Novak Djokovic Wins Epic Thriller Over Rafael Nadal

NOVAK Djokovic's extraordinary juggernaut rolls on after the Serb this morning claimed the longest Grand Slam final in history.

Condemning Rafael Nadal to a record third consecutive major final loss, exhausted Djokovic posted a 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 Australian Open triumph - a victory for the ages.

On rubbery legs and fighting mental and physical exhaustion, Djokovic clambered off the canvas from 2-4 down in the fifth set to do it.

Fittingly, the 100th Australian men's final was the longest in Grand Slam history at 5hrs 53mins.

Defending champion Djokovic's third Melbourne Park title - and fifth major overall - was sealed at 1.37am local time.

It will live with with the Serb forever, such was its epic nature.

With nothing more to give in the final game of the match, Djokovic crossed himself and glanced skywards afte saving a break point.

He did so again on the following point after earning match point.

Djokovic slumped to the court in relief and elation and Nadal trudged towards the net after missing a forehand.

It was only the third decider to go the distance at Melbourne Park after Pat Cash and Mats Wilander (1988) and Nadal and Roger Federer (2009).

Djokovic, 24, has now beaten Nadal seven times in a row - and in each of the past three Grand Slam deciders at Wimbledon, US Open and the Australian.

The Serb relentlessly pounded Nadal's second serve to expose gaping holes in the Spaniard's defence to land his fifth major, joining Andre Agassi. Roger Federer and Mats Wilander as the only men to win three or more Australian crowns since 1968.

In much the same way Nadal relishes his stroke-for-stroke match-up with Federer, Djokovic exerts a similar thrall over Nadal.

The critical difference last night was the second serve. Djokovic operated at 64 percent. Nadal landed 45 percent.

It was a similar scenario at Wimbledon and the US Open.

In becoming only the fourth male since Rod Laver in 1969 to claim three consecutive majors - Pete Sampras, Federer and Nadal are the others - Djokovic proved again he is clearly the sport's premier player.

Supposedly exhausted after a protracted semi-final against Andy Murray on Friday night, he overcame a sluggish start in sultry conditions to have Nadal on the ropes deep into the fourth set.

Holding three break points for a 5-3 lead, Djokovic could not capitalise as the Spaniard steamed back into the contest.

And when Nadal held a commanding 4-2 lead in the deciding set, Djokovic somehow summoned the nerve and energy to draw back on terms.

He made the title-sealing inroad in the 11th game, when Nadal netted a weary backhand to earn the right to serve out the match.

For most of the contest, he was superior in defence and attack, mentally besting Nadal to inflict another serious pyschological wound on his arch-rival.

In the end, it was a dogfight.

Djokovic emerged with a $2.3million winner's cheque and the satisfaction of overcoming three sizeable obstacles - having 24 hours less to recover from that mammoth semi-final, giving up a first-set lead in the final and coming back from the dead in the deciding set.

Dipping into bottomless reserves after appearing to be spent after narrowly accounting for Murray on Friday night, Djokovic out-ran and outlasted the owner of 10 majors.

If it wasn't Djokovic's cleanest or most dazzling display, it ranks as his bravest.

In a contest that will be remembered for tension and high drama, there was a Grand Slam first when Nadal challenged one of his own serves - and was proved wrong by Hawk-Eye.

The serve, in the 10th game of the second set, was actually in, but Nadal had lost the rally and was hoping to earn a replayed serve.

In the end, he lost both a challenge and the point.

While there is nothing but shared respect between Nadal and Federer, it ia now increasingly obvious that the Spaniard has little time for Djokovic.

The Mallorcan glared at the world No. 1 and his support box after their prolonged celebration of Nadal's double fault to surrender the second set.

Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Rafael Nadal after the longest final in Grand Slam history. Picture: AFP

Source: AFP

While grunting has been an issue for discussion at Melbourne Park over the past two weeks, the men's final was marred by long, irksome delays between points.

French chair umpire Pascal Maria's problems started before the match when the warm-up went overtime.

And once the match started, the 20-second allowance between points was regularly flouted, often dragging out to 30 seconds or longer.

Unsurprisingly, the first set lasted 80 minutes - only two minutes short of the time Victoria Azarenka took to whip Maria Sharapova in the women's final on Saturday night.

Losing patience in the heavy, uncomfortable conditions, Maria asked Nadal to hurry up after the end of the first set.

The second set took 66 minutes, while the third (45), fourth (88) and fifth ()were drawn out affairs.

Rain stopped play briefly at 4-all in the fourth set, prompting staff to close the roof while the court was dried.

Novak Djokovic Wins Epic Thriller Over Rafael Nadal

Australian Open Tennis: Nadal Again Proves Federer's Nemesis

THE question this match posed was only marginally about who would play possibly Novak Djokovic in the final and potentially win another cup to go on shelves in either Basel or Mallorca that already bow with the bounty of previous victories.

