Fourth set: *Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 2-2 Nadal
The Eurosport commentators point out that this was the stage at which Nadal was broken in the last two sets. No such trouble this time. Apart from slapping an overhead from the back of the court an inch or two long, he looks comfortable, and holds to 15. He barks up to Uncle Toni. Uncle Toni nods appreciatively. The rest of the Rod Laver Arena do too. They want a deciding set.
Fourth set: Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 2-1 Nadal*
Well, that happened rather quickly. Djokovic holds to love. More musings on Twitter: "Amazing how the stuff that works so well against Federer doesn't translate at all against Djokovic," says Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim. "RN doing all the running."
Fourth set: *Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 1-1 Nadal
A must-win game for Nadal surely? And he comes through ? but only just ? after Djokovic takes the game to deuce. Nadal seals it with a 124mph ace, his seventh of the match. But it's the second serve that's proving decisive. "Without a doubt the big stat of the match Djoker 66% on 2nd serve points for the match Rafa 43% on his 2nd serve points for the match," says Brad Gilbert on Twitter.
Fourth set: Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 1-0 Nadal*
Oohs and aaahs from the crowd on the second point, as Djokovic has Nadal spinning forwards and backwards and this way and that way. The Serbs turns to the crowd, arms outstreched, to milk the applause. What can Nadal do? He's tried to be aggressive, he's tried to shorten the rallies, but it's just not working. And it's getting to him. After six straight defeats to Djokovic in finals, can you blame him? That said, he does take the game to deuce, before surrendering when a forehand return sails long. "Nice how the Guardian website has Nadal, alone, as its front page photo announcing the coverage....despite Djokovic being the defending champion, and No1, and despite Djokovic currently winning," says Thomas Ehr. "Just can't give the guy any credit, can you?" Not my decision Thomas, but us Brits love nothing more than an underdog.
Djokovic wins the third set 6-2
Nothing is coming off for poor Rafa right now. 0-15. 0-30. 0-40. Three set points. An extra tug of the shorts, but Djokovic sits back, waits, before hammering a forehand down the line. And as the Times' Neil Harman says on Twitter: "I am willing to wager that Mr Djokovic does not start the fourth set quite as timidly as Mr Murray did on Friday #gettingthejobdone." Djokovic is a set away from his third Australian Open title ? and a third straight grand slam final win over Nadal. Apparently Nadal would be the first man to lose three major finals in a row. So at least it's not just Mr Murray that has embarrassing grand slam final records then.
Third set: Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 5-2 Nadal*
And it's another hold to love for Djokovic. Nadal is winning just 20% of the points from the back of the court at the moment. And if he's not winning them from there, where's he going to? An even more pertinent question comes from Rosemary Cooper: "Why do the ball boys and girls wear the silly flaps on the back of their hats? Has anyone told them that it's nearly 11pm?"
Third set: *Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 4-2 Nadal
Nice touch from Djokovic at 15-all, as he applauds Nadal's forehand winner. But that's about as generous as the world No1 gets. More fearsome hitting and a clever change-up with delicate drop-shot (he must have heard you, Emmanuel) and it's 30-40, break point. But there's life in Rafa yet. He rattles off the next three points.
Third set: Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 4-1 Nadal*
15-0. 30-0. 40-0. Game. Djokovic turns the screw. Back to you Rafa. Can he respond? Of course he has the mental strength, but the way Djokovic has played over the last 12 months or so, you give him an inch, he takes a mile.
Emmanuel Jamin, meanwhile, is dreaming of a bygone era: "That's it, I give up. I recognise that finding angles from the back of the court requires incredible skill, that the confrontation is intense, that both are great athletes but I can't help dreaming of runs to the net, delicate volleys and drop shots. Modern tennis is monodimensional and, dare I say it, boring, even when played with such talent. If tennis were rugby it would only consists of scrums and kicks. If it were cycling it would only be about pedaling as hard as...sorry, that's really what cycling is like. Tennis has become as dull as cycling."
Third set: *Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 3-1 Nadal
Nadal is having to work so hard to hold serve at the moment, and this game is no different, as Djokovic laps up Nadal's vicious slice before carving out a curling forehand winner. 30-40, break point. A rally of real brute force ensues, Nadal tries the forehand down the line, cross-court, tries to wrong-foot Djokovic, but he still comes out the loser as he forces the issue just a big too much and goes wide.
