Australian Open 2012 Final - The Match That Broke Both Men

The Ironman Triathlon truly is a contest that takes the human body to near breaking point. A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile marathon. These events need to be completed in 17 hours. I mean good grief. I would sooner 127 hours in the film than 17 hours of back breaking athletic activity. Completing it must bring euphoric feeling of just proving yourself in such an event and failure must seem like a life time training wasted.

The Australian Open final was an Ironman contest in every sense of the word. Some will argue that the standard of tennis was way below par. Some would argue Djokovic was playing 'tennis' and Nadal was merely grinding the match out on stamina alone. It was a match of brutal hitting and prolonged rallies. Both players were not giving an inch and were using up every bit of energy they could muster to win the match. Yes it was tentative at times, but such was the match that the 5 set was certainly nervy. Djokovic came through in 5 hours 53 minutes. 7 minutes shy of 6 hours. Both men physically were broken.

The legacy of this match.

What this match did was certainly push the boundaries of athleticism to new heights. It spawned a US Open Final which was a few minutes shy of 5 hours. Question is what lasting effects did it have on both players? What we have seen is Nadal really struggle. Mentally must've been difficult to accept such a defeat in a manner which would normally favour his playing style. He retained his French Open crown. Maybe the magnitude of the final and also the conditions which really started to un-settle Nadal and nearly cost him the match had the heavens not intervened. The Grass season came and Nadal was taken out of Wimbledon by unknown Lukas Rosol. We have not seen Nadal since and the famous Agassi quote of 'his tennis is writing cheques his body can't cash' seems to echo ever more so loudly now than it did before. Many detractors have their own views, but this is a massive stick in the road. This is serious. Nadal at 26 and facing a really severe injury which cut his 2012 very short. Rumours have surfaced about the schedule he will maintain in 2013 in a bid to prolong his tennis career. Let's hope that tennis sees him again as injury is not the way to end what has been a stunning career at such a young age.

How about Djokovic. Laid on his back, double fist pump and screams of delight. What 2012 didn't plan for Djokovic was the passing of his grandfather. The tears were there at Monte Carlo when he defeated Dolgopolov in 3. It is impossible to measure emotional stress and the impact it has on any athlete'd mind and body. In 2009 Nadal's parents divorced and that was highly speculated to the reason he couldn't defend his Wimbledon crown given the state of his knees. Djokovic it all seemed like he hit a mental wall which emotionally he could not get over. At the French Open he looked so exposed and fragile in his matches with Seppi and Tsonga and yet he showed the guts to fight on and the guts that 2011 had given him. Painful defeats at Wimbledon and the Olympics proved that his body was starting to crumble under the strain of energy spent during the AO and FO. Djokovic went to America and started to play well again and was peaking. In the US Open Final he met an inspired Murray and physically Djokovic had nothing left to throw at Murray in the 5th set. Like a boxer who's best shots felt like a slap and not a punch.

Here we are in September. A bit of a slumberland for tennis. Federer is physically feeling it. Uncertainty still surrounds Nadal. Djokovic is quiet. Murray is riding the victory parade.

Nadal seems very unlikely to take to the courts again this year. I wonder how much Djokovic will have for the Asian swing. As Green Day said "Wake Me Up When September Ends"

Nonsense! That match far from broke either Nadal or Djokovic. In fact both players benefited from it. Djokovic of course with his 5th slam (a healthy number however you count it) and I remember Nadal saying he enjoyed it. He always loves a good fight. I even saw it as more of a mental battle than a physical one. (despite the fact that neither player could stand afterwards...) Maybe the reason why Nadal said he enjoyed it was because he solved the mental problems that may have built up in his previous losses to Djokovic. So it proved anyway. The match proved to be a nice appetizer for the FO final.

Benefitted????

Yes results suggest that

What utter negligence to such results and events that followed.

I don't believe that this final specifically broke them at all.
Nadal and Djokovic are both physcially very fit, and I recognise they pushed themselves to the limit.
I think they may have been tired for around a week or so afterwards, i.e. physically drained, but not more than that.

I know it sounds fantastic, indentifying this long match and highlighting it has the cause for events later on, in-fact a brilliant cliché 'the match that broke both men', but I simply think it's not true.