This match rather posed the question of whether Roger Federer at 30 and having not defeated the younger man in a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2007, could still beat Rafael Nadal — in a grand slam that is. It was a question you sensed Federer wanted to know the answer to more than anyone.

The answer is no. Nadal last night won in four sets 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. "It's just amazing [the long history with Roger]," said Nadal afterwards, characteristically humble and deferential to Federer. "It's fantastic to have one player in front of me. You saw him with no mistakes he had the complete game. I always saw one player in front of me better than me."

Not now he doesn't. And not for some time. Twice in the last two years Federer had defeated Nadal at consecutive ATP World Tour finals. But in the last dozen meetings between them the record was 9-3 to Nadal and in grand slams the record was poorer — Nadal had won all four matches at slams since that Wimbledon loss.

On this court in 2009 Federer wept upon defeat and the thought that he had ceded his turf — or hard court as the case happened to be — to his rival. On this court, in the first grand slam rematch for them, Federer last night sought to re-claim his ground and re-establish that he was back on even terms with Nadal.

He fell short. Nadal brings something out in Federer that other players, not even world No. 1 Djokovic, elicits.

It is a hesitancy and a uncertainty in his play. He second guesses his movement and choice. Against Nadal he seemed to need to remind himself to get forward, to get to the net, to rumble Nadal's momentum, in ways that he does seemingly without conscious thought against others.

Maybe it is the left-hander thing and that Nadal, playing at the technical and physical level he does, offers angles others do not. Technically that may be the case. Practically the effect of the losses to Nadal is that Federer seems to be play this game on a mental not physical level.

Illustrating the mindset in each of the first three sets, Federer claimed the early break of serve only to cede his later, twice it was in the very next game.

The match was of a level befitting of the players and the moment, and clearly the best of the tournament. Which is not to say it was tennis without fault — Federer's serving was poor, his forehand at times ragged and Nadal tight on his backhand. But the contest was superb. There were fireworks outside the arena which interrupted the match but only appeared dull by contrast to that happening inside. As it should be.

After the first set, which Federer won in a tie-breaker, there was a palpable sense that mentally and in terms of confidence — as if a man with 16 grand slam titles needs confidence — it was more important to Federer that he had done so.

Occasionally the tennis beggared belief. Such as when, in the second set, Nadal lifted a ball almost from the cameraman's lens way off court and squeezed it into the court to set up three break points. Federer saved two but not the third. Nadal had the break. He soon had the set. Federer was under siege. The match was back level but it was Nadal who was on the front foot and Federer clinging on.

Nadal closed it out on his second match point. Once more he had vanquished Roger.

Nadal Again Proves Federer's Nemesis

Celebrate Australia Day with Melbourne Victory

HARRY Kewell has promised a revitalised Melbourne Victory against arch rival Sydney FC tomorrow after declaring the players were ashamed of their display in Perth at the weekend.

Kewell scored Victory's only goal in an ill-disciplined 4-1 loss to Glory, a result that leaves the club with only four wins from 17 games.

"I don't think we can put it behind us and forget it," Kewell said as the players were put through training at Gosch's Paddock in the middle of Melbourne's heatwave yesterday afternoon.

"We know we played terribly. We got battered and we don't want to go through that again."

Kewell said the players had been involved in several meetings with new coach Jim Magilton since the Perth performance, after which a shocked Magilton attacked Victory's culture and promised sweeping changes.

Kewell said, however, that training in the heat of the day was not so much punishment, but because Victory will tackle Sydney at 4pm tomorrow.

"The players are ashamed of what happened in Perth," he said.

"But the great thing about football is that there is always a game around the corner. There is no better game to do it than against our bitter rivals, especially on Australia Day.

"We can prepare all we like throughout the week, but once we cross the white line it is up to us.

"We remain enthusiastic. One month we are hot and one month we are cold. We just can't do that."

Kewell said the lack of discipline in Perth, with Danny Allsopp sent off and three goals conceded in the first half, two of them penalties, could not be tolerated.

"And we were always second to the ball, second challenging passes," he said. "It wasn't good enough at all."

Kewell said he was looking forward to fellow Socceroo Mark Milligan joining on loan from Japan's JEF United.

"It is great to have that kind of player here for the next couple of months," he said.

Nadal, Federer to meet in Australian Open Semi Finals

The intensity was vintage Rafael Nadal.

On the stroke of midnight, he thrust his arms up and punched the air, sealing the victory that sets up the most anticipated semifinal at the Australian Open in quite some time.

Roger Federer did his part to put this in place. In the previous match on Rod Laver Arena, he beat 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in a quarterfinal marking his 1,000th tour-level match.

A Federer-Nadal semifinal had been looming since the draw for the season's first major — the first time the pair have been in the same half at a Grand Slam tournament since 2005.

Playing with a new racket and a heavily taped right knee, Nadal was at his demonstrative best, rallying after losing the first set to beat Tomas Berdych 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3.

Yelling "Vamos," disputing line calls, pumping his arms after winning big points and bounding around like a hyperactive kid, Nadal ripped winner after winner against Berdych in a 4-hour, 16-minute display of pure intimidation.

