It was a battle between “two guys who absolutely refuse to surrender,” said ESPN commentator Chris Fowler. Indeed it was. Novak Djokovic won his third Australian Open championship, defeating Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in an exhausting and epic final lasting five hours and 53 minutes that mercifully concluded at 1:37 a.m. this morning. It was Djokovic’s fifth Grand Slam title and third in a row, joining the ranks of Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Nadal as the only men who have won three consecutive majors since the Open Era began in 1968. Nadal was Nole’s victim in all three. Djokovic has now defeated Nadal seven straight times, all in finals. The match broke the previous record for longest men’s Grand Slam final of four hours and 54 minutes, when Mats Wilander defeated Ivan Lendl in five sets at the 1988 U.S. Open. Djokovic had required four hours and 50 minutes to defeat Andy Murray just two nights before in their brutal semifinal match. Things might have been a lot easier for Djokovic last night if he could have cashed in on any of the three break points he held with Nadal serving at 3-4, love-40 in the fourth set. Nadal rallied to hold for 4-4. Djokovic had his chances to put Nadal away again, leading 5-3 in the ensuing tiebreaker, but Rafa won the next four points to force a decisive fifth set. “It was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies,” Djokovic said. “We made history tonight, and unfortunately there couldn’t be two winners.” The score was 2-2 in the fifth when the match hit the 5-hour mark. It was now uncharted territory. Nadal held at love to take a 3-2 lead as Nole started to wobble a bit, unsteady on his feet. The Spaniard got what appeared to be the decisive break in the next game, but couldn’t consolidate it serving to go up 5-2. Djokovic summoned some unfathomable energy reserve to break back, pouncing on a Nadal second serve to convert, and then held to even at 4-4. The 24-year-old Serb broke again in the 11th game and with the match clock approaching the 6-hour mark served it out, surviving one last break point. “I’m tired. Physically [it] was the toughest match I ever played,” Nadal said. “I think we played a great tennis match. It was, I think, a very good show. I enjoyed being part of this event and this match. I wanted to win, but I am happy about how I did. I had my chances against the best player in the world today. I played one against one. I didn’t play at lower level than him for a long time, so that’s a very positive thing for me.” Djokovic had 57 winners to 44 for Nadal and committed two fewer unforced errors, 69 to 71. The match was about way more than statistics, though. “I think it was just the matter of maybe luck in some moments and the matter of wanting this more than maybe the other player in the certain point,” Djokovic said. “It’s just incredible effort.”

So the Top Four men are in the semifinals at the Australian Open. Any surprise there? Nope. I was going to make predictions prior to the quarterfinal matches, but then considered it pointless. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray were all slam dunks to win. Who could argue? The semifinals aren’t quite so easy to predict. Mostly because we’re dealing with the best of the best. The first semifinal — Nadal versus Federer tomorrow night — is a tournament director’s dream. The two haven’t met in the semifinals of a major since the French Open in 2005. Nadal holds a 17-9 edge over Federer, and since 2008 has basically owned the Swiss Maestro, posting an 11-3 mark. Such dominance would seem to make the No. 2-ranked Nadal the favorite. Federer, however, has been the hottest player on the tour since he lost to Djokovic in the semifinals of the U.S. Open in September. The No. 3-ranked Swiss has a 24-0 record since. The only blemish is a walkover in the semifinals at Doha earlier this month. A balky back didn’t allow Federer to take the court against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for that match, but he hasn’t had any recurrence in Melbourne. Nadal came into the tournament with some question marks, too. A sore left shoulder has bothered the Spaniard since late last year, and then just before the tournament started he freakishly tweaked his right knee while sitting in a chair. Nadal has played with the knee heavily taped since then, but it hasn’t appeared to bother him. Neither has the shoulder. Federer has buzzed through the draw without losing a set and absolutely dismantled Juan Martin del Potro in the quarters. Nadal has been pushed a bit and spent more time on the court while winning his matches. He was a point from going down two sets to love in his 4-hour, 16-minute four-set quarterfinal win over Tomas Berdych. I see Federer’s roll continuing with a five-set win over his archrival. On the other side of the draw, Djokovic and Murray will contest their semifinal Friday night. Coming off an astounding year, Djokovic appears to still be Djokovic. In other words, No. 1 and invincible. He did drop a set to Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round, but really has never been in trouble in any of his matches. Murray, still looking for his first Grand Slam title, hired on former No. 1 Ivan Lendl as his coach at the start of the year. It’s doubtful the Lendl effect will kick in this soon, but his presence in Andy’s corner certainly can’t hurt. Murray, back at No. 4 after a brief climb to No. 3 last fall, started the year with a win at Brisbane and has had a relatively easy ride to the semis. He dropped the first set of his opening round match to young American Ryan Harrison, but has played flawlessly since. Still, I think Nole has too much game for the Scot and will win in four.

