Fourth title in Melbourne for the Serbian Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic confirmed his leadership at the top of world tennis and the ATP to conquer its fourth Australia open in her second final to Andy Murray: 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 and 6-2 in three hours and 40 minutes. At the same time, it's the third consecutive title (2011, 12, 13) that the current number one in the world stands at Rod Laver Arena: this is an unprecedented event at the Australian Open in the Open Era. Before the Open Era, which began in 1968, Roy Emerson, record holder of titles in Australia, won the tournament five consecutive times: between 1963 and 1967. It's the sixth Grand Slam title for Djokovic, who has already won in Wimbledon and New York, and which only lacks leave Roland Garros champion.

The physical superiority of Djokovic sentenced a monotonous final lengthy exchanges (with rallies of 35 hits) in which there was a single 'break' or break of service until the eighth game of the third set. At that point (after the ' tiebreaker' of the second set), Murray had already been attended to by the 'trainer' of blisters on the foot: the four hour battle that the Scot had maintained with Federer in the tough semifinal on Friday, to the limit of five sets, appeared as an extra tax to raise by demanding cash from Djokovic. The pace of the match was hard physically, but with little creativity and many precautions: the protagonists are well aware and gave the impression of having analyzed, controlled and 'scouted as' all variants.

A great end of the first set, which came to earn 16 points out of 14, allowed Murray to control the first sleeve in a 'tiebreaker' opted with 4-0 for the Scots through a double lack of Djokovic: 25 errors not forced in that initial set. Even with the final triumph, the error count not Djokovic forced exceeds clearly Murray's: 61-46. But the Serbian ruled with winning shots (47-29) and with minimum advantage in direct kicks: 8-7.

Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory in the 2013 Australia Open against Andy Murray.

The first set lasted hour and eight minutes... and was already cooking the feet of Andy, who saved his first service: until the third set, Murray (who came to browse in 84% of points earned with early service, to finish at 81%) was gaining 100% of points when he connected first kicks in the box of the advantages. Despite the strategies of Ivan Lendl, Andy already put bow to its second defeat to Novak in a final of Australia: the first time was in 2011.

But the second round was, at the same level as the first, another long exchanges and physical punishment. Only Djokovic knew how to control the 'tiebreaker' of this second set after two Murray not forced errors with the right, and there, when they crossed the two hours and 13 minutes of match, came the problems at the feet of the Scot, who began limping visibly since the starting of the third set. Lowered the intensity in the remove from Murray, who fell below 60% in the third sets (59%) and fourth (57%). With 3-4 to Novak, Murray's, and to the eighth ball of breakage service, Djokovic signed the first break of the match when a right cross from Murray, increasingly less mobile, crashed on the tape of the network, to the contrary of what happened several times with the 'lucky cords' or blows of fortune in favor of Djokovic.

The Serbian lost no opportunity and closed the third set 6-3. From there, the outcome was clear. Djokovic had settled the matter with a devastating 6-2 in the fourth set (Murray took none of the four balls of 'break' that played on the service of Novak), he made his dance, his stretching steps... and went to that Andre Agassi handed over him the Norman Brookes Cup for fourth time: which raises the champion in Melbourne.