He said he was nervous in the first set — he'd lost in the quarterfinals two straight years — but by the third and fourth sets things had indeed changed.

"The character on court, the way to win the points ... the level is very positive, much, much better than the end of the season," he said. "Semifinals is fantastic result for me."

Federer finished his match with one of his classic, one-handed backhands against Del Potro, one of only two men who have beaten him in a major final. The other is Nadal, who has done it six times.

That lopsided record aside, there's a touch of extra tension this time in this usually cordial rivalry. Nadal had told Spanish reporters during a discussion about player discontent that Federer liked to protect his reputation as a gentleman by saying nothing negative in public and letting others "burn."

Both have since played down the comments. On Tuesday, Federer said it didn't damage their relationship.

"No. No. Honestly, no," he said. "It was here for one day and then gone again. I'm happy about that because it didn't deserve more attention than it did. So for me, it's another great match with Rafa. ... Obviously I'd like to play Rafa because of our great epic match earlier in the finals here a few years ago."

Thursday's match will be the first time they have met at Melbourne Park since Nadal won the 2009 title in five seesawing sets. Nadal collected the trophy from the great Rod Laver after consoling Federer as he sobbed in the background.

"We are talking about a player who has won 16 Grand Slams, and I've won 10," Nadal said. "We have played a lot of matches together, many in very important moments for our careers. So the matches against him are always special, even if we are (ranked) 20 against 25."

One of the women's semifinals is already set up, with defending champion Kim Clijsters showing too much experience in a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Caroline Wozniacki, who remains without a major title and will now lose her No. 1 ranking.

Clijsters has a left ankle sprain that requires almost constant treatment, but expects to be fit for the next match against third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, one of the three women who can finish the tournament with the top ranking.

The two others — Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova — could meet in the other semifinal.

Kvitova ended the run of unseeded Italian Sara Errani with a 6-4, 6-4 win in Wednesday's opening match on Rod Laver Arena to reach the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time.

Sharapova is up against Ekaterina Makarova in an all-Russian match later. No. 56-ranked Makarova is coming off a straight-set win over five-time Australian champion Serena Williams.

Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic has an evening match against No. 5 David Ferrer, who beat Nadal in the quarterfinals last year. Djokovic overtook Nadal and Federer for the No. 1 ranking last year by winning three of the four majors, starting with an Australian Open final win over Andy Murray. Murray takes on No. 24 Kei Nishikori of Japan on Wednesday.

Given the dominance last season of the top four, a Djokovic vs. Murray semifinal seems most likely. In 2009, the competition was considered more of a two-man race.

Federer was aiming to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles and was confident despite entering the Australian Open with the No. 2 ranking.

Nadal had fended off Fernando Verdasco in 5-hour, 14-minute late night semifinal — the longest match at the Australian Open — and said he could barely walk, let alone practice the following day. He'd also had a day less to prepare for the final than Federer did. Still, he became the first Spaniard to win the Australian title.

Nadal has won 17 of their 26 head-to-head matches overall, including a 7-2 lead in Grand Slam matches. Federer won the last meeting, a 6-3, 6-0 demolition at the season-ending championship in November.

It has been almost seven years since the pair last met in the semifinals of a major.

"Yeah, it's been a long time — I don't know when the last time has been when we played in the semis of a slam," said Federer, who is usually an extremely reliable statistician. "Maybe back in 2005, maybe at the French potentially, I don't know."

For the record: Nadal won in four sets against the then No. 1-ranked Federer en route to the title at Roland Garros.

"We have been on opposite sides of the draw many times," Federer said. "I guess it's a nice changeup. OK, it doesn't allow a rematch for the Australian Open final here, you know, but I think it's good for tennis that it changes up a bit."

Nadal certainly didn't want to miss another chance at Federer. He didn't finish last year in good form and has already talked about taking time off next month to rest a sore shoulder. He hurt his knee by sitting in a chair at his hotel on the eve of his first-round match.

Nadal saved four set points in the first set against Berdych, including one with a stunning passing shot on the 29th point of a rally. But the seventh-seeded Czech persevered and won the ensuing tiebreaker.

During the tiebreaker, a shot by Berdych shot landed out and Nadal returned it, then challenged. Chair umpire Carlos Bernardes wouldn't allow it because Nadal hadn't immediately stopped play, but Nadal responded by saying he didn't challenge immediately because he thought the linesman had called it out. The replay showed the ball out and Nadal thought the umpire should have overruled.

He didn't win another point in the tiebreaker. In the second set, as Nadal lined up to serve in a key point, a man called out from the crowd: "Come on Rafa, we want a Roger-Rafa semifinal Thursday night."

Nadal obliged. Improving as he went along, Nadal hit consecutive down-the-line forehands to break Berdych early in the fourth set. Berdych did well to hold in the fifth game, which lasted 13½ minutes, but Nadal dominated from there and sealed the match with a service break as the clock struck 12.