Third set: Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 2-1 Nadal*
While Djokovic is looking stronger and stronger, I'm already starting to tire. Barry Glendenning obliges by going to fetch a No2 from the coffee machine for me, which can probably best be described as pond water. But I doubt it leaves such a sour taste in the mouth as Nadal gets when Djokovic flicks a forehand deep into the corner to hold. "I like the cut of Oliver Lewis' jib," says Guy Hornsby. "I never considered Mr Naylor as anything but a yeoman, a multi-faceted all-sports public extension to the Guardian's sports team, and while I initially thought he was actually a staffer there, he's simply a sport (and theatre) obsessive who puts the rest of us in the shade. Though the idea of "Gary Naylor" as a sort of Kesyer Soze of sport hacks is appealing. No one's met him, but everyone's heard of him. He just sends Rob Smyth out to run his errands and intimidate people."
Third set: *Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 1-1 Nadal
Devastating play from Djokovic produces probably the biggest squeak of the match so far as Nadal scampers deep to his backhand wing, but he can't get the ball back in play. A deuce or two or three or four later and Nadal eventually holds. But it wasn't comfortable. "Gary Naylor is real," confirms Mike Chamber. "He is. Met him at the Oval Test last year. He's right in describing himself as corporeal, he's not easy to miss. Loves sport, loves to discuss sport, has a beard and a son (at least one, he mentioned one)." And this from Andrew Latimer: "BBC's analysis of the second set: Djokovic has to continue hitting winners in order to win. Good to see punditry isn't dead..." Yep, it's insightful.
Third set: Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 Nadal*
The way this is shaping up it could be the longest match. Of. All. Time. And there was me thinking my colleague Jacob Steinberg had it bad with Murray and Djokovic's five-set set-to on Friday. Djokovic at least does the decent thing and holds to love. "Gary Naylor is wrong," announces Oliver Lewis. "He isn't smack in the middle of the demographic, he is the demographic. All us other contributors merely aspire to that level of ubiquity, though for a while I was convinced he was just the assumed name for any Guardian staff members who didn't want to be named for some reason."
Djokovic wins the second set 6-4
Djokovic is like a flickering light bulb at the moment, on one minute, off the next. Off, 15-0. On, 15-all. On, 15-30. Off, 30-all. Off, 40-30. Djokovic's return is then called out, the umpire overrules the call, and Nadal challenges. It's in. They'll replay the point. Nadal grimaces. Djokovic shouts a little, he would have won the point. But he does the next. And the next with a brutal backhand. Set point No4. And now it's Nadal's turn to double! They're back on level terms. And that's my cue for a quick toilet break.
Second set: Djokovic 5-7, 5-4 Nadal*
15-0. 30-0. 30-15. 40-15. Two set points. Djokovic goes for broke on his backhand and it flies long and wide. Nadal let rips on his forehand and Djokovic is stranded. Deuce. For all the world it looks like Djokovic will take the next point but somehow he doesn't. Advantage Nadal, break point. And would you have it, it's a double fault! Djokovic is broken. Wow. There's life in this set yet. And an answer from Gary Naylor. "I am corporeal - all too corporeal - and I should probably get out more. Pretty much smack in the middle of the MBM demographic I suspect. That Mac Millings though - he isn't real."
Second set: *Djokovic 5-7, 5-3 Nadal
Djokovic is hitting so much deeper now, with more freedom and purpose. Nadal manages to counter that at 15-all, as he charges into the net to swat away a forehand volley. He needs to do it more. There's a controversial Hawk-Eye moment at deuce, but to be honest I missed it as was checking this out: "Here's something to read while Novak's bouncing the ball!," says AliWalker24 on Twitter. "Andy Murray Broke My Heart (Again)." Djokovic carves out a set point, but again Nadal descends on the net and draws the error. Nadal eventually holds, but the set may still be beyond him.
Second set: Djokovic 5-7, 5-2 Nadal*
I'm still not sure about the squeaks but the grunting has definitely gone up a decibel or two. Two hours we've been going now. Djokovic holds to 15, the highlight an outrageous backhand winner on the opening point which somehow clips a fraction of the line. His cheeky drop-shot at 40-0 wasn't half bad either. Nadal must hold serve to stay in the set. Here's Andrew Latimer. "To Toby: Neither player actually has squeaky shoes, they add the sound in later for effect ... something to do with realism and atmosphere I think.
Second set: *Djokovic 5-7, 4-2 Nadal
Nadal's most comfortable service game in a while, as he holds to 15. Mats Wilander on Eurosport wants Nadal to try and mix it up, perhaps serve and volley a bit, to keep Djokovic on his toes. And speaking of toes: "Hallo there," chirps Toby Earle. "I have a question for the 'banter' ? can you confirm which player has the least squeaky shoes, as that will determine my allegiance. I also hope they're white non-marking soles." Hmm. I'll get back to you on that Toby ? and I'll also open it to the floor ...
