Tennis news - Novak Djokovic v Rafael Nadal – How we reached the ‘Game of the Century’

ByBen Grounds

Updated 25/01/2019 at 16:51 GMT

The rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal is one for the ages and Sunday's Australian Open final promises to be another classic. Ben Grounds looks forward to another titanic clash.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Image credit: Getty Images

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"He's my biggest rival in my career. I've played so many matches against him, epic matches on this court."

Novak Djokovic was not about to play down his latest battle with Rafael Nadal speaking on Friday.

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"Of course, the one that stands out was the final..in 2012. Hopefully we don't go that long this time. But I'm sure we're going to have a good final.

"These are the kind of matches that you live for, finals of Slams, playing the greatest rivals at their best. What more can you ask for? This is where you want to be."

Having won 14 major titles, Djokovic has now trained his sights on Grand Slam number 15, and a seventh Australian Open title against his greatest enemy.

Novak Djokovic celebrates his semi-final victory

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For some, it is not an exaggeration. So brilliant, so dominant have both he and Rafael Nadal been in reaching Sunday’s Australian Open final, that people are anticipating a battle of the ages, to even eclipse the five-set marathon in Melbourne seven years ago.

The 2019 tournament will, for some, be remembered as the changing of the guard, the year when the new generation truly arrived. Many moons have passed since Djokovic and Nadal announced their arrival on the grandest tennis stages, but it is they, two old foes, who will contest the final.

Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas are waiting in the wings, Alexander Zverev disappointed after winning the ATP Finals while Alex de Minaur has been called up to Australia's Davis Cup team to face Bosnia and Herzegovina next month, after improving his world ranking from No. 208 to No 31 in 2018.

All this keeps tennis healthy, meaning the prospect of many more titanic tussles between two of the greatest athletes to grace the sport is, despite the dominance seen in the semi-finals, increasingly unlikely.

By having the last four contests on separate days, Djokovic had the chance to respond to the manner of Nadal's crushing win over Tsitsipas.

Asked if he went into his semi-final with the intention of conceding fewer games than Nadal, Djokovic replied with a broad grin: "Yes. It was hard to do that, but somehow managed.

Djokovic: That's one of the best matches I've ever played

"He (Nadal) has played impressively well throughout the entire tournament. He hasn't dropped a set. He looked as good as ever on the hardcourt throughout these few weeks. I haven't played bad myself the last couple matches."

STORY SO FAR

Here’s how both Nadal and Djokovic reached the Australian Open final…

FIRST ROUND

Nadal beats James Duckworth 6-4 6-3 7-5

Nadal reached the second round of the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over battling local favourite Duckworth.

The Spaniard emerged victorious despite recovering from a recent thigh strain that forced him to pull out of the Brisbane warm-up event.

Wild Card Duckworth pulled off some lovely shots – particularly in the final few games to entertain the crowd – but despite breaking the 17-time Grand Slam champion at 5-3 down in the final set, he could not make it count.

Highlights: Nadal wins entertaining Duckworth clash

Djokovic beats Mitchell Krueger 6-3 6-2 6-2

Djokovic looked every inch the Australian Open favourite as he comfortably beat American qualifier Krueger to reach the second round.

Soaking up the Rod Laver Arena limelight, the Serb moved superbly in his Melbourne Park opener and hit 42 winners to wrap up the one-sided clash in little more than two hours.

Despite the scoreline, the 230th-ranked Krueger hardly disgraced himself and broke Djokovic in the third game of the first set.

That was as good as it got for the American, as Djokovic coasted to an easy victory. The Serb will continue his bid for a record seventh Australian Open title against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the man he beat for the 2008 trophy.

Djokovic breezes past Krueger to reach second round

SECOND ROUND

Nadal beats Matthew Ebden 6-3 6-2 6-2

Nadal enjoyed a comprehensive win over Australia's Ebden to secure his spot in the third round.

Ebden did have his chances to break in the first set, but Nadal's doggedness emerged, giving his serve renewed vim.

Though the crowd on the Rod Laver Arena were cheering on their compatriot, Nadal's star power also guaranteed him plenty of support, and they could not help but applaud as he broke the Ebden serve to move ahead at the start of the second set.

Both the opening sets took Nadal exactly 35 minutes to conclude and sensing an early end to the proceedings, the crowd tried to lift one of its few remaining local hopes, while at the same time being dazzled by the Spaniard's control of the court.

Near-flawless Nadal hammers Ebden

Djokovic beats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-5 6-4

Eleven years after beating Tsonga for the 2008 Australian Open, top seed Djokovic bested the Frenchman again at Melbourne Park to reach the third round.

The world number one Serb claimed a clinical 6-3 7-5 6-4 win over wildcard entry Tsonga in the late match at Rod Laver Arena.