Kader Nouni the grooviest man in tennis. So says the Facebook page of the colorful French tennis umpire. Don’t tell that to Argentine David Nalbandian, though. Nalbandian got hosed yesterday at the Australian Open by Nouni’s controversial overrule of a line judges’ out call late in the fifth set of his second-round match with American John Isner. Prior to Wednesday, the 35-year-old Nouni’s gravest transgressions as a chair umpire amounted to denying Serena Williams a potty break in a controversial Wimbledon match with Daniela Hantuchova in 2007 and several oncourt flirtations with Caroline Wozniacki. Mild stuff, basically. Not so the Nalbandian-Isner flap. This one was a whopper. After over four and a half hours of exhausting play, the sun going down, 8-8 in the fifth set, Isner serving and trying to stave off his third break point of the game, the stage was set for some real drama. Nouni spoiled it. Isner cracked a 120-mph heater which was called wide by the center linesperson. The crowd buzzed loudly in anticipation of a second serve coming. But no. Amidst all the clamor, Nouni overruled the call and credited Isner with an ace and the point. As confusion reigned, neither player seemed to know what was going on. When Nalbandian realized what had happened he went to check the mark and challeged the overrule. Up in the booth, ESPN commentator Brad Gilbert said, “That’s a yellow card for the umpire.” Hawk-Eye confirmed the serve was wide, but a strident Nouni denied Nalbandian’s challenge. Too much time, Nouni ruled. Deuce. “I’m changing it from a yellow to a red on that,” Gilbert said after Nouni’s refusal to bend. Following the freebie, Isner won the next two points to hold, then broke Nalbandian in the ensuing game to win the match 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 10-8 in four hours and 41 minutes. “It’s ridiculous playing this kind of tournament with this kind of umpire,” Nalbandian said. “Eight-all. Break point. Can you be that stupid to do that in that moment? What does the umpire need? Press, the name, his picture (in the media) tomorrow? Incredible.” To his credit, Nalbandian didn’t blame the overrule for his loss. No. But he sure as hell got robbed of an opportunity. Nouni deserves some time in the penalty box for this indiscretion.

Aussie young gun Bernard Tomic stole the show on opening day of the Australian Open Monday, staging an epic comeback in sweltering afternoon heat to defeat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 in four hours and 11 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. The 19-year-old Tomic — Australia’s top-ranked men’s player at No. 38 — came through with the finest performance of his fledgling career in upsetting one of the fittest players on the tour. Verdasco, the No. 22 seed, appeared to be in total control after taking the first two sets and seemingly not even phased by the 93-degree mid-day heat. ESPN commentator Darren Cahill’s post-match tweet summarized what anyone witnessing the match must have thought. “Stunning effort from Bernie. Gave him no chance after dropping a tough first set, let alone going down two sets,” he said. It was then that a weary Tomic turned to rope-a-dope tactics that bamboozled Verdasco. “In that third set, I knew that if I lifted my game early, he would have lifted as well,” Tomic said. “I had a feeling he knew I was going to go away. I eased off and seemed I didn’t care, and I think that’s what drew him a little bit. He thought he was going to win that third set, and when the right time came, I broke him.” The break came in the ninth game and gave Tomic a glimmer of hope. Tomic held and then buzzed through the fourth set in 35 minutes as Verdasco began to wither. In a gripping final set the Spaniard needed every bit of his serving prowess to hold Tomic at bay until he was broken in the 11th game. Tomic served it out, punctuating the win with a forehand, down-the-line winner on match point. Verdasco served 15 aces to seven for Tomic. The Spaniard also led in winners, 57 to 44, but committed 83 unforced errors to 60 for the Aussie. “Anything is possible if you keep trying,” Tomic said. “Same thing happened at Wimbledon when I was in the second round. I was losing two sets to love down and made the quarters.” That was last year when Tomic became the youngest man in 25 years to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club. Next up for Tomic is American Sam Querrey in a second-round matchup.

