Djokovic Defeats Murray to Win 2011 Austrailian Title
Novak Djokovic was on top of his game from start to finish in his straight sets victory over Andy Murray, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday, winning his second Australian Open title and extending Britain’s 75-year drought in men’s Grand Slam singles. Djokovic’s 2008 Australian title is his other Grand Slam victory. The last British man to win a Grand Slam singles title was Fred Perry in the 1936 U.S. Open—more than 270 majors ago.
Murray has lost three Grand Slam finals, also falling to Roger Federer in the 2008 U.S. Open and 2010 Australian Open. Djokovic overcame big obstacles en route to the final, including a win over Federer in the semifinals. And this came just two months after leading Serbia to its first Davis Cup title.
The statistics underlined Djokovic’s domination. He won 11 of his 14 service games, while Murray only won six of 13, and the Serb pounded Murray’s second serve, with the Scot winning just 16 of 51 points (31 percent) on his second serve. Murray lost seven straight games through the end of the first set and into the second and never appeared to be in the match.
The roof was closed at Rod Laver Arena for most of the day due to 100-degree temperatures, but was opened just before the match started and after the weather had cooled significantly.
Trailing 5-4, Murray double-faulted to lead off the 10th game of the first set. Then he hit a backhand into the net after a 39-hit point. Murray challenged the final point of the set when he thought his forehand stayed in on the backline, but Djokovic walked away with the set in 59 min. Djokovic held serve on four straight points to open the second set, then went up 2-0 when he again broke Murray’s service, finishing off the point when Murray’s attempted drop shot was returned cross-court for a winner. Murray had five unforced errors in the first two games.
The Serb went up 3-0, then continued his domination in the next game, breaking Murray in four straight points to go up 4-0 and held for 5-0, his seventh straight game win. Murray finally stopped the streak with an ace on game point to trail 5-1, then broke Djokovic in the next game to cut it to 5-2, before Djokovic broke back to win the set.
The third set started with Murray’s second break of Djokovic’s service in the match, but Djokovic ensure that Murray’s advantage was short lived. Djokovic gained control of set quickly and then served it out to win in two hours, 39 min.
Earlier Sunday, Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia & Daniel Nestor of Canada won the mixed-doubles championship, beating Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan & Paul Hanley of Australia, 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.
