I am not a huge tennis fan but I do like to watch the Grand Slam finals. I was very glad that I tuned in to the Australian Open Final yesterday and witnessed one of the greatest sporting encounters of all time.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal served up an amazing match that lasted nearly six hours. It was not only the fact the the match ebbed and flowed between the two players, it was the quality of tennis throughout. Over five sets and fifty-five games the pair served only six double faults. The exhausting rallies were filled with amazing recoveries, stunning winners and super human effort.
The psychology of sport was also there for all to see. Two sets to one down, trailing by four games to two and forty love down, Nadal looked doomed to defeat. He produce five stunning points in a row to win the game and Djokovic seemed to deflate. Nadal stormed back and won the set.
Then in the fifth set with Djokovic stranded, Nadal had the half the court free to make a winner but found the wrong side of the sideline and suddenly Djokovic was given a new lease of life. The energy was back in his legs and he came roaring through to take the title.
Britain's Andy Murray had taken Djokovic all the way in a five-hour epic only two days previously, which made the defending champion's achievement all the more remarkable.
What struck me most was how the belief that both players meant they never gave up even when the odds were stacked against them. They are magnificent examples of what skill, courage and self-belief can achieve. It was a privilege to watch two young men at the peak of their powers bring credit to their sport with their ability and sportsmanship.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/16782987.stm
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