Andy Murray started off the year with a bang. The No. 4-ranked Scot defeated Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the Brisbane International earlier today, capturing his 22nd career title while under the watchful eye of his new coach, former world No. 1 Ivan Lendl. “I’d like to thank my team…Mr. Lendl, he’s up there somewhere, hiding,” Murray said. “It’s my first week with this new team and it was good. I really enjoyed it. Hopefully it’ll bring more success in the future.” Next up for the 24-year-old Murray is the Australian Open, which starts a week from tomorrow. The Dunblane native has lost the last two finals in Melbourne and is 0-3 overall in major finals. That statistic and the fervent expectations of his countrymen to become the first Brit to win a Grand Slam since 1936 continue to weigh heavily upon Murray’s shoulders. The top-seeded Murray blitzed through the first set in 26 minutes, breaking twice and not losing a point on his serve until the last game, when Dolgopolov twice had breakpoint chances but was unable to convert. Murray continued to roll, winning his ninth game in a row to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the second set. The third-seeded Dolgopolov won the next three games, including his only break of the match, to narrow the gap. Murray halted the surge by holding and then breaking the Ukrainian for the fifth time in the match to win in 67 minutes. “I served pretty well again,” Murray said. “It got close in the second set and I stayed focused. He was just going for his shots [and] hit quite a few winners but I didn’t let it get to me. It’s good because I could easily have lost second round against [Gilles] Muller but I managed to fight my way through and played three very good matches. I felt like I was moving well right at the end of the week.” Dolgopolov, who moved up to a No. 15 ranking at the end of 2011, dropped to 0-3 against Murray. The 23-year-old Ukrainian suffered a strained groin in his semifinal win over No. 2 seed Gilles Simon and wasn’t at his best against the Scotsman. “I’d like to say sorry for some boring tennis from me today,” Dolgopolov said, “but that’s the best I could do.”

The calendar flips at midnight tonight and a new season begins tomorrow. So a look back on 2011 is in order. The Top Four in men’s tennis remain the same, and in reality, still a level above the rest. Only the pecking order has changed. There can be no question, though, the leader of the pack was the man under the shirt.. Novak Djokovic, who began the year at No. 3, had a season for the ages. He won seven tournaments and 41 matches in a row to start the campaign. The streak included Djokovic’s second Australian Open championship in January. The Serb completely dominated men’s tennis until Roger Federer bounced him out of the French Open semifinals in one of the best matches of the year. Djokovic would go on to win Wimbledon, supplanting Rafael Nadal at No. 1 in the world in the process, and then the U.S. Open. The Belgrade native won 10 titles, including the three majors, posted a 70-6 record, and hoisted a record-setting five Masters Series trophies. Nole held an incredible 12-2 advantage over his three Top Four brethren. Prior to the 2011 season, Federer and Nadal had won 21 of the past 23 Grand Slam titles. Only Djokovic’s first Aussie crown in 2008 and Juan Martin del Potro’s win at the 2009 U.S. Open blemished Federer and Nadal’s reign of dominance. After his September triumph in New York, Djokovic was a tad spent. Plagued by a sore shoulder and fatigued from the wear and tear of his success, Nole won only six of 10 matches the rest of the year. Still it did nothing to detract from a remarkable season. Nadal, who started the year as a solid No. 1, would have had a very good season if it wasn’t for Djokovic. The No. 2-ranked Spaniard won three tournaments, including his record-tying sixth French Open title, but lost six finals to Djokovic. Nadal, like Nole, faded in tournament play after Flushing Meadows, posting a 6-4 record. But Rafa did come up huge in Spain’s victorious Davis Cup semifinal and final ties, winning all four of his singles matches. Federer began the year at No. 2, won at Doha in week one, then dropped two spots while mired in a 10-month title drought. The 30-year-old great finished in a blaze, however, winning his final three tournaments to end the year No. 3. The Swiss Maestro won four tournaments on the season, but failed to win a major for the first time since 2002. Federer posted a disappointing 1-4 record against Djokovic. No. 4 Andy Murray once again ended the year still searching for his first major championship. Murray won five titles and reached the finals at Melbourne before losing to Djokovic. He also advanced to the semifinals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, falling to Nadal each time. Murray won three titles in a row on the fall Asian Swing to briefly overtake Federer for No. 3 in the world. As 2012 dawns one has to wonder what Djokovic can possibly do for an encore?

