We meet again.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/pBi3aPX8ya
— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) January 27, 2019
Novak Djokovic Dominates Rafael Nadal to Win Record Seventh Australian Open Title
(January 27, 2019) Novak Djokovic now holds a record seven Australian Open titles, after his dominant 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 2 Rafael Nadal on Sunday night in Melbourne. This was the first time in a major final that Nadal lost without winning a set. The No. 1 player in the world now holds 15 major titles and is in third place all-time, two behind Nadal and five behind Roger Federer.
This is Djokovic’s third straight major title. He is a French Open title away from holding all four major titles at once. Djokovic did this back in 2015-16.
In the two-hour and six-minute match, Djokovic hit 34 winners, with just nine errors. The Spaniard hit only 21 winners with 28 unforced errors.
Djokovic came out firing. In less than ten minutes, the Serb was up a break at 3-0. He won 13 of the first 14 points of the match. Djokovic had break points in nearly all of Nadal’s service games in the first set. Djokovic only lost one point in his service games during the opening set.
Djokovic was able to break Nadal’s serve twice in the second set, and once the 15-time major champion broke serve in he third set in the third game, the match was all but over.
“An amazing level of tennis,” admitted Nadal during the trophy ceremony. The 17-time major champion said that tonight was not his night.
“It was so important to be where I am today, coming back from injury, and it’s good inspiration for me for what’s coming,” Nadal continued. “I’m going to keep fighting hard to be a better player.”
Nadal came into the tournament, having had to retire from matches in his last two hard court majors – in the semifinals at the US Open and in the quarterfinals of last year’s Australian Open. He had not completed a tournament since the US Open.
“When he plays like that I needed something extra, and I couldn’t do it tonight,” Nadal said to media in his post-match news conference. “Today I don’t have that something else yet. Played great for 2 weeks offensively, in defense I only had some practice, not enough for tonight”
“I wasn’t ready to play that level tonight. But I believe I can be ready.”
“To be standing now here in front of you today and managing to win this title and three out of four Slams is truly amazing,” Djokovic said. “I am speechless.”
“When someone does everything better than you, you can’t complain,” Nadal added. You can only say ‘congrats’, ‘well done’. “
“My priority is to be happy and to be happy I have to be healthy.”
“One of the best if not the best match I’ve played in a grand slam final”, Djokoivc said.
– @DjokerNole #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/w6EEYHxcsA
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2019
More to follow…..
