In the final of Australian Open 2012 Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal opened a chapter in the breathtaking history of their encounters. The latest chapter proved to be the longest and most dramatic than the previous ones, and only after almost 6 hours of exhausting and tough fight, the reigning champion managed to defend his title, although his opponent was so close from stealing his crown this time.

5 hours 53 minutes of an epic match, a fight to remember. Two best players of the game currently, once again met in the final stage of a Grand Slam tournament, to find out who is the best of the best among them.

As the time went by, the fight was only heating up, despite the growing fatique for both Djokovic and Nadal. The intrigue was there up until the last shot, and the scale was tipping from one player to the other, getting equal after the fourth set.

I am not going to describe the game, and how Novak and Rafa played, as those, who have seen it – know how it was, and those who haven’t – will not understand how close it was, by reading it. But it was close, and all I can say that one single point played the decisive role, it was in the fifth set, when Nadal was leading 4-2 and 30-15. It’s when he had to win, but her couldn’t, it’s when Nole got back into command again.

I believe if there exicted draw mathces in tennis, it was the case when a match should have ended in draw, but there is no draw, and thus, the match had to end in triumph for one of the players, and a broken heart for the other.

Both players deserved this win. Novak deserved it for his unbelievable desire to win. After a five-set semifinal, in the deciding set of the final match, Nole was barely standing on his feet, and every spectator saw how difficult it was for him keep playing in his aggressive manner. Rafae deserved this win as well, for his resurrection in the fourth set, for his refusal to give the win up to his opponent. It wasn’t the shocked and mixed up Nadal we have seen last year, it was the raging-bull Nadal we fell in love with in 2005, at least I saw it in some epizodes.

During the trophy ceremony, both Nadal and Djokovic couldn’t stay on their feet, so the organizers had to give them chairs, yet their eyes were burning with fire, they were ready to play more. What I want to say is that though Rafa was barely coping with tears, he was behaving like a great champion, and a gentleman. He thanked everyone for the amazing two weeks of tennis they had, he paid tribute to Novak and to Rod Laver, and even managed to joke with the public, though it was clearly a very tough moment for him.

And though my heart is totally broken now, I want to congratulate Novak and all his fans with this epic win, it was unbelievable, and Novak proved he is a champion, who come to stay on the top of the game for long. There will be more mathes like this one, I am sure! This was only a beginning.