Djokovic equals record with sixth Australian Open win

While Djokovic was still celebrating his 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory on Sunday night, equaling Roy Emerson’s record of six Australian titles, Murray was rushing for the airport to catch a flight back to Britain to reunite with his pregnant wife.

He has won four of the last five slams, 38 of his last 39 matches, and at this rate Roger Federer’s record 17 is within range for the 28-year-old.

Novak Djokovic crushed Andy Murray 6-1 7-5 7-6 yesterday to match Roy Emerson’s record of six Australian Open titles and leave the Briton heartbroken again at Melbourne Park.

“The first set I wasn’t there but the second and third sets I do think were very close”.

Another overpowering win kept him head and shoulders above his peers at the Australian Open, but Novak Djokovic said fears of a “big slap from karma” make him humble as he continues his quest for Grand Slam history.

With wife Kim expecting their first child, and with his father-in-law Nigel Sears collapsing while watching a Melbourne match last week, Murray was keen to get back to his family. He has won 13 out of the last 15 after it started out 8-7 (through the 2012 U.S. Open final). “I started the last couple of matches quite slowly, [which is] understandable in some respects, I think”.

“I’ve had the fortune to win this trophy now six times, but I never experienced such support”.

“I feel like I’ve been here be-fore”, Murray said jokingly as he took the microphone. “It’s not good to begin matches like that against someone like Novak”.

He is already – based on his results over the past two seasons – the best player on all the major surfaces: clay, grass and hard courts. After impressing en route, this was Murray’s weakest performance in a grand slam final and it sent him in a spiral worse than the previous year. Murray fought back from a break down in an epic second but to no avail, and did the same in the third only to lose a decisive tie-break.

“I’m proud that I got into this position”, said the world number two, who suffered his fifth final defeat.

However, the Scot’s former coach did also win the title three times in NY, whereas Murray has yet to taste victory here. “If I do, the person becomes too arrogant and thinks that he’s a higher being or better than everybody else”.

The 2016 Australian Open men’s final features the Worlds No. 1 player facing a man who seems ready any minute to become his to challenger.

The world number two found himself 5-0 down in the blink of an eye against Djokovic, repeating a pattern that had played out against Milos Raonic in Friday’s semi-final.

Djokovic will now turn his attention to securing a maiden French Open crown in May, the only grand slam title that currently eludes him. “I had goose bumps here on the centre court when I was playing”, Kerber said after the final.