All I Want To Do Is Go Home, Murray Moans

Novak Djokovic vanquished Andy Murray for the fourth time in an Australian Open final yesterday to win a record-equalling sixth title and serve notice to his rivals that he could surpass even his stellar 2015 this year.

Defeat on the last day of a tournament always hurts, but Murray can feel proud of his achievement in reaching the final, given everything he has had to contend with in recent weeks.

Then, in an emotional final acknowledgement, Andy spoke of his wife Kim, who is due to give birth any day.

To add to his anxieties in Melbourne, Murray also had a scare after his third-round victory over Joao Sousa when he was told that his wife’s father, Nigel Sears, had become ill while watching a match in Rod Laver Arena and had to be carried out on a stretcher. “You’ve been a legend for the last two weeks”. It’s fantastic – you never take it for granted – that journey they’ve been on, the way that Judy influenced them all, me as well, the whole programme in Scotland, it’s awesome to think.

Smith has been there for much of it, having been signed up as a coach by Judy Murray when the boys were 10 and 11, travelling, often in the back of a van, to play tournaments anywhere and everywhere. Murray just wanted to go home. “I don’t want to think how far it can go all where my boundaries are”, he said. But it was apparent, during the match, that ultimately Novak’s superb consistency would win him the battle.

The slow start saw Murray trail 5-0 after just 19 minutes.

Djokovic seized a 5-1 lead and ended the contest on the third of five match points. “For a three-set match, two hours and 53 minutes, it was a tough few sets”.

“I believe that I can win every match I play (and) I’m playing the tennis of my life in the last 15 months”.

“That’s why I kissed the court”, he said. I was able to get myself into the net more.

“We are delighted to have watched two of the greatest players the game has ever seen play out their rivalry at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships”, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, the tournament owners and organisers.

But Murray bounced back and won Wimbledon, beating Djokovic in the final.

And that’s one place you can’t afford to be against the all-conquering world No.1.

Djokovic has now equalled Australia’s Roy Emerson’s record of six Autralian Open.

Andy Murray’s thoughts were on returning home after he lost out to Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Australian Open final. On Sunday, he stamped his mark more indelibly on the Australian Open by tying Roy Emerson for the most men’s singles titles in the event’s long history.

It got worse very quickly when Djokovic broke Murray in the opening game of the second set, but Murray broke back for 4-all.