"I started moving a little bit inside the court after I went 20 meters behind the baseline, just trying to find solution," Nadal said. "At the end of the match I finished it returning fantastic."

Nadal, Federer to meet in Australian Open Semi Finals

Hewitt Ruins Perfect Record of Top 3 in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic's third-set wobble against Lleyton Hewitt spoiled a neat statistic. Had the defending champion won in three sets, the top three men would all have reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set.

The top-seeded Djokovic eventually won 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Monday to join Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the last eight.

No. 4 Andy Murray lost the first set against first-round opponent Ryan Harrison and hasn't conceded one since. He beat Mikhail Kukushkin on Friday when the Kazakh retired while trailing 6-1, 6-1, 1-0.

The Big Four have reached the quarterfinals at five straight majors, underlining a gap between them and the rest of the field. Djokovic says it's an attention to detail that makes the difference.

"Nowadays it's very physical so you have to work very hard, you have to be dedicated, you have to take care of the smallest details off the court as well, how you organize your life, you have to be emotionally balanced," he said. "All these kind of things play a very significant role in your performance on the court."

Djokovic hasn't been out of the top four since the middle of 2007. He did admit, though, that he's still getting used to sitting at the top of the pack after a standout 2011 in which he won three of the four majors and overtook Nadal and Federer for the No. 1 ranking.

"I have to accept this life as simple as possible because you can easily get carried away," the 24-year-old Serbian said. "There is a lot of temptations, especially when you're at the top. Obviously you get more attention and more temptations to do some things that can affect your performance in a negative way."

Hewitt Ruins Perfect Record of Top 3 in Melbourne

Hewitt, Tomic Last Aussies Standing

So often the last man standing at an Australian Open, Lleyton Hewitt remains upright in the tournament’s third round in defiance of many tipsters.

Hewitt joined Bernard Tomic as the only remaining Australians in the singles draw with a second-round victory on Thursday night after 15th seed Andy Roddick retired with a hamstring injury.

Hewitt held a two sets to one advantage at the time.

Tomic’s credentials as the spear-carrier for Australian tennis will be put to the test on Friday night when he takes on 13th seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov on centre court.

But Hewitt, whose 16th Australian Open is one of very few in which he has not been under pressure to deliver, has reached the third round despite coming off 12 months marred by injury and lacking game time.

The 30-year-old next faces Canadian Milos Raonic on Saturday.

Roddick won the first set on Rod Laver Arena but the match changed complexion when the American stumbled awkwardly during the second – tweaking a hamstring tendon.

Hewitt clambered back into the match taking the second and third sets before Roddick succumbed to the inevitable after two hours and 10 minutes.

“In the last four years I’ve had five surgeries and last year I played just two Grand Slams and two Davis Cup ties,” Hewitt said.

“I came in here with nothing to lose, I’ll play with my heart on my sleeve and see where it gets me.”

Tomic says he’s ready for one of the biggest matches on his career against Dolgopolov – a player who has beaten him three times in the past 12 months on hard courts.

“He seems to play good tennis and bad tennis for a set. So it’s very difficult,” Tomic said.

“You have to just hold your game against him and hope for the best.

“He is a very good player and a lot of people struggle with him.”

Others in third round action on Friday include Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters.

Hewitt, Tomic Last Aussies Standing

Melbourne Airport 2011 Stats

Melbourne Airport achieved strong international passenger growth in 2011 as its domestic numbers fell, impacted by volcanic ash, Qantas strikes and Tiger’s suspension.

The year saw total international passengers passing through the airport rise 11% compared with 2010 to 6.6 million.

Strong growth was seen among visitors from New Zealand, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Meanwhile domestic numbers dipped 2% compared with 2010 to 21.3 million passengers.

“Domestically, 2011 was a particularly tough year, with the well publicised weather and airline events that disrupted services,” chief executive Chris Woodruff said.

But the strong international numbers resulted in positive growth overall of 1% as 27.9 million passengers passed through the airport.

The Tomic Train Rolls on Further - Fuelled by Self-Belief

WHERE Sam Stosur struggles, Bernard Tomic thrives. Stosur, famously, owns a US Open title, while Tomic's best-known possession is a $150,000 orange BMW familiar to the Gold Coast police, but the innate self-belief that Tomic seems to have in abundance is what Stosur sometimes lacks. Here, especially.

As a first-round singles loser, Stosur has been left to compete for the mixed doubles consolation prize, while Tomic last night repeated his third-round singles effort of a year ago to remain in the main game.

The teenager toppled American Sam Querrey 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena and tomorrow will play flashy Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Is he looking forward to it? ''Absolutely not,'' Tomic admitted candidly. ''I think he doesn't like my game, I don't like his. He is a very good player, and a lot of people struggle with him, but I've got to do smart things when I play him and I think the last few times I played him I didn't do the right thing after winning the first set.''