Picking the best tennis matches can be a very subjective endeavor. Some favor gut-wrenching, knock-down, drag-out battles. Five set marathons of ebb and flow. Matches marked by nerve-racking suspense where the outcome isn’t determined until the bitter end. Others prefer contests won by pure shot-making brilliance and execution. Battles won more by artistry than by guts and guile. My top three matches of 2011 had a little bit of both. Tops on the list was Novak Djokovic’s 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 semifinal win over Roger Federer at the U.S. Open. Best match of the year as far as I’m concerned. Maybe one of the best all-time. Second was Djokovic’s 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final. David Nalbandian’s 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (1), 9-7 first-round triumph over Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open merited an ever-so-close third place. Best matches don’t necessarily have to occur in Grand Slam events, but it seems in majors the stage and stakes often bring out the best performances. That was the case this year. Djokovic’s comeback against Federer was epic. Fighting a sore shoulder and victim of brilliant shot making by Federer, Nole rallied from a two-set deficit to force a fifth and deciding set. Federer broke to go up 5-3 and led 40-15 on serve in the next game. Match point. It was all over but the celebrating. Federer served. The ball bounced wide and Djokovic took one step to the right, pulled his racquet back ever-so-slightly and ripped a crosscourt forehand for the winner. It was a shot for the ages. Djokovic broke, held serve, broke again and served out the match. Victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. The Serb’s win over Nadal at Wimbledon was not nearly as difficult. For the most part, Djokovic played impeccably. And he had to if he had any chance to wear down the relentless Spaniard. Long rallies, ridiculous angles and strong serving marked play throughout. Djokovic sagged a bit in the third set, but came back strong in the fourth. The win was pivotal for the Serb. It was Nole’s first against Nadal in a Grand Slam match and also his first grass-court title. Nalbandian and Hewitt’s scrap was more fitting of a semifinal or final than a first-round encounter. It was the kind of match Jimmy Connors must have loved. Mano a mano. Two prize fighters going at it. Back and forth, blood-and-guts, momentum shifts galore. When it was over, after four hours and 48 minutes of riveting play, both players were spent. They left nothing on the court. Certainly there were other superlative matches. But I’m stickin’ with these three.

World No. 4 Roger Federer, playing with methodical efficiency, defeated home favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-6 (3) Sunday afternoon in the final of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. The win was Federer’s first Paris Masters title and the 18th Masters Series championship of his career, breaking a tie with Andre Agassi for second most all-time. Rafael Nadal leads with 19 Masters Series titles. The red-hot Swiss Maestro has now won 12 matches in a row since losing in the semifinals at the U.S. Open. Federer won last week at Basel to break a 10-month title drought. “I’m just really ecstatic to have played so well this week from start to finish,” Federer said. “Basically from first ball struck against [Adrian] Mannarino all the way until the very end here. I couldn’t be more happy. I have had many attempts trying to win Paris Bercy, and for some reason, I wasn’t able to win it earlier. But this one obviously feels great and it’s a special victory.” Serving to start the match, Federer saved two break points and then broke the Frenchman at 30 to jump out to a 2-0 lead. “These two games maybe decided the outcome of the match,” Federer said. “It gave me great confidence and a great direction for the match.” The Swiss broke the Frenchman again in the fourth game when Tsonga double-faulted facing his third break point of the game. Federer wrapped up the first set in 30 minutes by serving it out. Tsonga had two opportunities to break serve in the second set, but Federer shut the door each time. The Frenchman went for too much on a forehand return in the fourth game allowing Federer to save the first break point. And in the eighth game, after a lengthy rally at 30-40, Tsonga hit an apparent forehand winner that was ruled just long giving the Swiss another reprieve. Federer prevailed easily in the tiebreaker after jumping out to a 6-1 lead. “If I had played better at the start it would have changed things. The key of the match was there,” Tsonga said. “Every time we play each other it’s similar. If I am able to fight back at the start, then I play well. But if I lose the first set like I did today, then it becomes more difficult for me.” Federer had a superlative day serving, winning 88 percent of the points on his first serve and 52 percent on his second. Tsonga hit more winners, 28 to 20, but had 27 unforced errors to just 15 for his opponent.