Second set: Djokovic 5-7, 4-1 Nadal*
Djokovic has picked up his serving now, and he's starting to dominate more of the rallies too, as he sends Nadal left and right and left and right and left and right. He holds to 30. Meanwhile, Robin Mahood opens up a whole can of worms: "As a Canadian, I've always wondered if Gary Naylor is famous for being anything other than Gary Naylor, unpaid contributor to The Guardian. Put differently, just who is Gary Naylor? Does he even exist? And P.S. You've made me laugh out loud on at least four occasions tonight, and we're only in the second set." Thanks Robin. Over to you Gary ...
Second set: *Djokovic 5-7, 3-1 Nadal
Shot of the match at 15-all, as Nadal, on the run, bludgeons a backhand down the line. But then there's another unforced error, making it 23 for the match so far. Make that 24. 30-40, break point. Nadal is flirting with the lines too much at times, he needs to leave himself a little more margin for error. Not often we say that about the Spaniard. A wonderful volley from Djokovic as he digs the ball out from around his heels and the world No1 breaks.
Second set: Djokovic 5-7, 2-1 Nadal*
Djokovic holds to 30. There are signs these two are clicking into gear now, after an intriguing if a little error-strewn first set. And here's Neil Stainthorpe: "Actually, comparing players from different generations isn't so difficult. If you asked yourself "Who would win, Nadal or Rod Laver?" you'd have to go for Nadal. After all, Laver is 63 and Nadal is only 25." I like your logic Neil. And I'm sure Mr Laver will like you even more for not divulging his real age.
Second set: *Djokovic 5-7, 1-1 Nadal
A first double fault from Nadal ? indeed the first of the match ? and it's 0-15. Djokovic rips into Nadal's forehand and it's 0-30. A Nadal forehand down the line goes awry. 15-40. Two break points. Djokovic hands Nadal the intitiative on the first and the Spaniard pounces. Djokovic holds firm on the next but it's not enough, and a gruelling 21 shots later it's deuce. Nadal takes the game after another deuce with his fourth ace of the day.
Second set: Djokovic 5-7, 1-0 Nadal*
Djokovic, for sure, does look a touch sluggish. But then he did at times against Murray and look what happened there. Still very early days. While other players tire as the sets go on, these two seem to defy biology by getting stronger and stronger. Djokovic holds to 30, by the way.
Nadal wins the first set 7-5
A few cheap points on the first serve get Nadal to 30-15. He's been serving well today, especially with the body serve, even though his service games have been tight. Nadal charges into the net and dispatches a volley with ease, cue an appreciative nod from Rod Laver, who's again watching on. Two set points. But Djokovic ups the ante with some powerful hitting and it's deuce. Nadal emerges victorious from a cross-court duel to bring up a third set point. Djokovic goes long and the first set is Nadal's after 82 minutes. 82 minutes. Just what the doctor ordered for Djokovic after his semi-final marathon. And the same amount of time the whole women's final took I believe.
And look, an email from my brother. "Massive set coming up for Novak here, you don't want to be 2-0 down in sets against anyone but especially not Rafa when you played for nearly five hours a couple of days ago."
First set: Djokovic 5-6 Nadal*
Cometh the crucial moments, cometh the Djokovic bouncing of the ball before serving. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. 15-0. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. 15-all. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. 30-15. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. 30-all. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. 30-40, as Nadal produces one of his best forehands of the day. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Break Nadal, as Djokovic goes long. Nadal will serve for the first set after 66 minutes.
First set: *Djokovic 5-5 Nadal
With Nadal 15-0 up, a flock of seagulls rudely decide to interrupt proceedings. No bother for Rafa though, he takes an extra tug at his shorts, waits patiently, and dishes up two strong serves to get to 40-0. Djokovic recovers to 40-30, but a sweet shot on the inside-out forehand gives Nadal the game. A fist pump and "VAMOS" follows.
First set: Djokovic 5-4 Nadal*
Rafa is scowling. Woof! He whacks a forehand winner to get to 0-30. But then he somehow contrives to lose a point he really should have won. 15-30. Flump! Forehand into the net. 30-all. Scurry! He scampers but can't get a racket on Djokovic's winner. Flail! Nadal backhand goes long. He will have to hold serve to stay in the first set. Seems strange to say it, but Nadal, usually the model of consistency, is just not being consistent enough.
