Djokovic Downs Murray As He Begins Quest For Calendar Slam

There was something all to familiar about the Australian Open final.

For the third time in five years Murray and Djokovic faced off in the Final and for the third time it was Djokovic was victorious.

After a highly competitive first two sets Murray was eventually beaten 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0. However there was controversy this year after Djokovic was accused by some of faking injury as he appeared to be struggling before taking the third set and then steam rolling Murray in the fourth. There is no question in my mind that the 'gamesmanship'  of Djokovic certainly affected Murray as he appeared to lose his concentration handing Djokovic the fourth set and with it the match.

It was clear that some in the crowd also thought Djokovic's behaviour was unsporting however we didn't see scenes like in last years final after Nadal called for the trainer against Wawrinka .

However this interruption and Murray reaction to it showed again the metal weakness Murray has in his game at the moment, especially when  facing Djokovic. Mentally there is no question the Serb has the edge over Murray (as he does over most in the tennis world) and in these key matches that is what gets him over the line. Murray capitulation in the fourth set was tough to see and made for an unfitting end to what had been a terrific first two sets.

With regards to the rest of the year, there are plenty of positives for Murray - back in a Grand Slam final for the first time since Wimbledon 2013 and he looks as if he is going to be in the later stages of all the Grand Slams this year. Now given his tough 2014, this is a great sign for Murray, his fans and Great Britain's Davis Cup hopes. I expect Murray to have a solid year finishing in back in the top 3 in the rankings.

As for Djokovic the Calendar Slam is very much on. There is no doubt that at this moment in time he is dominant in the five-set format against any opponent. Looking ahead to Roland Garros, even though Nadal has won it a staggering 9 times and is the current Champion there is no doubt in my mind that he will falter this year. Djokovic will beat Rafa Nadal if they meet I am sure of that. Looking at who could beat him on that surface, I can only see someone like Wawrinka (who beat him in AUS 2013) being able to do it and even then he is going to have to have the game of his life.

With regards to Wimbledon and the US Open, Murray and Roger Federer present the realistic challenges. Federer bowed out early in Australia but expect he to be back and these are two of his most successful tournaments however the biggest problem for Federer against Djokovic is the 5 set format.

As a result I think at 3/1 Djokovic is a very good bet to achieve the Calendar Slam this year. He is consistently performing and expect to see him in at least the semi-finals, if not the finals, at all three remaining slams.

My prediction for the remainder of the year that Djokovic will win both Roland Garros and the US Open but Federer will win Wimbledon.

It promises to be a very exciting year and one that as a huge tennis fan I cannot wait to watch unfold.

Impressive Federer Sets Up Quarter Final With Murray

Roger Federer has set up a Quarter Final showdown with Andy Murray after defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets.

Federer produced a superb display to dismantle Tsonga 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in under 2 hours. It was without doubt the best performance from the Swiss maestro for a while.

Federer kept Tsonga down for virtually the entire match and never let him get into a rhythm. What was so impressive was the serving and backhand. Federer came to the net 41 times winning 34 points, leading some to immediately call it the ‘Edberg effect’.

It is the first time since last year’s French Open that Federer has reached a Grand Slam Quarter Final. It is a repeat of the semi-final from last year which Murray prevailed in 5 sets.

Once the draw was made this quarter final match up was always a possibility however I think many may have doubted Federer presence giving his recent troubles.

The big question will be if Federer can reproduce this form and even improve for the upcoming battle with Murray. It promises to be a great match with the media portraying the victor as ‘the return of.....’. Personally I am eagerly awaiting this match and predict Federer to win in four sets.  

High Temperatures Cause Controversy At Australian Open

Maria Sharapova attempting to remain cool

Comedian Dylan Moran once joked that Australia was located just 3/4 of a mile from the surface of the sun. Well in this opening week of the 2014 Australian Open many of the players and fans may have felt that to be true.

Unfortunately for the tournament the opening few days have been dominated by talk of the extreme heat and not that of the actual tennis. The images that have been seen are not the ones the tournament was hoping to provide with players slumped over receiving medical attention.

Heat Map of Australia

Many people, including the players, have expressed their unhappiness at the continuation of play when temperatures have reach over a staggering 40 degrees.

The part that amazes me it that is seems the ATP do not appear to have any guidelines regarding such and occurrence.

The best quote I have heard regarding the heat was from Andy Murray. A man not usually noted for his words but his comments rang very true. He said:

“It’s definitely something that you have to look at a little bit. As much as it’s easy to say the conditions are safe, it only takes one bad thing to happen. And it looks terrible for the whole sport when people are collapsing, ball kids are collapsing, people in the stands are collapsing. That’s not great.

