The History of Men's Tennis (Open Era)

(3)Novak Djokovic d. (5)Andy Murray        6-4, 6-2, 6-3            (2:39 h)

British people still wait for a big triumph in prestigious disciplines (football & tennis) which originate from the United Kingdom. Murray didn’t fulfill dreams again to become the first British player since Fred Perry (1936) to win a Grand Slam tournament. The final was very equal until the fourth point of the 10th game. Djokovic gave everything then, leading 5:4 (30/15); Murray did the same, and after a 39-stroke rally of dynamic shots with impressive stretching from both sides, Djokovic obtained a double set point. Sometimes just one point in seemingly irrelevant moment of a match decides the final outcome, and it was that case… Djokovic won the next point, took the set and thirty minutes later had a set point to win the 2nd set 6-0! Murray finally ended a 7-game drought but lost the set anyway. The Brit made the same mistake as Nadal in his quarterfinal against Ferrer, despite being outplayed from the baseline in the first two sets (Djokovic was amazing even in Murray’s department – successful moon-lobs from very difficult positions), still was playing from the back of the court in the 3rd set (in the entire match had not win a point thanks to a volley!). He broke Djokovic twice in the set (to lead 1:0 and at 1:3), but in the last three games, it was Djokovic who took the initiative and converted his first match point after Murray’s forehand unforced error that hit the tape. The Serb wins his 19th title, including the second major – joins a group of eight players who won two Grand Slam tournaments (Sergi Bruguera, Lleyton Hewitt, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Johan Kriek, Ilie Nastase, Patrick Rafter, Marat Safin & Stan Smith). Murray on the other hand joins Tony Roche – these two players have lost the most major finals (three) without having won once (the Open era, Roche is a pre-Open era champion). Djokovic said: “Maybe there was a turning point in the whole match, that 5:4 game. I was a bit fortunate, I kind of anticipated well and read his intentions and played some great shots and great moments. It is a big advantage mentally when you are a set up and you are getting to the second set and really going for the shots.” Murray stated: “It was better than it was last year,” despite winning fewer games than in the 2010 final, “I thought Novak played unbelievably well. It’s tough, but you have to deal with it. You always have to try to find a way, to believe. When I got ahead in some games, even in just points, he was sticking up lobs that were landing on the baseline, passing shots that were on the line. I broke his serve twice in the third set and still lost 6-3.” Stats of the final

Doubles final:
(1)Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan d. (3)Mahesh Bhupathi/Leander Paes 6-3, 6-4

1st semifinal:
(3)Novak Djokovic d. (2)Roger Federer 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-4        [3:00 h]

Djokovic began the match in unusual style, serving two double faults in a row in the 1st game which gave Federer a break point – saved by the Serb after a long rally. Since then, both players were winning service games comfortably until the tie-break, where Federer (second player behind Pete Sampras who has won the most tie-breaks in tennis history) was surprisingly tense, I don’t know, maybe the fact he had unusually long period (20 sets) without a tie-break was crucial – Djokovic won it easily. The 2nd set was different, early break for Djokovic, then Federer wins four games in a row and after a return winner leads 5:2* (15/0) – Djokovic gets the momentum and wins five straight games and the set being two points away from losing it at *4:5 (30-all). In the 3rd set Djokovic again breaks to lead 2:1, this time holds his serve in the next few games. Federer levels up from 2:4 to *4:4 but loses the 9th game with poor shot selection and despite saving a double match point in the following game, has to walk off the court as a loser – his first defeat after 15-match winning streak. Federer won one game less from set to set, but paradoxically, the time of each set was increasing (58, 60, 62). I guess it’s interesting that they’ve played the third semifinal of a major against each other with a similar scoreline. Here are the scorelines of those matches and their duration:

Australian Open, 2008: Djokovic d. Federer 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5)… 2:26 h
US Open, 2009: Federer d. Djokovic 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-5… 2:34 h
Australian Open, 2011: Djokovic d. Federer 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-4… 3:00 h

2nd semifinal:
(5)Andy Murray d. (7)David Ferrer 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1, 7-6(2)                [3:46 h]

The end of the 1st set was excellent – Murray led 4:3 with a break of serve but Ferrer managed to win three straight games, in which both players showed their best tennis. Ferrer responded with a break thanks to two great points played at the net to level at four games apiece, and won the next game saving a double break point (ace & service winner). There was close that the 2nd set would be a copy of the first one. The first break for Murray, then a ri-break for Ferrer and the Spaniard has a set point at 5:4… Murray saves it with a service winner – after the match he tells Jim Courier, he thought it was 3:4 not 4:5! Saving the set point was vital – Murray in the middle of the 2nd set had changed his tactics attacking the net more often, but after the set point in the 10th game, he was more convincing from the back of the court than his opponent, and winning the 3rd set easily, he led 2:0* (30/0) in the 4th set. An ambitious and pertinacious Ferrer saved a break point in that game and just like in the sets No. 2 and 3, he broke back Murray immediately. For the second time, the tie-break was required, and for the second time, Ferrer could not do too much in it. It’s amazing that “Pics” has lost his last 11 tie-breaks in Melbourne! He won out there only one tie-break – the first he played in 2004 against Gilles Muller. “I think toward the end of the second set I started going for my shots more. I was missing a lot earlier,” Murray said. “I changed my string tension and managed to come through. I changed my tactics … played closer to the baseline, waiting for my shots a bit more.”

