bwin Sportsblog - Tennis - Mens final

We couldn't wish for a more fitting final of the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne as the world number one and two go into battle. Novak Djokovic has been hugely impressive in 2011 and has taken his haul in slams to four but Nadal will be bidding for his 11th slam which will put him into very elite company. Both players came through epic semi-finals to take their place in the final.

Nadal came from a set down to defeat his great rival Roger Federer in four sets in what many people were calling the grudge match. It will be tough now for Federer to win another slam at his age despite his legendary status. Having Djokovic and Nadal at the top of their game will only make things even tougher for him. However Nadal has a big advantage going into this final because of the fact that he played his semi-final a full 24 hours before Novak Djokovic.

His semi-final win over Andy Murray was a real war of attrition and lasted over five hours. This will surely have an impact on his chances in the final. It was hard to see Murray come up short again and he wants a slam so much that this may be his undoing. Murray had his chances at 5-5 in the fifth but could not take them. Djokovic will surely be a tougher test though for Nadal if he is to add to his haul of slams and it will be interesting to see if he can overcome the fatigue that he will surely suffer if the match goes to a fifth set.