Against Querrey, Tomic displayed his usual array of spins, paces and placements; the problem is that Dolgopolov plays a similarly quirky, unconventional game, and the 13th seed who last night saved a match point before outlasting German Tobias Kamke 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 8-6 was by some margin Tomic's least preferred third-round foe.

Coached by eccentric South Australian Jack Reader, Dolgopolov has won all three of the pair's previous meetings, most recently in Shanghai in October when, in Reader's words, a beaten Tomic ''didn't see any reason to keep trying'' late in the three-set match.

But that was a smaller stage; this is a big one, and size can sometimes matter where Tomic is concerned. Certainly, he is growing all the time - no longer in centimetres but in stature. He has already succeeded Lleyton Hewitt as the national No. 1, and has now equalled his best Australian Open result.

Querrey, ranked 95th but was as high as 23rd just a year ago before losing three months to elbow surgery, had spent just 87 minutes on court in his first-round match against French wild card Kenny de Scheppers, compared with the four hours, 11 minutes Tomic needed to give Fernando Verdasco a two-set start, play dead before a comeback in the third, and then roll on to a famous five-set victory.

But if conditioning was not an issue in the far cooler evening conditions, then at times Querrey's renowned serve proved to be. Blink. That was the first set. Gone in just 24 minutes, Tomic broken in the fifth game and unable to get a look back in on the American's towering serve.

Among a minimal Querrey error count there were seven aces among 14 winners to three in the first nine games.

But Tomic has been a winner for as long as anyone can remember, the fact that he is just 19 notwithstanding, and by the start of the second set he was starting to settle in.

Querrey's first serve percentage began to drop away, and Tomic took advantage of a few more looks at the second, as well as a climbing mistake count, to draw level on his fifth set point. By then, the match was still just an hour old.

Tomic is remarkably tennis-mature for his age, and, already with an impressive record in tie-breaks, he last night improved to 19-7 to take an important two-sets-to-one advantage. Ahead for the first time, he stayed there.

''It was a tough match,'' Tomic said. ''He's a world-class player, and to come back after that first round and recover the right way, I think I did a good job. After that first set, I was thinking, 'Please don't make it another two-sets-to-love [down], I don't want to play five sets.'''

Tomic said he would prefer to meet Dolgopolov at night than in the faster daytime conditions. In the same round 12 months ago, he met top seed Rafael Nadal. ''One year older,' he said. ''It's the same feeling, and same round. [But] no Nadal, so better chance than last year.''

The Tomic Train Rolls on Further - Fuelled by Self-Belief

Hewitt to Meet Roddick in Melbourne

Lleyton Hewitt will play Andy Roddick in a battle of the former world number ones in round two of the Australian Open. Hewitt raised the Melbourne Park crowd's spirits with a four-set win over Cedrik-Marcel Stebe on Tuesday night, showing his renowned fighting qualities to stave off a determined fightback from the German.

Hewitt, now 30 and in need of a wild card to play in the tournament this year, prevailed 7-5 6-4 3-6 7-5 to set up his meeting with Roddick, who had earlier eased past Robin Haase.

The Aussie fans had been left stunned by defeat for their leading women's hope Sam Stosur earlier in the day and at one point it looked as if Hewitt, the 2005 runner-up in Melbourne, might go the same way.

After establishing a two-set lead, Hewitt relinquished control and Stebe stormed back into the contest. He took the third set and then opened a 5-1 lead in the fourth. However, from that point it all went wrong for the 21-year-old as Hewitt, roared on by a packed Rod Laver Arena, reeled off six straight games.

Roddick dismissed Haase in straight sets, winning 6-3 6-4 6-1. The American is a four-time semi-finalist in Melbourne but never a finalist.

Seeded 15 this year, he looked comfortable enough and was pleased with his display, saying: "The serve was real good. I only missed a couple of returns. You know, it felt as clean as it does for a first round in a Slam."

Looking ahead to playing Hewitt, he predicted the match could turn into an epic.

Roddick said: "I think when we play, numbers go out the door as far as the number next to our name as far as ranking (is concerned).

"I don't pay much attention to it when it comes to Lleyton. He knows how to win tennis matches.

"He's a fighter. I have as much respect for him as I do for anybody in the game, how he goes about his business, how he competes, how professional he is.

"I've won the most recent meetings, but I think out of the six that I've won, four or five have gone the distance to the last set. We always have a bit of a war. I probably don't see it being any different."

Earlier, defending champion Novak Djokovic opened his challenge with a commanding 6-2 6-0 6-0 victory over Paolo Lorenzi . The Italian tested Djokovic as best he could, but the world number one was he secured his place in the second round in a comfortable 90 minutes.

There was the odd lapse in concentration, notably in the third game of the opening set when a double fault and a low volley into the net gifted Lorenzi the first break of the match.

However, Djokovic tightened his game to break Lorenzi three times on his way to claiming the first set and won 17 games in a row to seal victory.

A lengthy and powerful duel in the opening game of the second set left the crowd anticipating a baseline battle for dominance, and while Djokovic was stretched, it was never too far as he swept through the set 6-0, winning it with a perfect forehand down the line.

