Australian Open 2011: how Andy Murray can beat Novak Djokovic in the final, by Boris Becker
Boris Becker discusses where Sunday's final of the Australian Open between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will be won.
Final countdown: Boris Becker says Andy Murray must mix his game up and play instinctively to beat Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Boris Becker 8:57PM GMT 28 Jan 2011
Mix it up
Djokovic is great in defence, so Murray will have to pick his shots. It is a completely different match to playing Roger Federer in terms of how you have to play. Against Djokovic it is more complicated because they play so alike – it is almost a joke. There is not a clear-cut game plan with Djokovic because it is almost like playing yourself.
It is not that he has to come in to the net all of the time, or throw in plenty of serve-and-volleys. He has to be instinctive, react to the situation, and take risks at the right times, rather than going for broke on every shot.
Enjoy it
The most important thing for Murray is to enjoy the match, to embrace being in the final and have fun. The poor guy started crying last year after losing in the final to Federer, so you can imagine the amount of pressure he had put himself under. To get to a grand slam final is already a great achievement, the pinnacle of most tennis players’ career. So you might as well enjoy the moment, because then you relax and play better.
A tense muscle here or there can hugely affect your shots. You can pull your ground-strokes, and being tight on his serve would certainly slow it down.
Serve
In terms of groundstrokes, forehands and backhands, both Murray and Djokovic are evenly matched. Their backhands are their most natural shots, but both have worked hard to improve their forehands. Murray will certainly use his inside-out forehand to try to wrong-foot Djokovic on his backhand side.
But it will be who has the better serve on the day that will be fundamental to the outcome of this final. Both players are serving the best I have seen them. It is the new element that they have added to their games. A good serve and you get many free points. How nerves affect their accuracy and pace will be crucial.
Let it go long
Though Djokovic is hardly in bad shape, physically Murray looks a little fitter, so the longer the match goes on, the better it will be better for Murray.
The first set in a grand slam final is crucial in this regard, and far more important than strategy. Murray will want to start strongly. Mentally it is huge, but also, if it turns out to be a hot day — as is forecast — Murray will then be in a position to string out long rallies, make Djokovic work for every point.
Biding his time would also cut down on some of the unforced errors Murray made against David Ferrer.
The mental battle
Both Murray and Djokovic have very similar styles. They are classic counter-punchers who can rally for a long time and wait for mistakes from their opponents. So the question is who will crack first?
There are no big secrets between each other, they have played against each other a number of times, so who will cope best with playing best in a grand slam final? Who can overcome the nerves and mental instability?
On paper you would say that, because Djokovic has won here before, he is the favourite. Murray is yet to win his maiden slam. My gut is to favour Murray though.
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