2012 Australian Open – Men's singles final

The 2012 Australian Open Men's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the men's singles tournament at the 2012 Australian Open between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, at the time ranked the number 1 and 2 players in the world, respectively. A significant match in the Djokovic–Nadal rivalry, Djokovic defeated Nadal 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5 to win the tournament. It was the longest major final match (by duration) in history, lasting 5 hours 53 minutes, overtaking the record previously set by the 1988 US Open final between Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl. It is considered to be one of the greatest tennis matches of all time.[1][2][3][4][5][6] With both players operating at their highest levels, the match was regarded as a war of attrition with impeccable quality and duration of play.[7] Before this match, Djokovic played an epic semifinal against Andy Murray which also went to five sets, lasting 4 hours and 50 minutes.[8][9][10] The match remains the only time that Nadal has lost a major final after winning the first set.[11]

2012 Australian Open Men's Final
Serbia Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Spain Rafael Nadal (2)
Set 1 2345
Serbia Novak Djokovic 5 66657
Spain Rafael Nadal 7 42775
DateSunday, 29 January 2012
TournamentAustralian Open
LocationMelbourne, Australia
Chair umpirePascal Maria
Duration5 hours 53 minutes
Main articles: 2012 Australian Open and 2012 Australian Open – Men's singles

Match

Nadal won the first set 7–5, gaining a break of serve after a long attritional battle. The second set was equally close, with Djokovic breaking first, losing the advantage, and breaking back to win the set 6–4 and level the match at one set each. The third set was the shortest of the match, as Djokovic broke Nadal twice to take the set 6–2. Nevertheless it was a grueling set that ran 45 minutes, longer than an average set. In this set, Djokovic dropped only two points on serve and broke again in game eight with a crushing forehand to lead for the first time.[12]

Nadal won the fourth set tiebreak, 7-5 after trailing within the set and also down during the closely contested tiebreak; Djokovic had led 5–3 before Nadal took the next four points. The final set saw a return of the intense play seen in the opening sets. Nadal broke in the sixth game to take a 4–2 lead; Djokovic then broke back to level at 4–4. Finally, Djokovic made a decisive break of serve to win what is, in terms of duration, both the longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era and also the longest match in the history of the Australian Open. The match finished at 1:37am the following morning.[13] Due to exhaustion, both players were given chairs to sit during the trophy presentation speeches.[14]

Legacy

This match is central to the Djokovic–Nadal rivalry. Nadal called it the toughest loss of his career, but the best match he ever played. Djokovic said it was the finest win in his career and also commented on the high level of tennis played. Not only was this the longest Grand Slam final, but according to Tennis Channel and the Australian Open TV networks, this was one of the most-watched finals, despite ending late into the night locally. It was the first and only Grand Slam final that Nadal has lost after winning the first set.[11] It also remains the longest match of both Nadal and Djokovic's careers.

Statistics
CategoryDjokovicNadal
1st serve %98 of 166 = 59%137 of 203 = 67%
Winning % on 1st serve67 of 98 = 68%90 of 137 = 66%
Winning % on 2nd serve43 of 68 = 63%30 of 66 = 45%
Aces910
Double faults24
Winners5744
Unforced errors6971
Winners-UFE-12-27
Receiving points won83 of 203 = 41%56 of 166 = 34%
Break point conversions7 of 20 = 35%4 of 6 = 67%
Net approaches23 of 31 = 74%16 of 19 = 84%
Total points won193176
Fastest serve202 km/h204 km/h
Average 1st serve speed190 km/h183 km/h
Average 2nd serve speed150 km/h136 km/h

Source

Djokovic and Nadal about the match

After the match, Nadal said that "His [Djokovic's] return probably is one of the best in history" and "[He makes it] almost every time".[8] "This one was very special," Nadal said. "But I really understand that was a really special match, and probably a match that's going to be in my mind not because I lost, no, because the way that we played."[15]

Djokovic said, "It was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies, we made history tonight and unfortunately there couldn't be two winners".[15]

See also

References
  1. "Men's Australian Open Final Hailed as Best Match in Tennis History". 30 January 2012.
  2. Ubha, Ravi (29 January 2012). "Djokovic-Nadal tops Open era finals". ESPN.com. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. Eckstein, Jeremy (17 February 2012). "Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal: Why Aussie Open Final Is Greatest Match Ever". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. Curtis, Jake (21 January 2014). "Ranking the 10 Greatest Australian Open Finals of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  5. Tignor, Steve (5 December 2019). "Men's Match of the Decade No. 2: Djokovic d. Nadal, 2012 Aussie Open". Tennis.com. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  6. Tignor, Steve (28 June 2023). "Moment 6: At 1:37 a.m., Djokovic topples Nadal in grandiose, grunt-filled Australian Open epic". Tennis.com. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  7. Sokolowski, Alexandre (29 January 2023). "The day Djokovic beat Nadal in the longest Australian Open final". Tennis Majors. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  8. Briggs, Simon (29 January 2012). "Australian Open 2012: Novak Djokovic wins battle of endurance to beat Rafael Nadal in near six-hour epic". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  9. Eckstein, Jeremy (17 February 2012). "Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal: Why Aussie Open Final Is Greatest Match Ever". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  10. "Australian Open final the greatest match ever?". Stuff.co.nz. Sydney Morning Herald. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  11. "Novak Djokovic Beats Rafael Nadal In Epic 2012 Australian Open Final". ATP Tour. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  12. "Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in Australian Open final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  13. "Djokovic has that unbeatable feeling". Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  14. Chase, Chris. "Djokovic and Nadal could barely stand during awards presentation". Yahoo sports. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  15. "Longest Men's Singles Championship Final". ESPN Sports. 30 January 2012.
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