First set: *Djokovic 4-4 Nadal
A sniff of danger for Nadal at 30-all. He gives Djokovic a look-in on the second serve, but Djokovic tamely nets. But anything Djokovic can do ... Nadal dumps a forehand into the net too. Deuce. Nadal chips and chops but it's not enough, and produces another uncharacteristic unforced error. Advantage Djokovic. Deuce. Advantage Nadal. Another unforced error. Deuce. Advantage Djokovic. Deuce. Advantage Djokovic. And Djokovic breaks, on what I believe is his sixth break point of the match. A very scrappy and strange game from Nadal. We're back level.
First set: Djokovic 3-4 Nadal*
Someone else has joined me in the office! How exciting. I must admit that's distracted me a bit, but I can tell you a nonchalant forehand swat down the line, followed by a cross-court smack sees Djokovic hold. To 15 I think. Cue Gary Naylor again. "Was it you reading the news on Talksport a few weeks ago? I think alone at Guardian Towers must be better than in company at Talksport." Yes, I can confirm it was. Though I wouldn't want to comment on the second bit.
First set: *Djokovic 2-4 Nadal
Djokovic, now in black and prowling like a panther, pulls off a wonderful point at 30-15, drawing Nadal into the net before flicking a delicate backhand cross-court winner. 30-all. Nadal error, 30-40. Break point. But Nadal lassos a forehand down the line and reels Djokovic in. Deuce. Gary Naylor's back to declare: "One sees what one looks for but there's already signs that Djokovic's concentration is not all it could be." And wouldn't you know it, Gary's right. Djokovic has his chances but can't capitalise. Advantage Nadal. Deuce. Advantage Djokovic. Deuce. Advantage Nadal. Deuce. Advantage Nadal. Deuce. Advantage Djokovic. Deuce. Advantage Nadal. Game Nadal. 40 minutes and we've only had six games.
Anthony O'Connell's not impressed though. "Just off to play some golf, this match can't live up to the semis. The problem for Rafa today, is that, unlike federers beautiful top spin strokes, Novak hits a very flat ball and this does not suit Nadal's game."
First set: Djokovic 2-3 Nadal*
A few loose shots from Djokovic - combined with a viciously spun forehand from Nadal ? and it's deuce. Nadal then produces the point of the match so far: seemingly dead and buried, with Djokovic prowling at the net, he somehow threads throw a backhand winner. First break point of the day. Cue a little leap. But Nadal, definitely standing a bit closer in to return on the second serve, mis-times his return and it's deuce. Advantage Djokovic. Deuce. Advantage Nadal. And it's first blood to Nadal as Djokovic hits a backhand long. Nadal scurries back to his chair, Djokovic ? disgusted with himself ? throws his shirt off.
"Here on the Australian coverage, Lleyton Hewitt has just made the comment that Djokovic and Nadal are the best movers on the court he has ever seen," says Philip Davis. "How did he grow up without seeing Sampras, Agassi or McEnroe play?" Comparing players from different eras, it's always so tough isn't it? I would say these are two of the best athletes we've ever seen, when you consider how the game has moved on in terms of speed and power.
First set: *Djokovic 2-2 Nadal
A challenge from Djokovic on the first point, more in hope it would seem than anything, but would you know it he's right, and it's 0-15. The longest rally of the match so far ? 23 shots ? at 15-all, which Nadal takes with a forehand smash. Djokovic bends down, sucking for air, but we've been here before haven't we? He did it in the quarter-final against David Ferrer and in the semis against Andy Murray and look what happened there. Nadal holds to 15.
First set: Djokovic 2-1 Nadal*
The forehand down the line will be a tactic that should serve Nadal well today, as it will keep the ball away from Djokovic's dangerous backhand wing. He does exactly that, firing a winner past a stranded Djokovic to get to 0-30. Djokovic doesn't even attempt to get to it. Surely he's not trying to conserve energy already? The Serb rattles off the next three points though, make that four, as the inside-out forehand draws the error from his opponent. And this from Sasu Laaksonen: "Rafa's backhand was worse than bland powder puff jam in those six defeats v Djokovic. If keeping the ball in play is still his only strategy from the backhand side, Serbia is in for a fest, once again."
First set: *Djokovic 1-1 Nadal
For all of Nadal's talk about trying to be more aggressive against Djokovic (see the preamble), he still seems quite some way behind the baseline. Early days though. And it makes no difference. 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game. Strong serving from Nadal, including an ace down the T. Djokovic changes his racket.
First set: Djokovic 1-0 Nadal* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic did indeed win the coin toss and the world No1 will get us under way. A loose forehand from Nadal goes long on the first point, then Djokovic throws in two errors of his own to give Nadal a slight opening at 15-30. No bother though. Djokovic unleashes a huge forehand, Nadal slaps a tight forehand, and is then bamboozled by a great kicker serve. Djokovic is on the board first.