Lorenzi never gave in, but found no answers to Djokovic's commanding arsenal or silky drop shots, powerful baseline play and skilfully placed volleys.

"It's great to be back here in Melbourne where I have the nicest memories of my tennis experience," Djokovic said. "This is the grand slam I've won twice, I always play well here."

Djokovic came into the tournament following a holiday and without an official match under his belt in 2012, but there was little evidence of rustiness.

"I wanted to have that period of preparation to really get ready for the Australian Open," he added. "Physically I think I'm stronger, I'm improving things by small margins. It's something that gives me a lot of confidence."

Andy Murray overcame a stuttering start to reach the second round with a four-set win over Ryan Harrison. The world number four was broken three times as he dropped the opening set on Hisense Arena against the highly-rated teenager.

However, Murray regrouped well to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory to keep the flag flying for Britain. And Murray praised Harrison afterwards, saying: "I remember when I was in that position when I was younger and there was no pressure on me. He came out and played some great tennis and I really had to dig in.

"He is one of the up-and-coming guys and I was expecting a tough match and that's what I got. I started to play better towards the end of the match, I had a few nerves at the start."

David Ferrer also cruised through to the second round with a comprehensive 6-1 6-4 6-2 win over Rui Machado. The fifth seed, a veteran of 37 consecutive grand slams and a semi-finalist last year at Melbourne Park, was never troubled by his rival from Portugal.

Ferrer broke Machado seven times in total en route to a straight-sets win.

Ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic was given a fright by Dmitry Tursunov.

The Serb stormed up the rankings in 2011 to finish inside the world's top 10 but it didn't look that way early on.

Tursunov, now 29 and heading towards the end of his career, took the first set and had chances to claim the second only to miss several set points.

Tipsarevic crucially edged the second-set tie-break and went on to record a 5-7 7-6 (14/12) 6-3 6-4 victory.

One of the game's rising stars, Milos Raonic won in straight sets, while Richard Gasquet (17), Kei Nishikori (24) and Alex Bogomolov Jr (32) were among the lower seeds to win.

However, number 29 Radek Stepanek went down in straight sets to Nicolas Mahut.

Australia Day 'Most important' for Nation

AN overwhelming majority of Australians have nominated Australia Day as the most significant day on the national calendar.

Almost nine in 10 people plan to celebrate the national holiday commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 in some way, a survey by the National Australia Day Council shows.

It found 93 per cent of people named Australia Day as a day of importance - more than any other national celebration.

More than five million Australians plan to attend public events on January 26 including breakfasts, concerts, fireworks and celebrations of indigenous culture.

Council chief executive Warren Pearson said today the survey found many people felt celebrating Australia Day fulfilled a need to be part of a national community.

"Whether it be through attending major events, taking part in a local community celebration or simply getting your friends and family together, Australia Day plays a significant role in our sense of belonging, unity and identity," he said in a statement.

Australia Day 'Most important' for Nation

Heat Returns to Victoria and the Tennis

Melbourne's hot night will turn into an even hotter day as tennis fans are being warned to expect sweltering heat.

Courtside at the Australian Open is tipped to hit 35 degrees on Tuesday.

The weather bureau is forecasting the high after the city tossed and turned through an overnight low that stayed above 24 degrees.

Ambulance Victoria paramedic team manager Brett Parker urged tennis fans to be sun smart during the day.

"It's easy to become dehydrated on a hot day," he said in a statement.

"If you can, get into the shade, into the cooler areas inside the buildings at the tennis. Have a bit of a break, maybe grab an ice cream of something."

Meanwhile, a total fire ban and severe fire risk warning is in place for the southwest and Wimmera parts of Victoria, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees. The rest of Victoria is rated high or very high.

Premier Ted Baillieu says Victorians need to still be alert for bushfire warnings as the high temperatures returned after two weeks of cooler weather.

"The benign weather that we've had over recent weeks should not in any way allow Victorians to be complacent about what lies ahead," Mr Baillieu said on Monday.

"The weather is drying, the weather is warming, we're approaching the peak season in February and now is the time for all Victorians in high-risk areas and those travelling into high-risk areas to think again, to refresh their plans, to practice their plans."

Grassfires are the primary concern for fire crews this year.

Tomic Ticks all the Boxes with his Gutsy Win

WORLD No.8 Mardy Fish has already hailed Bernard Tomic a superior talent, but Tomic yesterday showed competitive qualities even he was not sure he possessed.

What yesterday propelled the young Australian into the second round of the Australian Open should carry him much further still. This, unquestionably, was a major step.

For the second time in his career, Tomic recovered from a two-sets-to-love grand slam deficit against a higher-ranked opponent, but in far more testing circumstances on a scalding Rod Laver Arena. He beat 22nd seed Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 in more than four hours. It drew a standing ovation and was greeted, inside the locker room, with approving nods.

