Novak Djokovic outmuscles Andy Murray to make history – Australian Open 2013
World number one, Novak Djokovic, made an epic comeback from a set down to outclass third seed, Andy Murray, in a four-set thriller at the Australian Open 2013 on Sunday. He notched up a 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2 victory against the Olympics gold medallist
to capture his third successive Grand Slam trophy at the Melbourne Park.
Seeded top at this major hard court event, Djokovic unleashed tremendous groundstrokes from his arsenal of skills to overpower the Scot in their 18th meeting. After stealing the show, the Serb improved to 11-7 in the FedEx ATP (Association of
Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head Series against Murray and successfully defended his title.
"Winning it three [times] in a row, it's incredible," said Djokovic. "It's very thrilling. I'm full of joy right now. It's going to give me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season, that's for sure. When you play one of your biggest rivals and somebody
that is in top form in the finals of a Grand Slam, there is a lot to play for. I think it went two hours, 20 minutes, the first two sets. I think that says enough about the intensity of the match. "
In the opening set, both stars played their best tennis. However, the 25-year-old Scot went berserk in the tie-breaker and bagged the opener with a 7-6(2) win.
The Serbian number one was trailing a game and 0-40 before fining his rhythm in the second set. He managed to keep his entire serves and dominated in the tie-breaker, eventually sealing the set with a 7-6(3) success.
Djokovic kept momentum rolling in the proceeding set. He swiftly kept his entire serves and after getting the breakthrough in the eighth game, the Serb clinched the set with a 6-3 score line.
The Serbian star blasted powerful groundstrokes in the fourth set and reeled off five games in a row to take a 5-1 lead. He held his serve once again and eventually clicked the set with a 6-2 win.
The Dunblane native, Murray reflected about losing his chances in the start of the second set.
"At this level it can come down to just a few points here or there. Probably my biggest chance was at the beginning of the second set; didn't quite get it.”
This was Murray’s third loss in the final at Australian Open. He lost to Federer in 2010 and Djokovic in 2011.
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