4 reasons why the Australian Open produces the most epic matches

Over the years, it's been noticed that the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, tends to produce the most memorable matches. One prime example being the 2012 final where Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal battled tooth and nail for a total of five hours and fifty-three minutes.

That match will be etched in the memory of fans forever. There are quite a few possible reasons for Melbourne to be able to produce classic matched time and again. Is it the surface? Or the weather? Or maybe the fans? Let us find out -

#1 The surface

Until 2007, the Australian Open was using the Rebound Ace surface, which was replaced by the Plexicushion surface from the following year. Players complained of the Rebound Ace surface becoming too sticky at high temperatures, a thing which is commonplace in Melbourne at this time of the year.

The Plexicushion surface was expected to be slightly slower than the Rebound Ace surface that was in play before. But players like Federer described the surface as being "slow". This led to the rallies becoming longer, making it a battle of attrition for the players. Immediate effect was seen at the 2008 Australian Open, as a match involving Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis ended at 4:34 AM.

The slowness of the courts is also a very plausible reason for the recent Djokovic domination in Australia, as it perfectly suits his game. And most would agree that the thrill associated with Grand Slam matches is derived from the length of the match, given that the quality of tennis on display is good, of course.