by Pey Jung Yeong, Special for Tennis Grandstand
Rafael Nadal was the first man through to the Australian Open 2012 final after beating formidable rival Roger Federer in 4 sets, and now the finals stage has been set with Novak Djokovic prevailing in the 5-set thriller against Andy Murray.
This is the third straight Grand Slam final featuring the world #1 and world #2, a statistic for the record books. Djokovic emerged victorious in Wimbledon 2011 and US Open 2011, and one can be sure that Nadal is desperately determined to turn the tables in the latest edition of their Grand Slam clashes. He certainly does not need reminding that besides those final losses, he also lost to Djokovic an additional 4 times in other tournaments.
Much is at stake, in my opinion, for Sunday’s blockbuster final. Djokovic would certainly love to add one more Slam trophy to his trophy cabinet (who wouldn’t?). In addition to that, if he beats Nadal again – for the third straight final – the “Djokovic” Slam (winning all 4 Slams in a non-calendar year) is very much a very real possibility, should he meet Nadal again in the finals of Roland Garros 2012. He would start off 2012 the same way he did in 2011, with a major title and supreme levels of confidence.
As for Nadal, beating Djokovic will do wonders to his own confidence, in addition to edging closer to Federer’s all-time record of 16 Slams. In some ways, he has to fancy his chances here. Djokovic was coming off a long long semi-finals match with Murray. When talking about fitness, it is one area that Djokovic is lacking to Nadal (perhaps not by a wide margin, but in my opinion, Nadal is definitely the fitter player). If Nadal is able to capitalise on his opportunities while grinding Djokovic from the baseline and pinned him to long rallies, he may find himself at an advantage.
However, other than the very physical game of skill and fitness, there is another game these two great players need to play. The mental game. It may seem strange to question Nadal’s mental fortitude, for that is one area where he is stronger than the rest of the field. But – again – 6 straight losses to Djokovic – in finals, must weighed in his mind. There is no clear-cut surface advantage – it doesn’t apply to the Djokovic/Nadal rivalry. In fact, I believe Djokovic went into the Wimbledon and US Open finals with a great mental edge, and he will go into this Australian Open with the same advantage.
The 2012 final – to me – echoes a similarity to the 2009 final. Roger Federer had a much easier semi-final and an extra day’s rest, in contrast to Nadal’s gruelling 5-hour battle with Fernando Verdasco. Surprisingly, Nadal was the player to emerge victorious in the final, able to capitalise on his mental edge over his opponent. Would Djokovic achieve the same feat – being able to beat Nadal despite the latter’s extra rest by simply asserting his dominance based on the last 6 victories?
But one could never count out Nadal to pull off extraordinary feats. He may have utilise the off-season to regroup himself, analyse his losses to Djokovic, and come out on court with a whole new game-plan and a whole new mindset.
I’m never good at predictions, so I am refraining myself from actually calling a winner. All I ask for is a final worthy of the expectations, showcasing the immense skill that these two players are capable of, and for the last man standing to be the best player of the match, and truly deserving of the title.
Pey Jung Yeong is in Melbourne covering the Australian Open and writes for the tennis blog All I Need is a Picket Fence. You can follow her updates on twitter here.
