Novak Djokovic's 5 best matches at the Australian Open
The Australian Open, in its storied past, has had many matches that have left fans falling over the edge of their seats. Being the first Major of the year has ensured that every competitor turns up.
None more so than World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, whose record 9 titles have enthralled fans all over the world.
Here is a list of the Top 5 matches featuring Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.
#5 Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer (2008 semifinals)
Going into the match, Roger Federer had all but cemented his status as a potential GOAT. He had reached 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals and was the two-time defending champion and No. 1 seed. However, it took Djokovic a mere 2 hours and 27 minutes to beat the Swiss maestro 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5).
2008 Australian Open
Djokovic's first Grand Slam title. He was 20 years old.
On the way to the title he defeated Federer in the semifinal.
Federer already had 12 Grand Slams. He was on a 10 Grand Slam final streak.
Tsonga defeated Nadal in the other semifinal. https://t.co/mcdqWrMyjE
Djokovic went on to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to lift the title, who himself was on a great run, beating Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal enroute to the final.
Djokovic won the 2008 Australian Open dropping just one set and became the first Serbian to win a Grand Slam.
#4 Novak Djokovic vs Dominic Thiem (2020 final)
Coming into the final of the 2020 Australian Open, Djokovic was No. 2 in the world. His 52-week long stay at the top had only recently been upended by a resurgent Nadal. He was still the defending champion at the tournament but Nadal had won Roland Garros and the US Open in 2019.
While Nadal fell in the quarterfinals to Dominic Thiem, Djokovic disposed of the likes of Federer and Diego Schwartzman with relative ease to set up a final clash with the Austrian.
2020 AWARDS 馃幘馃弳
Match of the year: Djokovic vs Thiem - Australian Open final
A match that had it all. Drama, classic points, momentum switches. A thrilling battle between two of the greatest players to play the sport. Experience was key. Djokovic won a 8th title in Melbourne. https://t.co/i0vUobtU1a
The Serb won the first set, but lost the next two. In seven previous instances, Djokovic had never won a Major final after trailing two sets to one. It was a roller-coaster of a match, momentum swinging this way and that, with neither player remaining dominant for long.
But the No. 2 seed made use of his experience to hold on during the important moments and won the encounter in five sets. The match lasted 3 hours and 59 minutes, with the final scoreline reading 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
#3 Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka (2014 quarterfinals)
Stan Wawrinka did to Novak Djokovic in 2014 what Djokovic did to his countryman Federer in 2008.
In the lead-up to the match, Djokovic had won 25 consecutive matches at the Australian Open, including three consecutive titles.
#OnThisDay in 2014.
Stan Wawrinka wins his first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open, becoming the first man outside of the 'Big Four' to win a major since 2009.
Stanimal defeated Djokovic and Nadal en route to the title 馃弳 https://t.co/XqoG8vaVas
Wawrinka lost the first set before taking the next two, but Djokovic fought back to take the match into the deciding set. In the fifth set, Wawrinka simply refused to let go and scored an upset over the No. 2 seed. The Swiss then went on to beat Nadal in the final to win his first Grand Slam title.
The match clocked exactly four hours, the last set alone taking an hour and 20 minutes. Coming into the match, Wawrinka was on a 14-match losing streak against Djokovic, which he finally broke to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7.
#2 Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka (2013 fourth round)
The 2014 epic 5-setter was not even the best match in the underrated Djokovic-Wawrinka rivalry. That honor belongs to their meeting a year earlier at the same tournament, one that involved six more games in the final set.
This time around, they faced each other in the fourth round. Wawrinka held a 6-1, 5-3 lead at one point before Djokovic clawed his way back to take the second and third sets. But the Swiss prevailed in a fourth set tie-break.
Novak Djokovic has been included in all of the Top 3 Men's Matches of the Decade in the Tennis Magazine.
1. Djokovic d. Federer - 2019 Wimbledon Final
2. Djokovic d. Nadal - 2012 Australian Open Final
3. Djokovic d. Wawrinka - 2013 Australian Open R4. https://t.co/YeMHexHtyR
The pair traded breaks early in the fifth butt neither relented after that until the last game. Stan Wawrinka saved two match points serving at 10-11, but on the third match point Djokovic's two-handed backhand passing shot was unreachable for the Swiss.
The match lasted 5 hours and 2 minutes, with the final scoreline reading 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(5), 12-10 in the No. 1 seed's favour.
#1 Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal (2012 final)
Over the years, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have faced each other many times and have been involved in several memorable matches.
Foremost among them is the 2012 Australian Open final. The match lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes, making it the longest ever Grand Slam final in the history of the sport.
"'Suffering' is the only word for it" - Chris Fowler on ESPN on the 2012 Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic Australian Open final, featured in the book "The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time" by Steve Flink https://t.co/vAQ0OWnqyH
Nadal won the first set, while Djokovic took the second. The third set, which Djokovic won, was the shortest set of the match and took just 45 minutes to complete. Nadal fought back to win the fourth set in a tie-break.
Djokovic eventually broke the Spaniard when he was serving at 5-5 in the fifth set and then held his serve to take the match. The final scoreline read 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 in favour of the No. 1 seed.
At the end of the match, both players were so exhausted they could barely stand at the presentation ceremony and had to be provided chairs.