Djokovic beats Murray for fifth Australian Open

World number one Novak Djokovic won a fifth
Australian Open title and his eighth Grand
Slam Sunday, grinding down Andy Murray in
four gruelling sets to heap more misery on the
luckless Scot, AFP reports.

The Serbian won 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3,
6-0 in 3hrs 39mins to stretch his formidable
record on the Melbourne hardcourts to
winning five from five finals in eight years.
Only Australian Roy Emerson, who presented
him with the trophy, has won more Australian
Opens with six in the 1960s.

Djokovic has now beaten Murray in three of
the Scot's four Australian final losses
following earlier wins in 2011 and 2013,
although Murray defeated him in his two major
triumphs at the 2012 US Open and 2013
Wimbledon.

The victory means Djokovic stays at world
number one on the next ATP rankings when
they are released on Monday (today), with
Murray moving to four from his current sixth.

"Two and a half hours the first two sets. Very
physical. Very exhausting," Djokovic said.

"We both went through some tough moments
physically. You could see that I had a crisis
end of the second, beginning of the third.

"I just felt very exhausted and I needed some
time to regroup and recharge and get back on
track. That's what I've done."

Djokovic said his latest win was all the more
important given his new status as a husband
and a father.

"I think it has deeper meaning, more intrinsic
value now to my life because I'm a father and a
husband," he said.

A dejected Murray admitted he couldn't
match his rival in the fourth and final set.

"I had opportunities in the first three sets.

Then the fourth set, he was just ripping
everything," he said.

"The returns he was hitting on the baseline.

Once he got up a break, he just loosened up
and was just going for his shots. I couldn't
recover."

Murray put Djokovic under immediate
pressure with three break points in the third
game of the opening set, played in cool and
windy conditions on Rod Laver Arena.

But the Serb fought back to hold after an
almighty 27-stroke rally and an ace.

Djokovic struck in the next game, breaking
Murray to take an early 3-1 lead.

It was hard-fought tennis and the Scot
worked his way back by breaking his rival on
his third break point in the seventh game.
Djokovic jammed the thumb of his serving
hand when he slipped chasing a low volley and
needed treatment at the next changeover.

It seemed to bother him briefly only and he
broke the Scot a second time before being
broken back as he served for the opening set,
taking it to a tiebreaker.

The final was then interrupted by a security
scare for five minutes when political activists
unfurled a banner in support of refugees.
Two of them jumped on court with security
guards ringing both players as at least four
protestors were escorted out of the stadium.

The stoppage worked in Murray's favour as he
broke Djokovic's service to level the set at
4-4. It went to a second tiebreak in which
Murray prevailed 7-4 to level the contest.
Djokovic admitted the protest distracted him.

"The interruption on the court happened and I
lost my concentration and Andy started
coming into the match and two and half hours
and two sets it took a toll of our bodies," he
said.

"I didn't want to show him that I was going
through some tough physical moments."

Djokovic suffered an immediate let-down in
the third set, dropping his opening service, but
he stormed back with a double break to edge
in front two sets to one.

Fired-up, the top seed then split the final set
wide open, racing through it against a spent
Murray with a triple break to surge to victory.