Tik, tok, tik, tok, tik, tok, tikity tok, they're warming up. Djokovic is once again wearing a white shirt with Serbian coloured swirls, trim and matching shoes. Rafa, meanwhile, looks resplendent in pea green, with a blue headband, wristbands and shoes. He once again has knee heavily bandaged after somehow managing to pinch a tendon while sitting in his hotel room before the tournament started. He also has something scrawled on his hand, not that I can see what it says. The commentators don't seem to know either.
The coin toss. Sue Barker is talking too loudly but I think Djokovic will serve first. Rafa, usually one to put his game face on at this point, even cracks a joke with his opponent. But then he reverts to type, jumping up and down at the net, before sprinting to the back of the court like a raging bull.
The first email. And guess who it's from. "Rafa has to stay in the points and make the match long preying on Djokovic's physical and mental fatigue after epic semi-final," says Gary Naylor. "He should take as much time as possible at changeovers and use his timeouts. Djokovic can't keep coming back from the brink and when the big points come Rafa needs to be mentally sharper."
Conor Breslin, meanwhile, has a slightly less tactical suggestion: "Hi Katy, I'd like to see Rafa poison Djok with some sort of heavily laced gluten cake in advance of todays final. Vamos Rafa!"
The players emerge from the bowels of Rod Laver (the court named after the great man I should stress, not the great man himself). The tournament seems to have got rid of the usual pre-final interviews in which the players give absolutely nothing away, presumably because the players give absolutely nothing away.
Apparently there has been some drizzle in Melbourne today. If the rain returns, the final will be played under a closed roof.
The scene in Melbourne: 15,000 fans, 33 degrees, humid and unsunny.
The scene at Guardian Towers: One game-by-game reporter, one degree and even more unsunny.
Stat attack. This is the third consecutive grand slam final between Djokovic and Nadal, which is an Open era record. As for their head-to-head (need Nadal be reminded), although it's one-way traffic over the past 12 months, Nadal still leads 16-13 overall. These two have shared the last seven slams between them and while Djokovic is going for his fifth major title, Nadal is looking for his 11th.
A little pre-match entertainment. It's been the most-viewed piece on our site for the last few days, but just in case you haven't seen it already, here's 14-year-old ballboy Dylan Colaci doing his best impression of Ricky Ponting in the slips. Quite a catch.
Short of putting stones in Djokovic's shoes or concrete in his racket, if you've got any advice for Rafa/predictions/general musings on this Sunday morning do ping them over. I can't promise to pass on the former to said Spaniard, but I can however offer my two pennies worth on how this could play out. Fitness will no doubt be an issue, but for me, the decisive factor will be belief. Come the big moments, the split seconds in which matches are the very top level are decided, will Nadal really think he can beat Djokovic? His pre-match words would suggest possibly not.
"I am trying to play a bit more aggressive and hit more winners," the world No2 said. "The improvement I want is not complete so I need time to play with this plan. I probably need a few more months and a few more tournaments. I don't know if it's going to be enough against him. I need to play a little better, in my opinion, to have a chance. I don't know if I am ready to win the match but I am going to fight for it."
Fight, no doubt, he will.
So how do you solve a problem like Novak Djokovic? Wouldn't Rafael Nadal love to know. Six times they met in finals last year, and Djokovic came out on top not once, twice, thrice, or whatever would come next if the words existed, so instead let's just say he won. Every single time.
15-0! At the Indian Wells Masters in March, Djokovic won 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
30-0! At the Miami Masters in April, Djokovic won 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.
40-0! At the Madrid Masters in May, Djokovic won 7-5, 6-4.
GAME! At the Rome Masters, also in May, Djokovic won 6-4, 6-4.
SET! At Wimbledon in July, Djokovic won 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
MATCH! And finally at the US Open in September, Djokovic won 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1.
Nadal admitted after the Wimbledon final that Djokovic had taken up residence in his head ? in much the same way that Nadal has caused a seemingly incurable migraine in Federer's in recent years. The irony was that Rafa had been out-Rafa'd.
A new year, though, brings with it fresh optimism, and that will have been boosted a little more by Djokovic's draining duel with Andy Murray in the semi-finals. As our man in Melbourne, Kevin Mitchell, has pointed out, if Djokovic beats Nadal today, it will be despite rather than because of his near five-hour, five-set win. It will also serve as further proof of the world No1's excellence, not that we needed it.
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