My original intention was to put together a fairly straightforward report on the Australian Open tennis final, but as events developed and unfolded in Melbourne this morning, my thoughts switched more generally to the quite glorious era currently being enjoyed by the men's game, and where things stand in the aftermath of Djokovic's victory.
I have been following top-level sport avidly since I was a small boy, in other words over three decades, and I can barely recall a time when a branch of sporting endeavour was serving up (please pardon the pun) such consistently engrossing a spectacle as men's tennis has over the past three or four years.
Although today's final arguably lacked the relentless technical excellence of some of the other encounters involving the Big Three (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic), it more than compensated with its sheer drama, raw emotion and constant fluctuations in fortunes and momentum.
If, like me, you are able to relish sporting competition as an examination and celebration of the human character and spirit, then this was a match to savour. Two athletes testing the very limits of their own endurance and fortitude, as well as that of their opponents. A contest of wills, as well as physiques and techniques.
After the conclusion of the match, it was also difficult to escape the feeling that we were witnessing another watershed, the moment where Djokovic affirmed his status as the world's foremost player, regardless of what the rankings computer has had to say.
The elevation of Djokovic to this status has been curious to behold, as in the eyes of the wider sporting public he possibly has a less vivid "tennis persona" than Federer or Nadal, and his qualities less immediately conspicuous or easily quantifiable. This is not meant as a criticism, by the way!
The "new" Djokovic is a very imposing proposition, as his talent and natural attributes are allied to a formidable mental and physical resilience, and an indomitable will to prevail. These latter things were seen to great effect at various junctures in the Australian final. Time and again the pendulum seemed to be swinging away from him, but he was resourceful and confident enough to overcome these troughs.
For reasons which I find hard to pin down, I have not always found it easy to warm to Rafael Nadal in the past. Maybe it had something to do with my "purist's" admiration for Roger Federer. Today, however, he went up in my estimation enormously, with his never-say-die attitude, and his infectious energy. Even when he was clearly physically fatigued, the instincts and drive were still clearly there in abundance. People in all walks of life, and not just sporting and tennis enthusiasts, could draw inspiration from Nadal's spirit and attitude.
So where does today's match leave the state of play in the upper portals of men's tennis? Have we turned another page, and seen the dawning of a new mini-era within this Golden Era, with Djokovic taking the game to places not even visited by Federer and Nadal? It might be premature to judge, but if this standard is maintained, the commentators and pundits may soon run out of superlatives....
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