Nadal actually did fantastic in his clay season a few months later, while I don't think we should attribute Djokovic's standard of play to this.
For Nadal I don't think it's this match in particular which makes a difference- he plays with such a playing style that knee injuries are inevitable. His court coverage and athleticism is such he will always try and get everything back, while his foot conditions mean even more stress on his knees.
So it's a factor of all of this, rather than just one match, which I think has contributed to Nadal's injury.

As for Djokovic I think mentally he hasn't been the same this year, I don't think he's physically worse. It may be the pressure of trying to replicate what he did this year, or it may be the death of his grandfather or other unkown family problems. I don't know.
Certainly I don't think it was this final 'breaking him.'

Anyone that thinks a near 6 hour match does not stay in the legs for the season is rather foolish to say the least.

legendkillarV2 wrote:Anyone that thinks a near 6 hour match does not stay in the legs for the season is rather foolish to say the least.

So you're calling me foolish then. Just call me it. Don't beat around the bush.

Nadal's playing style has gradually led to pressure on his knees, that one match doesn't make a huge difference.
You can call me names, but that's my opinion.

legendkillarV2 wrote:Anyone that thinks a near 6 hour match does not stay in the legs for the season is rather foolish to say the least.

Running a marathon is infinitely tougher on the legs than a tennis match of any length. Most people are free of any effects from that marathon after a few weeks.

These guys (existing conditions aside) should have been back to full speed in a matter of days.

Foolish is a term and not name calling.

Jeez at least grasp that concept first before launching a tirade eh.

A near 6 hour match is not going to leave a lot in the reserve tank now is it.

djlovesyou wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:Anyone that thinks a near 6 hour match does not stay in the legs for the season is rather foolish to say the least.

Running a marathon is infinitely tougher on the legs than a tennis match of any length. Most people are free of any effects from that marathon after a few weeks.

These guys (existing conditions aside) should have been back to full speed in a matter of days.

Carrying niggles from this match alone would not wear off after days if they are continuing with training and further matches down the line.

If you really want to talk about a match between these two players that may have had repercussions I would pick that killer 2009 Madrid semi.

Nadal had not been at his best for whatever reason since the AO and yet had still beaten Djokovic in the Rome and Monte Carlo finals. That match was crazy and all things considered Djokovic probably should have won. A match like that at that time was the last thing Nadal needed physically and also the last thing Djokovic needed mentally. Everyone knows what happened next for Nadal but IMO Djokovic also underperformed for the rest of the year. I remember thinking at the time that a new rule should be introduced that banned Nadal and Djokovic from appearing on the same court together...

Also I agree with IMBL. A six hour match in itself won't have any lasting effects on a pro player unless there are also other negative circumstances.

They would take a couple of days off, a couple of days of very light work.

They wouldn't start training properly again for a week or so. By then they would be physically ok injuries aside.

Your talking of a time when Djokovic was re-modelling his serve on tour which wasn't the best idea anyone could conjure up. It was widely recognised that the animosity between Djokovic and Todd Martin fed through to his performances. Strange thinking you ellude to that.

I can't see it was that much of an issue, after all Djokovic did something nearly as big two days before and played this final after that.

If I remember correctly at this time last year Djokovic was injured, Federer not playing as he was mentally tired and re-evaluating things (which he did pretty well) and Nadal was not exactly setting the heather on fire ( only really playing well in the Davis Cup). So although there are some differences this year. I don't think it can all be put down to one match at the end of January (or begining of February).
Most of Djokovic's losses since the AO final have been against Federer, Nadal or Murray, i.e. his nearest rivals. He stole a march on them with his excellent play in 2011 but they have obviously worked out ways to play him better now. Also no one really expected him to be able to continue at that level.
Nadal went through the clay court season losing 1 match (on the blue 'clay' of Madrid) and beating Djokovic in 3 of the titles he won. So at that stage he didn't appear to be feeling the effects of the AO final. Yes he has had knee problems since Wimbledon but given his history it takes a leap of faith to attribute them to that final.

Yes it was a long hard match, as was Djokovic's semi in the AO with Murray but I don't think it has significantly affected what has happened in the remainder of the year.

I certainly agree that it affected Djokovic in a negative way despite winning he is the type of player to look in to the past instead of looking forward, and in winning that match he knew he was no longer unbeatable as he was through most of 2011. Probably the match with Murray was an indicator that he would not be so strong in 2012. Don't remember Djokovic losing his serve much in 2011 like he has throughout2012.