Tsonga entered the contest with his ranking slipping to 177 after his 2018 season was cut short by knee injury in April.

The gap between the players' standing was on full show as Djokovic cruised to victory in two hours and four minutes, setting up a mouth-watering intergenerational clash with Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov.

Highlights - Djokovic battles into second round

THIRD ROUND

Nadal beats Alex De Minaur 6-1 6-2 6-4

Nadal's injury worries looked a distant memory as he beat De Minaur in straight sets to ease to the fourth round.

Despite not having played competitively since last year's US Open, owing to an ankle injury, the second seed has been on fine form in Melbourne, following surgery.

Nadal broke in the fourth game of the first set, after which De Minaur went on to take only four points as Nadal won 6-1.

In the second set, Nadal De Minaur defended four break points successfully before the Spaniard finally broke his first service game. De Mianur went on to lose his second service game as well, to consolidate Nadal's advantage, and he finished the set 6-2.

De Minaur again suffered an early break in the first game of the third set, but went on to hold his own, but could not make up the dropped serve with Nadal taking the last set 6-4.

Highlights - Nadal makes light work of De Minaur in Melbourne

Djokovic beats Denis Shapovalov 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-0

Djokovic overcame a bizarre hiccup to reach the Australian Open last 16 with a win in four sets over Shapovalov.

The number one seed appeared to be cruising at 4-2 in the third set, but became distracted when the stadium floodlights came on - he lost four straight games and the set, growing visibly upset with a crowd that cheered the Shapovalov comeback.

However, he soon regained his composure and raced through the final set as Shapovalov's game faded.

Highlights - Djokovic beats Shapovalov despite mid-match meltdown

FOURTH ROUND

Nadal beats Thomas Berdych 6-0 6-1 7-6(4)

Former Wimbledon finalist Berdych provided a potentially awkward fourth-round opponent for Nadal, but the 32-year-old was relentless in his quest to overcome what ought to have been a sterner test.

The 2016 straight-sets defeat to Berdych was clearly still fresh in his mind, as revenge was sealed in a little over two hours. The Czech showed some resistance in the third set, but it was Nadal who served out the win.

Highlights: Nadal blasts through Berdych to reach quarter-finals

Djokovic beats Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3

The world number one did not have everything his own way at the fourth hurdle as Russia's Daniil Medvedev provided him with a gruelling last-16 match.

Djokovic complained of a minor back issue in the aftermath of his four-set victory, not emerging in front of the media following the win for another hour after receiving treatment.

The length of the contest, three hours and 15 minutes, accounted for the fatigue, but Djokovic came through the test having called upon his battling qualities.

Highlights as Djokovic turns on the class to beat Medvedev

QUARTER-FINAL

Nadal beat Frances Tiafoe 6-3 6-4 6-2

The unseeded American's dream came to its expected end at the hands of Nadal, who in reaching the last four surpassed his record of 12 months ago, when he was forced to retire at this stage through injury against Marin Cilic.

Faced with two break points in the second set was as hairy as things got against the 21-year-old Tiafoe, with the straight-sets triumph raising hopes of a second triumph at Melbourne Park.

Nadal used his trademark forehand to great effect throughout and talk was by now growing over whether Nadal could become the first man to win each of the four Grand Slams twice in the Open era.

Highlights - Nadal back to his best in Tiafoe thrashing

Djokovic beats Kei Nishikori 6-1 4-1 A

Djokovic was in a commanding position when his quarter-final opponent Nishikori retired injured. The Serb was leading 6-1 4-1 when the Japanese was force to withdraw with a thigh problem.

The victory stretched Djokovic's fine record over Nishikori to 15 straight wins, having not lost to him since the 2014 US Open semi-final.

Facing an opponent who had already been out on court for almost 14 hours would serve Djokovic well in the semi-final as heavy strapping was unable to quell the pain to Nishikori's right quad.

Highlights: Nishikori retires to hand Djokovic semi-final place

SEMI-FINAL

Nadal beats Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2 6-4 6-0

Tsitsipas' captivating run to the last four came to an end at the hands of the second seed as Nadal flashed 28 winners and broke his opponents' serve on six occasions to complete a masterful display.

This was another clear demonstration that time away from the sport since his US Open semi-finals defeat has greatly benefited the Spaniard with yet another sharp performance meaning he goes into the final having not dropped a set.

Highlights: Watch Nadal's awesome semi-final demolition of Tsitsipas

Djokovic beats Lucas Pouille 6-0 6-2 6-2

Djokovic sees that Nadal took an hour and 46 minutes to dismantle the Greek sensation and raises him, taking 23 minutes and two games fewer to storm into his seventh Australian Open final, demolishing Pouille in straight sets.

The Serb broke the unheralded Frenchman's serve seven times in a thrashing which sent a message to the man he defeated in six hours in 2012.