Youth was served last night as Austrian teenager Dominic Thiem defeated 44-year-old fellow countryman Thomas Muster 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The former No. 1-ranked Muster was playing in his final ATP Tour event after coming out of retirement last June. Thiem, 18-years old and No. 9 in the world junior rankings, displayed more power and pace than his still spry and competitive opponent, while earning his first win on the ATP circuit. Muster never formally retired back in 1999 after he lost in the first round of the French Open. He merely said he would “go on a holiday.” The “holiday” lasted 11 years. Uber fit and intensely competitive, the legendary Austrian, known for his ironman training regimen, dominated the clay courts in the 1990s and won the 1995 French Open. Muster won 44 tournaments during his career, 40 of them on clay. Since returning last year, Muster has struggled trying to play a young man’s game. Competing mostly on the second-tier Challenger circuit, Muster managed just two wins in 25 matches, including an 0-3 mark in Tour level competition. “I don’t regret anything,” said Muster, fighting back tears after the match in the packed Stadthalle. “My comeback was not about winning or losing, it was about the feeling of being able to compete at top level again.” Muster bid a fond farewell by throwing his racket and towels into the appreciative crowd. The one-time toughest man in tennis at times looked overcome by the scene. “I never had a chance to say goodbye,” Muster said. “This is such a great goodbye. This is definitely my last appearance on the ATP.” Thiem broke in the opening game and again in the fifth game to take the first set in 32 minutes. Muster broke in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead, but that would be the last hurrah for the tiring greybeard legend. Thiem won five straight games to seal the victory in 1 hour and 3 minutes. “The right player has won, Dominic handled the pressure well,” Muster said. “And he can use these 20 ATP points more than I could.” Muster isn’t quite done yet, though. He will play the Salzburg Challenger in November and compete on the ATP Champions Tour in the future.

Defending champion Andy Murray defeated Spaniard David Ferrer 7-5, 6-4 in the final of the Shanghai Masters Sunday afternoon, winning his third title in three weeks on the fall Asian swing. Murray came into Shanghai having won championships at the Thailand Open in Bangkok and the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo the previous two weeks. The second-seeded Scot has now won 25 of his last 26 matches. Prior to a semifinal loss at the U.S. Open, Murray won the Cincinnati Masters in August. The result of Murray’s red-hot run will see the 24-year-old Scot supplant Roger Federer at No. 3 in the world when the updated ATP Tour rankings come out tomorrow. It will be the first time since July 7, 2003, when Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, that the Swiss Maestro has ranked outside the Top 3. “It’s been one of the best runs of my life,” Murray said. “I’ve played very, very well the last few weeks. I was very nervous today because I wanted to win here and defend my title. I’m very happy to come through. Ferrer’s one of the toughest players on the tour and one of the best people; it’s a pleasure to share the court with him. I love playing here; it’s one of my favourite places to play.” Murray broke Ferrer in the opening game of the match to end the Spaniard’s run of 31 consecutive service holds. The Scot’s lead was short-lived, though, as Ferrer immediately broke back. Ferrer committed three straight unforced errors, including a double fault, in the pivotal 11th game to drop serve. Murray held to take the first set. The second set began with three straight breaks. Murray’s breakback in the third game ended up being the difference. “I fought a lot, but today it was impossible to beat Andy,” Ferrer said. “He’s a very good player and person. I didn’t serve really good this match, also because Andy received very well and I had to play closer to the lines. Andy was better than me in the second set. Maybe in the first set I had my chances. [But] I played so bad this game [at 5-5]. After I had a long time serving very bad. Anyway, is difficult to beat Andy in these moments. He is playing with [a lot of] confidence.” Murray improved to 54-11 on the season and 5-3 against Ferrer, while winning his fifth title of the year. The Scotsman also won at Queen’s Club in June.