Given how well both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray return, this match started off with no breaks of serve in the first two sets.  Djokovic had chances early on with break points on Murray’s serve, but Murray withstood the challenge and held serve.  In the first set, Djokovic seemed to do better on serve, but he also allowed Murray to have decent holds after the first few games by a twitchy forehand that kept landing long.

When the first set went to tiebreak, Djokovic started off with a double fault, and Murray began taking control of the tiebreak, and held for a 7-2, with Djokovic seemingly antsy at his poor play.

Murray started off the second set with a 0-40 on Djokovic’s serve, but a few errors by Murray and some clutch play by Djokovic, and Djokovic held.  Again, both players continued to hold serve, this time, Murray a bit more easily.  Murray, who had been breaking serve easily, was finding few opportunities on return.  His primary strategy was to play up the middle realizing Djokovic is the more accurate hitter.

Indeed, if Murray held back some, not going for the lines nearly as much, where Djokovic began to find better range.

In the tiebreak, with both players on serve, Murray had to hit a second serve.  He noticed a feather drop, and waited until it fell, then picked it up and moved it.  Then, he served a double fault.  Fro that point on, Djokovic took control of a second set tiebreak, and with it, he started taking control of the match, a complete turnaround from the first set where he looked nervous.

At the start of the third, Murray began struggling, which may have been due to blisters as well as hamstring issues, and it was hampering his movement.  Although he managed to hold serve early, it was mostly by being aggressive and having Djokovic miss.  Eventually, with his inability to address his physical issues, Murray surrendered a break at 3-all, and Djokovic took the third set, 6-3, exerting his control over the match.

The fourth set began more or less like the third set.  With Murray unable to move well, Djokovic claimed one break, then another.  Murray managed to hold to be down 5-2.  Even there, Murray managed to get to 0-30 and almost 0-40 when a Djokovic overhead clipped the net and rolled over.  Djokovic continued to attack and finally an errant backhand into the net gave Djokovic the four set win.

In that respect, Murray’s career still mirrors Lendl.  Lendl lost his first 4 Slams, then won the 1984 French, then lost the 1984 US Open and 1985 French Open, before he finally won the 1985 US Open and began racking up the titles.

In the end, the injury that Murray had, possibly due to his long match against Federer, meant that, with the injury sustained in the early parts of the fourth set, Murray’s loss was only a matter of time.

So Djokovic wins, 67 76 63 62, and is the first player in the Open era, to win three consecutive Australian Opens.  This is also his 6th Slam (4 Aussie Opens, 1 US Open, 1 Wimbledon).  He’s getting to the point where he’ll at least be mentioned in the second tier of great players (Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Agassi, etc).