Djokovic sees off Murray challenge in five-set thriller

Sets up final with Nadal; Kuznetsova and Zvonareva win women’s doubles.

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Novak Djokovic saw off brave Andy Murray in five thrilling sets to reach the Australian Open final and stay on course for his third straight major title.

In a marathon match of four hours and 50 minutes, nudging the tournament record, the Serbian top seed stormed back from a set down to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 7-5 and set up a final with Rafael Nadal that takes place tomorrow.

“There aren’t any words that can describe the feeling I have now,” said Djokovic. “Andy deserves the credit to come back into the match after 2-5 down. He was fighting, I was fighting.”

Djokovic, 24, now gets a shot at his third Australian Open title while Murray extends his quest for Britain’s first male grand slam title in 76 years.

But the Scot took pride in his turnaround from last year’s final, in which he was floored in straight sets by the Serb.

“Tonight’s match was important for many reasons,” said Murray. “Obviously I wanted to win first and foremost.

“But also after last year, the year that Djokovic’s had, I think there’s a very fine line between being number one in the world and being three or four. I think that gap, tonight I closed it.”

Djokovic also admitted it was ‘one of the best matches he played’. “It was one of the best, but emotionally and mentally it was hard,” said Djokovic. “I felt like we were breaking each other’s serves easier than serving it out.

“I’m going to try to recover but obviously it’s going to be physical as well, so I need to do some push-ups tonight.”

Kuznetsova, Zvonareva win doubles title

Meanwhile, unseeded Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva won the women’s doubles crown, coming from behind to beat Italian pair Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani in three sets.

The Russians overcame a poor start from Zvonareva in particular to win the title 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, but were quick to downplay any implications for the Olympic Games later this year.

“It’s not our main focus,” said Zvonareva. “Long-term, you know, we don’t know.  It depends because we have so many great players that can play good in singles and doubles.

“And I think both of us, we will try to make it to the Olympics in singles. That’s the most important thing. If we get chosen for doubles, we get chosen. “

The title is the second grand slam doubles crown for both Kuznetsova and Zvonareva, although with different partners. Zvonareva also has two mixed doubles titles.

Meanwhile, American-Romanian duo Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Horia Tecau beat India’s Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi to reach the mixed doubles final, where they will face Russian Elena Vesnina and India’s Leander Paes.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2012.