tomfool couldnt agree more his second serve does belong in the womens game it is as fast and sharapovas 2nd serve,is it me or is that f-ed up

"It probably marked a career turning point for Murray as a big-match player..."

How so? It's yet another loss in a slam, this time in a match that was very winnable on a number of accounts. Personally I doubt blowing a match in which one was up 2 break-points at 5-all in the fifth against an ailing opponent is likely to be a "career turning point" unless if finally destroys Murray altogether. Hope I'm wrong.

Fernando says that White Fang played a great match....best Fernando ever saw Fang play... And still lost. At his stage of Fang's career, losses, no matter how well Fang has played, do not cut it. Fang has to win. Poor Fang. Born in the wrong era, no?

Soon to come. Fernando's objective analysis and prediction for the final.

Fernando

Murray showed that he can mix it up against the Top 3. But what is it with him when at important junctures, he just throws in a bad serve or error.
I would love to see how he goes at Wimbledon. Who can forget all the coaches and effort Lendl put in on the grass that cows are supposed to eat at Wimbledon, but never made it, with somebody playing at a high level each year and taking him out :-)
The one thing I kept thinking watching this match was Nole is serving so badly and still competing, if he improves his serving he will win. And it happened in the 4th and 5th set.
Against Rafa if he has such a low 1st serve %age he will get killed.
But then again like Fed-Nadal, somehow Djokovic seems to win against Rafa

I see Fernando (aka Slender Gaucho aka Banana Peel aka BP aka Bored Poet) is marketing himself quite nicely these days. Oooh, I wait with bated breath. Slice that slender banana.

@Slice-n-Dice

Respect the banana...

Not only did Novak not serve well, but every time he hit a big 1st, Andy was right on it. Nothing came easy to Novak. Towards the end of the match he was doing a heck of a lot more running too, as Andy seem to be able t hit all his shots by standing in the middle of the court.

So, how did Novak win? With a combination of errors from Andy and some clutch play on big points. All the points Murray won on Novak's serve did not end up to that many games won. So, Novak simply had the nerve where Andy didn't.

Also, Novak did not get exhausted in spite of all the running. Sure he looked like was going to die many times, but note: only between the points! With ball in play, Novak was on full speed at all times. Not so much for Andy. The way you noticed he is having trouble is when he fails to go after the ball that he would have earlier in the match.

It all adds up to one thing: Novak simply has a stronger will.

Words of wisdom from one with experience, ChopChop? ;-))

jim curry is senile because ferrer stop rafa last year not nole at the ao. nole will probably win if he is healthy but rafa should find a way to defeat him or it will be 2011 over again? roger will keep the most gs record for the atp.

This was an intense affair. I have to admit that Murray surpassed my expectations.
He hit his forehand much better than before and indeed, played more aggressively, though, I still think some things haven't changed at all (head) in his game, hence his limitations are still the same. In addition to this, I also think all this Lendl hype isn't actually helping him (it just seems so since it's marketable) as it just adds up more pressure without any "real" substance. Sure, having some authority seating in the box might look like a boost, but I really don't buy it. After all, these guys are fully formed pros, not teenagers.

I kind of expected a better game from Novak. Today, he won with a barely B+ game. His first serve was well off, at times terrible. It kind of reminded me of past year's RG semifinal against Federer. He was visibly frustrated back then, too. But, on the bright side, Novak clearly showed the nerves of steel and resolve of a champion (yes, it's official: this guys is clutch!). He played well enough to win... while still doing a tremendously poor job at closing it in 5th. He didn't need all this drama... deja-vu (Rome 2011) all over again.

My impression of Novak when he goes through a tough period on court, when he is down in the score, and nothing is going his way, and he is muttering and yelling to himself is that he only thinks "why oh why will winning this one today be so hard?".

He never, ever, for a second, even thinks about any possibility that he could lose. He just gets upset when he realizes that winning will be very hard. It's as though while everyone else has this great job of playing tennis, he has this awful one of winning it, and sometimes that can be such a pain!

As for the Final, I think spending least hours on court in the first 3 rounds proved very beneficial to Novak. This is his barely 3rd match... so, there should be enough in the tank for Nadal.

"Well, it's Australia."

It certainly is, Nelson Muntz.

Once again.....we.....the tennis consuming public....have been treated to an inspired performance by our concrete warriors. Wow......just wow!