A romantic idea in the article and may be true but probably not, it's hard to justify 6 hours of tennis breaking someone who plays a few hundred a year.

As BB points out you are basically arguing that Djokovic's 4-5 hours semi he was able to recover from in about 2 days, but a slightly longer final wipes out the year. ?

LK... I know someone who trained for Iron Man. Small wiry physique, but tremendous stamina and endurance.

The decathlon or triathlon of perhaps Tour De France are some tougher tests.

Is Paris-Dakar still run? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Dakar

Imagine Marco Polo and travelling the Silk Route.

I remember people saying their Madrid semi in 2009 finished off Djokovic for the year and Rafas career, these guys are supreme athletes. They will eventually sort it out, age is the only thing that will slow them down

Josiah Maiestas wrote:I certainly agree that it affected Djokovic in a negative way despite winning he is the type of player to look in to the past instead of looking forward, and in winning that match he knew he was no longer unbeatable as he was through most of 2011. Probably the match with Murray was an indicator that he would not be so strong in 2012. Don't remember Djokovic losing his serve much in 2011 like he has throughout2012.

As I said I don't think the match was negative for Djokovic. He won the match so of course it was great for him. But Nadal benefited from the match also. After losing in so many finals to Djokovic mentally this was becoming a difficult match up for him. This time it was different as Nadal said he was able to compete and he even said afterwards that he enjoyed the match... he probably should have won it. Of course this was instrumental for when they next faced each other. Djokovic no longer had that mental edge despite winning. Their rivalry was perhaps set back to a pre 2011 level. It was perhaps a sort of leveling match. Setting the scene perfectly for when they next played. This all had little to do with the length of the match.

I would guess Djokovic was far more affected by the FO final. That was perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not that I think for a minute he was destroyed by it. But mentally it must be hard to immediately put it behind you and re focus. Djokovic was/is new to this sort of pressure. Not many players have experience of it. Federer and Nadal of course have both been there many times before...

To be fair HE you're slightly contradicting yourself by saying the match wasn't negative for Djokovic but then "Djokovic no longer had that mental edge" implying negative after effects.

Djokovic will clearly know he could or should have been beaten when Nadal was 4-2 and 30-0 up with that clear and easy DTL BH winner to be made. But he got out of jail. I don't know if that affected Djokovic or not but I'm positive it was a huge boost for Nadal. So yes it did "break" Nadal....it broke him mentally through to the next level in playing Djokovic.

Personally I think Djokovic had gone to the well once too often with that match...after the gruelling battles of 2011 that preceded it, especially USO which wrote off both their seasons afterwards. We'll never know if Nadal's patella tendon tear started at AO12 or not...clearly his knee was bad enough for him to have to withdraw playing against Murray in the semis in Miami so the signs were there that his knee wasn't right.

On balance I do believe the match affected them both in terms of taking a slight edge off them both. For all Nadal's clay success that followed he didn't quite look his usual imperious best to me. Djokovic likewise. Whether the after effects of AO then RG final opened the floodgates for Murray and Federer through the rest of the summer we'll never know...maybe a case of not breaking them but making the others?

Good insight lydian

Nadal took February off and Djokovic's form started to show cracks in it and leading into the FO it was widely viewed his levels had dropped from 2011 and the AO 2012.

I think those saying that Nole bounced back from the SF, so how can he be mentally spent are missing the point

When you're at the end of an event, sheer adrenalin can carry you through - it's the impact of the whole event that has to be considered, once it has ended

So I agree, with LK that final had a subtle negative affect. It might only be 0.5% on Novak but when you're only just beating your rivals, that can make put you 2nd or 3rd when you next play

For me Nadal was actually greatly affected by last years US Open final defeat as it was after then that he lost his mojo (against his three rivals) on the hard courts - remember he didn't face any of his rivals until the Aus final

I do think most underestimate the mental side of the game. After all if it's irrelevant why aren't Gasquet and Tsonga permanently in the Top 6

I tend to think this isn't true but I very much hope it is. If players whose strategy is based on outlasting the opponent also find themselves paying a high price they may have to think differently.

Then we may get more attacking tennis and matches that don't take up the whole day to watch.

banbrotam wrote:I do think most underestimate the mental side of the game. After all if it's irrelevant why aren't Gasquet and Tsonga permanently in the Top 6

Unreliable strokes?

bogbrush wrote:

banbrotam wrote:I do think most underestimate the mental side of the game. After all if it's irrelevant why aren't Gasquet and Tsonga permanently in the Top 6

Unreliable strokes?