“I know when I went out to hit before the match, the conditions at 2.30, 3pm were very, very tough. Whether it’s safe or not, I don’t know. There’s been some issues in other sports with players having heart attacks.”

I agree with him that the reputation of the sport is on the line as this is a global event and millions around the world will tune in. As Murray points out it only takes 'one bad thing' and the whole tournament will be overshadowed.

Ivan Dodig says he feared he might die

When you have players describing it as 'inhumane' and seeing the number of retirements in the opening rounds, even from players who were winning, it is a very sorry sight. 

I know the argument will be it is the same for both players and that is true however I do think that the lack of communication and understanding of the situation from the players,coaches and even tournament organisers reflects extremely badly on the sport.

From what I understand the tournament referee Wayne McEwen can suspend play on the outer courts and close the roofs on the main arenas, when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (which takes humidity and wind factor into account) reaches a certain level. However Mr McEwen has declined to say what that temperature is. Personally I think this is wrong as it should be clear for all to see.

Furthermore the statement released  that a 'low level of humidity' had kept the conditions playable certainly raised eyebrows. Some may argue that the players are 'soft' and use just get on with playing and stop moaning amount the conditions. A point the great Roger Federer may share after he commented:

“It’s just a mental thing. If you’ve trained hard enough your entire life, and you believe you can come through it, there’s no reason [to quit]. If you can’t deal with it, you throw in the towel.” 

Now even me who often has little sympathy for top sport stars disagree with this assumption. I think play should have be stopped at least a few more times than it has been, especially on the outside courts.

I hope the heat does decrease and the tennis will take the headlines as we head into what promises to be a blockbuster second week.

A side note to this would be the proposed World Cup of 2022 in Qatar. It would seem a certainty that the World Cup will be moved to Winter. This announcement which is still a while away will certainly come and the fallout will be enormous.  

Djokovic Wins Epic Australian Open Final

World number one Novak Djokovic (right) has retained his Australian Open title after winning one of the greatest tennis matches of all time. He overcame the world number two Rafael Nadal 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 in a match lasting a staggering 5 hours and 53 minutes.

At the end Djokovic fell to the floor in exhaustion while Nadal was left to wonder what could have been. 

Djokovic describes this as his greatest triumph.

"This one I think comes out on the top because just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible, incredible," he said. "I think it's probably the longest finals in the history of all Grand Slams, and just to hear that fact is making me cry, really. I'm very proud just to be part of this history."

Nadal gave it his all however it was ultimately not enough to overcome the powerful Serbian. The array of shots and rallies by both players was sublime. The number of time that Djokovic found the line was unreal and this forced Nadal to possibly go for shots he did not want to. Having said this Nadal also played some magnificent shots. The quality of the tennis remained high throughout the match despite the tiring of both players. Djokovic found himself 4-2 down in the fifth set and it looked that he would suffer due to the effort he had put into the tournament in previous rounds. Djokovic had come through another five-set clash against Andy Murray in the semi-final only two days before. In that match he was showing signs of physical tiredness however had enough to win the match. He also overcame injury problems against David Ferrer in the quarter-final. This is why pundits were tipping Nadal to have edge in the Final. The resolve shown by Djokovic to comeback in that final set is a testament to the mental and physical toughness the man. That to against a player like Nadal who has shown over the years his own never say die attitude which has won him 10 Grand Slam titles.

After the match Djokovic describes the his feeling during the match :

"It's just incredible effort. You're in pain, you're suffer(ing). You're trying to activate your legs. You're going through so much suffering your toes are bleeding. Everything is just outrageous, but you're still enjoying that pain."

Nadal described it as one of the toughest matches of his career, and that is saying something after his epic win over Federer in 2008 at Wimbledon. He congratulated Djokovic however the disappointment was clear to see after the effort he had put into the near 6-hour match. It is difficult to say that Djokovic deserved to win as had Nadal won the plaudits would have been just as much.

Djokovic becomes the eleventh man in the very prestigious list of player to win three grand slams in the row. Other players on the list include the great Fred Perry and Jimmy Connors along with his current tennis rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Djokovic had an incredible 2011. He won 70 out of the 76 matches he played winning ten titles including three out of the four grand slams. It was this record the propelled him to World Number One. His achievement is even greater as he has two of the greatest tennis players ever playing on the tour at the same time. He is definitely the man to beat in 2012.