I was pretty stoked to see Muzz at least play with some resolve and purpose for the large portion of this match. I don't know the last time he's been through a war like this....but he is better for being a part of it.

As is Nole....whom turned up the heat a notch by deciding to go crazy on his second service and crank up the MPHs. Risky.....brave....and right on. Last year we wondered if matches like this wore him down. Ultimately......his opponents tended to look more worn in the following match....perhaps lulled to sleep by watching Nole on the court for nearly 5 hours.

BRAVO fellas! BRAVO!

Great men's and women's semis! We don't get to say that very often in recent tennis history.

I'm not surprised Novak is having trouble with his allergies here. Melbourne is one of the worst places in the world for asthmatics and hay fever sufferers. All those grasses from the northern plains, plus many trees and wattles. Hope he can find a remedy the drug testers approve of - and win!

Well said Pete 'def comparable to the USO final, brutal and majestic'. It actually also reminded me of the Vika/Kim semifinal in a way because Vika/Murray's FH held up extremely well despite being the technically weakest groundstroke on court. And Kim/Nole weren't getting the same snap on their FHs through most of the match.

Nole was able to find his form and turn it around, Kim wasn't.

On the bad side of things, I set my DVR for 4.5 hours, thinking there's no way the match would go beyond that. And my recording crapped out at 3-2 in the 5th. SO I MISSED THE BEST PART OF THE MATCH ARRGH!

Pete's article sure was a lot more complimentary or at least giving credit to the players for playing their hearts out, great or bad form here and there. Tignors article seemed more snarky.

It became clear to me today watching the Nole/Murray match (huge Djoker fan here for full disclosure), that these two for the next 5 years or so along with Nadal, are the future of pro tennis. Nadal's games is perfected to beat Federer because of his one handed BH, but because of the amazing backhands of Nole/Murray, they will attack Rafa's backhand relentlessly, and Nadal will be run out of town eventually. Unless he improves that backhand ALOT. He pushes and slices it, has no conviction. All court means all court, and thats gonna be alot of Djokovic and Murray for a looooonnnng time. Love it! Brutal, bruising tennis they play, no weaknesses, just waiting for the time to strike. No desperation in their shots. Just waiting, hitting deep, and when that opportunity comes, they hit a winner. Love their games, its literally chess, thinking a few moves ahead. Tennis IS THE BEST SPORT EVER!!!

I'm going to watch this a third time right now!

Murray's performance was incredible! Everytime I see him play, he gets better and better. I have no doubt that within the year he'll start having answers for the bigger players(Novak, Rafa, etc) I will be watching him for sure through the year and the upcoming French Open.
(My opinion) Im not much of a Novak fan. So I will be going for Rafa in the championship(even though he is beginning to bore me also) I know Im going to get every kind of answer but...the question that is on my mind is...What was Novak eating behind the towel?
Do you think that Novak should get some drug testing done? Is it possible he is using performance enhancements of some sort? Just when he is in his games he seems stoned or eyes dialated a little, plus tends to have a stagger in his walk on the court. Just throwing that out there.

Nadal should keep his mouth shut instead of commenting on other players like Murray, while the tournament is still going on. He keeps on proving that he is a man with no brain. What if Roger has not blown all those chances and played without choking in 2 French open, 1 Wimbledon, 2 Australian open matches, Nadal would be with 4 or 5 clay court slams at the best so far.

what illegal substance was he drinking under the towel, he should be tested immediately.

Unless Mr. Murray seriously takes that every point in every game as a MATCH-POINT- HE can never win any GRAND SLAM. He must be serious about it by deed & by thought. However, he has demonstrated his exceptional capabilities this time and I will consider him as A WINNER in many ways. LET HIM KNOW THAT " LUCK IS ANOTHER NAME FOR HARD WORK " and " HE MUST BE PERFECT IN SIMPLE THINGS AS PERFECTION IS NOT A SIMPLE THING "

Murray showed more to worry Novac going forward than Nadal did! On several occasions during the semi-final, Murray stepped forward to the baseline and gave Novac the run around playing the same domineering brand of tennis that was only seen from Novac himself during 2011. I thought Nadal would have seen this and stepped up in similar fashion in the final but wasn't quite able to do so in the same way that Murray did (albeit only in spells). Once Murray gets time to review how successful this was, and with Lendl's input, I think we'll see at least one significant victory for Murray over Djokovic this year!