1st quarterfinal:
(2)Roger Federer d. (19)Stanislas Wawrinka   6-1, 6-3, 6-3   (1:47 h)

After impressive wins over Gael Monfils and Andy Roddick on Rod Laver Arena, Wawrinka disappointed totally on the same court playing against his compatriot Federer in the first all-Swiss quarterfinal at a major in the Open era. Perhaps Wawrinka was affected by the sun, because his two previous matches had played in night session and the average speed of his 1st serve had been distinctively higher (200 kph with Roddick, 16 kph slower with Federer). The only moment of the match when the final outcome was open, occurred in the middle of the 2nd set as Wawrinka had a break point leading 3:2, Federer won seven straight games since then… “I think it was a good match for me really. I started off well. Was able to serve and return really well… I expected him during today[‘s match] to even serve bigger because the ball travels faster through the air. For some reason I was able to return him well.” says Federer, who was playing in his record-tying 27th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal! Wawrinka’s first loss this year after 9 consecutive wins.

2nd quarterfinal:
(3)Novak Djokovic d. (6)Tomas Berdych   6-1, 7-6(5), 6-1   (2:32 h)

It was an equal match (played indoors) with high level of play from both sides only in the 2nd set. Berdych was very tense at the beginning of the encounter, he was missing a lot especially from his forehand side. In the 2nd set he had his opportunities to level at one set apiece but every time at the most important stages (4:1*, 30-all; 5:4* 30/15 & 5:5* in the tie-break), Djokovic was more patient and able to force his rival to make a mistake. After very long, 78-minute set, Berdych couldn’t regroup and lost the 3rd set as quick as the 1st set (less than 40 minutes). “Pretty much I can be disappointed with the second set,” says Berdych. “I took over a little bit and was playing well, aggressive enough, and somehow he starts to make at least a couple of mistakes that give me a chance to have a break”.

3rd quarterfinal:
(5)Andy Murray d. Alexandr Dolgopolov   7-5, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3   (3:06 h)

Dolgopolov was behind his opponent all the time, but left better aesthetic impression leaving the court… Murray began the match like the previous ones – in an impressive style – led 4:1* (deuce) but the Ukrainian managed to erase one break of serve and was close to get the tie-break after saving a couple set points – finally Murray hit the line with his backhand return. In the 3rd set Murray led 3:1, then had three mini-match points – Dolgopolov saved them all with very good serves and risky play. The set cost Dolgopolov too much energy and experienced Brit jumped quickly into a *4:0 lead in the 4th set. Dolgopolov caught up a bit but there was too late to dream about the third consecutive 5-setter. “It was very tough, every point was different, he hits, just different,” says Murray. “He came back at me well in the third set, but I did well in the end. I had to go for my shots a little bit more, I was a little bit tentative in the tiebreak, so went for my shots a bit more and that settled me down. It was a tough match, and a good one to get through.“

4th quarterfinal:
(7)David Ferrer d. (1)Rafael Nadal   6-4, 6-2, 6-3   (2:33 h)

Generally speaking this year’s tournament was extremely predictable until the last quarterfinal. Nadal who was aiming to become the first winner of four consecutive majors since Rod Laver in 1969, had on the other side of the net his long-time rival, friend and compatriot – David “Pics” Ferrer, whom had beaten in the previous seven encounters, and each time without any serious troubles. The beginning of the match was crazy, in the 2nd game they both played their best tennis and Ferrer took an early break after 8 ‘deuces’, he lost his serve immediately but everyone would expect that this time Nadal is facing a tough test. And then, happened something strange, Nadal disappeared from the court and came back a few minutes later screwed up. He took a medical-time twice in the set but a grimace on his face didn’t change to the end. The older Spaniard was controlling all longer rallies and finished the match with a winning forehand after two and a half hours of play, ending Nadal’s streak of 25 successive matches won in Grand Slam tournaments. “In general, I had a virus. When you have a virus, your body goes down and you have more risk of everything,” he explained. “That’s probably what happened. That’s the simple thing.” Here is a list of the longest Grand Slam streaks (matches won in a row) in the Open era:

29 – Rod Laver (1969-1970)
27 – Roger Federer – twice: (2005-2006) & (2006-2007)
25 – Jimmy Connors (1974-1975), Pete Sampras (1993-1994) & Rafael Nadal (2010-2011)

* In all cases, the players won at least three consecutive majors (Laver won 4).