''He's a great player. He's going to be a great player. He already is,'' Fish said. ''He's gotten so much better since I played him in the fall. He was a good player then, too. He showed out there that he enjoys playing down here. He enjoys this surface. He enjoys playing during the day in the heat, all the conditions and variables that this tournament has. I mean, he's light years ahead of me now, but especially when I was 19, at that time. Very impressive.''

So that's another box ticked, then. Ability, we knew. So, too, a cagey, unorthodox style that can lure his opponents into error. But few could have been certain that his fighting qualities were a match for his instinctive court craft, world-class backhand and love of the big occasion. Now we know something more. Tick, tick, tick.

''You can learn about yourself, and how in the future you can play,'' said Tomic, who will play American Sam Querrey in tomorrow's second round. ''I think there's a lot of guys that get two sets to love down - especially in a grand slam it's the toughest thing to come back like that - and they throw the towel in. Anything's possible if you keep trying … Showed me what I'm capable of doing.''

Indeed, what used to be Lleyton Hewitt's time - the Aussie warrior routine in the afternoon-fightback slot - is now Tomic's. Baton handed. ''A lot of [Hewitt's] matches, same stories, did the impossible: turned around a match in this situation. I think it's a good thing that I can believe in myself at this age. It can only be better for me in the future … When I'm down, I can lift myself and give it a go always.''

Against Russian Igor Andreev at Wimbledon, when he trailed by two sets and a break, Tomic was able to recharge with an overnight break before resuming for the final two sets. This was tougher, better, more satisfying, and the first time in four years that Tomic earned direct main draw entry was also the fourth consecutive time the wildcard graduate had won his opening round. ''Today wasn't fun, it was torture,'' he quipped later. ''I really don't know how I won, so I'm going to recover. I'm the happiest person alive now.''

Indeed, he could have won the first set, and should have won the second; wounded by two awful forehand misses: one on break point in a lengthy ninth game of the first set, and another when holding a set point at 30-40 in the 12th game of the second. That one, which could have levelled the match, was a sitter, but instead plonked into the net. And by early in the third set, he was twice forced to save potentially decisive break-point chances, fortunate that Verdasco was suffering in the sweltering conditions, he later revealed, and unable to put foot on throat.

Tomic's rally came after what commentator Todd Woodbridge called a ''semi-tank'' early in the third, and what the world No.38 admitted was a display of foxing. ''I eased off and seemed I didn't care, and I think that's what [drew] him in a little bit tonight. He thought he was going to win that third set, and when the right time came, I broke him. After that, he started … not hitting his shots.''

While his pre-match decision to question Verdasco's recent form and divulge his exploit-the-backhand game plan did not backfire, Tomic admitted his request for a day match had not been smart. ''Silly me,'' he smiled, while acknowledging the benefits of a ramped-up fitness campaign with post-match treadmill sessions to prepare for such best-of-five situations. ''Did not know that the heat was going to be like this.''

Yet he cannot help but be conscious of the national investment. Australia is sweating on the success of Wimbledon's youngest quarter-finalist in 25 years and, although not yet the finished product, there are constant additions being made to the preliminary sketch. ''It's not a good feeling, especially when you're losing,'' he said. ''You see the fans just disappearing one by one. It's a tough feeling. Then you start winning and they come back one by one.''

Those who returned would have liked what they saw. Impossible not to. One to remember.

Tomic Ticks all the Boxes with his Gutsy Win

Virgin Launches Airbus A330 from Melbourne - Melbourne Tourism News

With sights set on capturing the Melbourne market, Virgin Australia has announced it will commence daily Airbus A330 services from Melbourne for the first time.

The airline is selling tickets from today for the first seats on the new popular Airbus A330 to destinations Perth and Sydney.

On 14 May this year, Virgin will expand its Airbus A330 “Coast to Coast” service to include double daily Melbourne to Perth return flights and effective 15 May the A330 will also operate a daily morning peak-hour return service between Melbourne and Sydney.

Virgin Australia Group Executive of Commercial Liz Savage said Melbourne is the airlines second largest port and is showing growth in all business, events and tourism sectors.

“Our new wide-body Airbus A330 services will add extra capacity in and out of Melbourne at times of peak demand and offer a first-rate travel experience for guests,” Ms Savage said.

Ms Savage said the Airbus will feature Virgin Australia’s new designer Business and Economy Class product, which includes luxury leather seating, generous seat recline and selection of gourmet food offerings.

Along with the launch Virgin will be offering economy class fares starting from $99 from Melbourne to Sydney and AUD195 from Melbourne to Perth.

“Now with our new wide-body services, our premium Business and Economy Class offering and our designer lounge at Melbourne Domestic Airport, we are confident that Virgin Australia will be the airline of choice for the Melbourne market”, Ms Savage said.

Daily Airbus A330 flights to Perth will depart at 1pm and 5.30pm local Melbourne time, arriving Perth at 3.15pm and 7.45pm respectively local Perth time. Return flights from Perth depart at 8.30am and 5.30pm local Perth time, arriving in Melbourne at 1.45pm and 10.45pm respectively local Melbourne time.

