MELBOURNE, Australia – Novak Djokovic was so good, so relentless, so pretty much perfect, that Rafael Nadal never stood a chance.
Djokovic reduced one of the greats of the game to merely another outclassed opponent – just a guy, really – and one so out of sorts that Nadal even whiffed on one of his famous forehands entirely.
In a remarkably dominant and mistake-free performance that yielded a remarkably lopsided result, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic overwhelmed Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday night to win a record seventh Australian Open championship and a third consecutive Grand Slam title, raising his count to 15 overall.
“An amazing level of tennis,” Nadal acknowledged.
After dropping only four games in the semifinals, Djokovic spoke about being “in the zone.” Clearly, he did not budge from there, producing 34 winners and only nine unforced errors Sunday.
And this was against no slouch, of course: Nadal is ranked No. 2, owns 17 major trophies himself and hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament.
But Djokovic left Nadal smirking or gritting his teeth or punching his racket strings, unable to compete at all.
So Djokovic added to previous triumphs in Melbourne in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, along with four at Wimbledon, three at the US Open and one at the French Open.
He broke his tie with Roger Federer and Roy Emerson for most Australian Open men’s titles. He also broke a tie with Pete Sampras for third-most Grand Slam trophies; Djokovic only trails Federer, with 20, and Nadal.
And he is gaining on them.
A sore right elbow cost Djokovic the last half of 2017. It contributed to a fourth-round loss in Melbourne a year ago. He had surgery about 11 months ago. All that is in the past.
The 31-year-old Serb is once again at an elite level.
Djokovic and Nadal know each other, their styles and their patterns all too well. This was their 53rd meeting – more than any other pair of men in the half-century professional era – and record-equaling 15th at a Grand Slam tournament.
source: philstar.com
