Tennis: Djokovic battles Tsitsipas in high stakes Australian Open final
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The stakes are high for Stefanos Tsitsipas (left) and Novak Djokovic as they clash in the Australian Open final on Sunday.
PHOTO: AFP
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MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic will look to rise above the drama that has engulfed him at Melbourne Park and claim a record-extending 10th Australian Open title on Sunday in a generational clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
A year after being deported from Australia on the eve of the Grand Slam
In handling everything within his control, though, the Serb has been supreme.
His dominant semi-final victory over American Tommy Paul on Friday stretched his winning streak at the event to a record 27 in the professional era, eclipsing Andre Agassi’s 26-match run between 2000 and 2004.
Never beaten at Melbourne Park after reaching the semis, the fourth seed is rated as an unbackable favourite to triumph again under the floodlights at Rod Laver Arena.
Despite that, the final presents possibly the best match-up fans could have hoped for following the early exit of injured champion Rafael Nadal.
It offers a rematch of the dramatic 2021 French Open final, in which Djokovic came back from two sets down to snatch the title and leave Greek Tsitsipas heartbroken.
“I’m, of course, very satisfied and pleased to be in another Grand Slam final. This is exactly what I’ve imagined and hoped will happen when I came to Australia,” said Djokovic, who holds a 10-2 career record over Tsitsipas.
“I think that the experience of being in this particular situation and circumstances before helps.”
Both players are unbeaten this season.
Djokovic is on an 11-match win streak after lifting the Adelaide title before Melbourne while Tsitsipas is 10-0 following his exploits at the mixed-teams United Cup.
But, more than their unbeaten runs, the stakes are sky high for both players.
At 35, Djokovic needs one more title in his 33rd Grand Slam final to draw level with 36-year-old Nadal’s 22 in the all-time race.
Third seed Tsitsipas, on the other hand, is desperate to become the first Greek to win a Grand Slam crown in only his second title-decider, having put the nation on the tennis map.
Whoever wins will also take the world No. 1 ranking from Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who missed the tournament through injury.
At 24, Tsitsipas may feel his time has come.
He buried his semi-final hoodoo at Melbourne Park against Russian bruiser Karen Khachanov in four sets on Friday after falling three times previously at the last-four hurdle.
“These are the moments I’ve been working hard for,” said Tsitsipas, the youngest man to reach the Melbourne final since a 23-year-old Djokovic in 2011.
“This is a very humbling opportunity for me, being in the finals here means a lot.
“Having started here as one of my first junior Grand Slams and being now in the finals of the men’s event is as important as my very first steps that I took on the tennis court.
“I’m going to grasp this opportunity.”
The atmosphere promises to be electric, and possibly volatile, as tension builds.
Melbourne’s strong Greek community, the most populous outside Greece itself, will be in full voice at Rod Laver Arena.
They will rival the army of Serbian supporters who have gorged on Djokovic’s success since his first title at Melbourne Park as a 20-year-old in 2008.
Neutral fans, meanwhile, could well rally behind Tsitsipas in the hope of seeing a genuine contest.
With a huge serve, thumping groundstrokes and comfort on all areas of the court, Tsitsipas has the weapons to trouble anyone on tour. Whether he has the endurance and mental fortitude to dislodge ironman Djokovic remains to be seen.
For all the huff and puff of the younger generation, only Daniil Medvedev has managed to beat the Serb in a completed match at a hard-court Grand Slam since a shock fourth-round loss to unseeded South Korean Chung Hyeon in the 2018 Australian Open.
Not even Nadal or retired great Roger Federer have ever bested Djokovic in a final at Melbourne Park, and he is hell-bent on extending that incredible record.
“I think the fact that I never lost the Australian Open final definitely serves as a great confidence booster,” Djokovic said.
“Winning Grand Slams and being the No. 1 in the world are probably the two biggest peaks that you can climb as a professional tennis player.
“So I do want to make more history of this sport, no doubt.”
AFP, REUTERS
