The Persistence of Honorable Gentlemen: Djokovic's Eighth Melbourne Title
In 2020, the youngsters wanted to finally replace the old guard - Novak Djokovic , however, repelled the first attack in Melbourne.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Feb 02, 2020, 05:01 pm
It was a wild roller coaster ride, a fascinating ups and downs of numbers and feelings. And Novak Djokovic, the King of Melbourne, he wavered in these trials and tribulations, he fought with referees and fans, he was treated twice for injuries, he was 1: 2 behind. In the end, however, at the end of four crazy final hours in the Rod Laver Arena, he took everything as an indomitable 6: 4, 4: 6, 2: 6, 6: 3, 6: 4 winner against the brave Austrian Dominic Thiem - the eighth title in the eighth Australian Open final, the 17th Grand Slam Cup and again number 1 in the world rankings. “It was a tough, tough fight. The relief is great now, ”said the 32-year-old Serb.
The admirable dominance of the Big Three, Djokovic, Roger Federer and Nadal, was also preserved for the time being. Because Djokovic's unbroken dominance in Melbourne, his successful defense of the title, also extended the series of title wins by the Old Masters. Since the Swiss title Stan Wawrinka won at the 2016 US Open, the ruthless gentlemen have warded off any attack by their challengers, the jostling, hungry players from subsequent generations must continue to expect. At the next Grand Slam spectacle in the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, the most complicated task to be solved is the fall of the twelve-time winner Rafael Nadal. "We don't just go away, we want to improve our title balance even further," said Djokovic during these Open Australian Championships. It sounded like a threat to the younger ones to be patient longer, for an indefinite period, beyond Melbourne, beyond 2020.
Thiem now with three lost major finals
The perseverance of those players who have largely shaped and led the world tennis for more than a decade and a half was exemplary on this long final evening in Melbourne. Thiem is currently the most stable, determined, and mentally strongest player beyond the sprightly senior club, he also has the most impressive statistics against the top staff - but it can now be said in black and white that he has lost the first three Grand Slam Finals of his career, twice against Nadal in Paris, now once against Djokovic in Melbourne.
He is getting closer and closer to the leadership, on February 1st in the Laver Arena he even went in front with 2-1 sets against the temporarily insecure Serb. But he couldn't finish his mission, maybe also because the way to this final had taken too much strength. Before the first ball of the last rendezvous was played for two, Djokovic had been on the pitch for exactly 12:30 hours in six games, but Thiem had been almost exactly six hours more. In addition, Thiem had to cope with the deficit of having a day less break between the semi-finals and the finals. "It is of course a great disappointment for me," said Thiem later, "but I also see it as a privilege to play in the front at all in this tennis era."
"Hats off, Dominic Thiem," says Boris Becker
Thiem was still something like the second winner in the men's competition's elimination games. After all, no young player had braced himself against other top people as courageously and confidently like Thiem recently, Nadal in the quarterfinals, Zverev in the semifinals and then Djokovic in the final. Thiem also left the turbulence of the early Melbourne phase behind when ex-star Thomas Muster said goodbye to his team before he really got there. Thiem's reason for the separation looked clairvoyant: He was already "putting enough pressure" on himself, so he didn't need any further "enormous pressure" from Muster. After that, after this personnel, he looked liberated in Melbourne, he always dared to do great things like on big stages - and he didn't just move against Djokovic at eye level. For a long time, he was the somewhat more solid, also strong-willed player before he ran out of air and then concentration. "Hats off, Dominic Thiem," said TV expert Boris Becker, "there is not much left for the last big step."
Djokovic is now the first player in the modern tennis era to have won Grand Slams in three different decades, from the zero years when he started his ascent to this first February-Sunday of 2020. At 32, the Serb is the youngest the Big Three, a good six years younger than Federer, he has every chance of appearing once as the player with the most Grand Slam titles in the all-time best rating. At the moment Federer (20) and Nadal (19) are still ahead of him, but it can change this season. "It is crazy which route I went," said Djokovic, "it was all a big dream. Now it is a reality. "
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