Stefanos Tsitsipas v Novak Djokovic: Australian Open men’s singles final – live

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Tsitsipas 1-2 *Djokovic

A love hold for Djokovic. Nice and easy, too easy.

Tsitsipas* 1-1 Djokovic

A hold, eventually. Big rally on the first game and just as he seems to have Djokovic on the run, he smashes a forehand into the net cord. And then skies a forehand to go 0-30 down. Oh dear. Big serve and a first ace. 15-30. Better. Then a backhand goes out for two break points. Real power from both players but Tsitsipas has the lesser control. The first is saved by a skidding first serve. The second sees Djokovic go long after a short rally. Next, Djokovic nets to hand Tsitsipas an advantage, and then a big serve. Relief for the Greek but a long long long road ahead.

Tsitsipas 0-1 *Djokovic

Big roar as we get underway, and there is no Djokovic Senior in the stand for reasons widely known. The large bandage that Djok has carried all fortnight is not visible though there may be some taping. Djokovic takes the first point when his second serve skids up and Tsitsipas fails to find the line with his return. Lots of yahoos in the crowd making noise but Djokovic gets to 40-0 with calm before shanking a backhand wide. The forehand is more trusty and he drills home to take the first game with some comfort.

The two players meet at the net and begin their knock-up. Both look relaxed enough as they go through their routines. Djokovic has chosen to serve first.

Let’s play some tennis! Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

It’s cloudy and a little moist in Melbourne but the players take to a Rod Laver Arena with an open roof, Tsitsipas first, Greeks flags waving, and the Serbian contingent receives their man with gusto.

Backstage footage shows Tsitsipas on a running machine, getting loosened up for what could be the night of his life. Can Djokovic’s hamstring hold up? A week ago that was the big question against him.

Tumaini Carayol is our man in Melbourne.

While Tsitsipas won two of their first three matches, both on outdoor hardcourts, the rest of their encounters have been lopsided. Djokovic has won nine matches in succession against him since 2019 and holds a 10-2 record. The Serb knows how to expose Tsitsipas’s glaring weaknesses. When he finds a rhythm on serve, the Greek’s return of serve can be exposed and Djokovic can usually count on exploiting Tsitsipas’s backhand in the advantage court with his superior backhand.

What a tournament it’s been, so here’s the best images from the last fortnight in Melbourne.

Preamble

If Novak Djokovic plays like he has been since last weekend then we are looking at a pushover. This could be the one that takes him level with Nadal. And everyone knows it. Stefanos Tsitsipas is meanwhile looking for his first slam, having lost in 2021 to Djokovic in the French Open final. His talent has been apparent for years now but like so many of his generation he has failed to live with the giants of the game.

He also has a problem with Djokovic, to whom he has lost the last nine times they have met, having won two of the first three they have met. Only Jannik Sinner and Karen Khachanov have taken sets off him while Djokovic has only dropped one, to Enzo Couacaud in the second round. They’ve been the best two best players on show in Melbourne but only one of them has chance to make himself the greatest of all time. The other must pull off one of the greatest shocks of all time.