Murray in a rush to get home following final defeat

Andy Murray’s hopes of a maiden Australian Open title were once again dashed by Novak Djokovic as the world No 1 won a record-equalling sixth Melbourne title on Sunday.

It was also Djokovic s 11th Grand Slam title and he moved into equal fifth place with Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg behind 17 time leader Roger Federer.

The 28-year-old Djokovic, who won three of the four Grand Slam titles in 2015, has a 57-6 record in Melbourne, winning his first major there in 2008.

Murray, who has been on baby alert all tournament with his wife, Kim Sears, due to give birth within weeks, said he was getting the next flight home after his loss to world number one Novak Djokovic.

“I do think I could have played a bit better”, Murray said, “When I hit my forehand well in the third set that helped me out a lot”. The Olympics, which are one of Djokovic’s major goals and are set for early August in Rio de Janeiro, could take too much out of him before the last Grand Slam event of the year: the U.S. Open. Thanks for all your support and I’ll be on the next flight home, ‘ he said on court.

“Every grand slam title is very significant in its own way”, Djokovic said.

“You ve been a legend for the last two weeks”. I mean, yeah, I don’t know.

A beaming Novak Djokovic showed off his Australian Open trophy in Melbourne on 1 February, saying the desire to become the greatest tennis player always be his “motivation” in the years to come. After being pushed to five sets by Gilles Simon in the fourth round, he ramped up his performance-level in the second week, ending Federer’s tournament with a stunning attack in the opening two sets of their semifinal. While many European players start on clay, Djokovic took his first cuts at the ball on the hardcourts across the street from his parents’ ski shop and restaurant in the Serbian resort Kopaonik. The Belgrade native won six of their seven meetings last season.

If Murray is to beat Djokovic it will be by attacking the Serb, not out-rallying him.

“Most of the matches we played in slams have been competitive”.

He added: “I heard actually a nice metaphor yesterday – “the wolf climbing the hill is hungrier than the wolf at the top”.

The challenge for Murray is that Djokovic was the best in the world previous year in winning 2n dserve points-when he was serving and when he was returning.

– Since losing to Federer at last year’s Cincinnati final in August, Djokovic has won 38 of his next 39 matches.

“You know, maybe I could have nicked that set”.

He was rocked midway through the tournament by a medical emergency involving her father Nigel Sears, who collapsed in the terraces at Rod Laver Arena when coaching Ana Ivanovic and was rushed to hospital. Djokovic expressed some surprise at how “neutral” Murray played at the start of their final and the Scot needs to bolder both in the weight of his shots and the variety of his approach.

“But I’m proud of the way I fought and managed to get myself back into the match and create chances for myself”.