One of the commentators during the DC match between CZE and ARG said that Berdych is close to contesting Slams on the back of his US Open performances and also said the reason a French male player will a Slam because of the poor mentality they have. Hard to disagree with the facts given their poor showings. I mean we've had Tsonga in a final and I can't remember off the top of me head before that.

Its a hard one to pin down - does poor mental strength (relatively) lead to poorer strokes, or the other way round? For sure they feed each other.

I think Nadal was even spent before USO11 banbrotam. 2011 was a year of losing to Djokovic well before USO...dont forget the impact of a) not getting the Grand SLAM at AO11, then b) losing close matches to Djokovic at IW/Miami, then c) being devastated on clay followed by d) that whimper of a match at Wimbledon in the final. He just wasnt right from mid-year onwards - anyone remember those weird interviews at RG where he almost looked depressed - all fed by and not helped by a break down of his relationship with Toni and distraction of his parents reconciling. USO then was the final "icing" in mentally zoning him out...from there the rest of the season was a write off.

BB, we know that slower surfaces lead to longer matches, which puts more emphasis on outlasting - no matter how good your technique is, or how aggressive you are...you're just going to have to hang in longer than before. Also, we get into semantics about which is more important in tennis - attacking or defending? If someone is the worlds best attacker...or the worlds best defender - for arguments sake - which is the better player if both are at the pinnacle of the game with similar results?

They wasted atleast an hour, bouncing the ball and picking backsides.

bogbrush wrote:I tend to think this isn't true but I very much hope it is. If players whose strategy is based on outlasting the opponent also find themselves paying a high price they may have to think differently.

Then we may get more attacking tennis and matches that don't take up the whole day to watch.

I've no issue with it. It think that if there are faster courts Murray will start to serve and volley more, which he's reluctant to do now for fear of being passed. After all he must be the most natural / instinctive volleyer around

People will say he struggles at Armstrong at the US - but that was basically because he has a poor attitude to differing conditions within the same tournament

For me Federer and Murray have the games to adapt to all forms of the hardcourt surfaces and I also don't see why Murray can't get a lot better on the clay, simply because they have the most variety in their game

I'd still like to see at least 40% of the Masters / Slam hardcourt events on very fast conditons

More variety needed for sure...before we get wall to wall 3-5 hr matches of FHs and BHs.

Im a big fan of Federer but I have to say I don't mind the matches between Nadal and Djokovic when both are playing aggressively (US Open 2011) because their defensive abilities are unreal, to make the ball just drop in on line still amazes me, despite it making me pull my hair out when Rafa does it to Roger.

I dont think I could watch it if every round of a slam was like that, and lesser players are playing the same style but not nearly as well. My friends who watch tennis sparingly all said to me how they found a lot of the matches at Wimbledon boring with the points finished really quickly a lot of the time. However, they were all absolutely amazed at the rallies between Murray and Djokovic and couldn't believe the difference a surface makes and seemed to prefer the Open.

HE - a late follow up by me on your point about that draining 09 match between Rafa and Nole in Madrid. I'd agree that it seemed to finish Rafa off. He lost in straight sets to Rog in the final, was - possibly - unfit for the French and, definitely, had to miss Wimbledon.
I had visions of Rafa putting in a very long stint at number one having finally taken over from Rog in summer 08. Yet here we are more than three years on and he's "only" done about 100 weeks.

sfp - yep, it's 102 weeks to be exact, a tally which puts him in only 7th place in the league of all those who have ever held the top ranking.

I'm pretty sure that total weeks spent at number one is not the focus of Rafa's priorities (think we can safely say that a return to full match fitness trumps just about everything else right now), but equally I doubt he would wish to end his career on such a relatively low figure .........

I don't think he even keeps a track on those stats.

I think his mentality is that he's won 11 slams, now he is injured. He will want to come back from injury and win many more majors as possible, and play for as long as possible.

Growing up in the Federer period he knew he had no chance of getting to #1 early enough to ramp up a huge number, plus I don't think he ever envisioned being successful enough off clay to be a commanding #1.

A combination of changed general conditions and his own ability to change his game altered all that, of course.

So I agree, weeks at #1 is neither here nor there to him.

If Federer wasn't there Nadal could have had loads of weeks at number 1.

Damn the Swiss!