The daily Airbus A330 service between Melbourne and Sydney will depart at 7.15am local Melbourne time, arriving Sydney at 8.40am. The return service will depart Sydney at 10.00am local Sydney time, arriving Melbourne at 11.35am.

(Source: etravelblackboard.com)

Qantas Announces Miranda Kerr as New Qantas Ambassador

Qantas has announced Australian model, author and international superstar Miranda Kerr as a new Qantas Ambassador.

Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said he was delighted to welcome Miranda to the Qantas team.

"Miranda Kerr is one of the most photographed and recognisable people in the world," he said.

"Apart from her work commitments as an international model and businesswoman, Miranda will now represent Australia's premium airline."

"Miranda will make an outstanding contribution to the airline, the brand and its global reputation for premium service and excellence."

Ms Kerr said she was honoured to be chosen as a Qantas Ambassador.

"I grew up with Qantas which is such an iconic Australian brand. I'm proud of my Australian heritage and I'm so excited that I will now be able to represent Australia's premium airline around the world

"I travel frequently and from the moment I step onboard a Qantas flight I feel at home. I always enjoy the wonderful service, fabulous food and stylish cabins."

Miranda will tonight attend the Qantas Spirit of Australia cocktail event in Los Angeles. The party will celebrate Australian talent on the world stage and will be attended by actors, artists, designers, chefs and sports stars that represent the best of modern Australia wherever they go.

Miranda joins current Qantas ambassadors John Travolta, Cathy Freeman, Mark Webber, Greg Norman, Mark Schwarzer and John Eales.

Qantas Announces Miranda Kerr as New Qantas Ambassador

Domestic Holidays Pick Up Over Summer

Domestic travel is likely to pick up this year despite the strong Australian dollar, with two in three Aussies planning a local trip over summer.

According to research compiled by a leading travel and lifestyle web site, the appeal of a cheaper international trip is fading with up to 68 percent of respondents planning a holiday around Australia sometime within December, January or February.

Booking data also saw a “significant” surge on summer trips to Sydney, Perth and Adelaide compared to the same period last year.

“The relatively late arrival of hot weather across much of the country has no doubt played its part in inspiring people to make the most of the warmer weather and feel more confident about booking a trip,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“It’s also quite possible that after the stress of the lead-up to Christmas – and spending time with the in-laws, people are re-thinking their need for a holiday!”

Fast approaching Australia Day is also sparking more Aussie travel, with data revealing that bookings for the period between 26 to 28 January up 251 percent on last year.

Popular destinations for the public holiday include Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

Domestic Holidays Pick Up Over Summer

Is Australia’s tourism industry up to scratch?

When did you last feel pampered on an Australian holiday? That is, regardless of price, you felt a tourism operator went out of their way to make your holiday feel special. It might have been friendly hotel staff, an excellent waiter, or a business owner who implied nothing was too much trouble.

I know such tourism enterprises exist. The trouble is, too many slack operators drag others down. They have little regard for repeat business. Get as much as they can from tourists on their first and last visit, seems to be the mantra.

They let Australia’s natural beauty do too much of the work for them and seem lazy compared to overseas tourism operators that are far more professional.

What’s your view?

Are standards in Australia’s tourism industry falling?

• How do our tourism standards compare to those overseas?
• Have you encountered slack, overpriced tourism joints?
• What are the real problems in Australia’s tourism industry?
• Have the federal and state governments done enough to help the industry?

I feel sorry for passionate tourism operators who lose repeat business because terrible operators in their tourism “ecosystem” turn a potentially great Australian holiday into a good or average one.

Consider my recent family holiday to the Whitsundays. The accommodation was excellent: attentive staff, great service and zero stress. But the restaurant in town took an hour to serve meals, they did not arrive at the same time, and the waiter could not remember the orders.

The ice-cream man in the main street snapped at a nice old Italian woman who did not realise a queue had formed, and an island resort forced patrons to line up for 30 minutes on a hot day for an awful lunch. Not once were we asked where we hailed from, how our holiday was going or had a tourism attraction recommended.

It’s hard to feel sorry for the tourism industry when standards are this poor.

Yes, I’m nit-picking, but it’s a similar story in far too many Australian tourist destinations, where good operators are let down by poor ones, and innovation is lacking.

What would an American tourist think of such patchy service? I still had a good holiday, but not so good that I would rush to return. I thought, “Next year, I’ll spend the same amount on an overseas holiday that feels like a real holiday, rather than just staying in another town.”

To be fair, Australia’s tourism industry is under intense pressure. The global financial crisis saw more international travellers stay home, and our high dollar and cheap airfare packages encourage record numbers of Australians to travel overseas. Heavy discounting has forced some tourism operators to cut costs to maintain profit margins. All too often, service is the first casualty.

The short-term outlook for tourism is poor. “Australia will continue to lose its share of the global international traveller market as many new destinations emerge,” says business forecaster IBISWorld in its latest tourism industry report. IBIS says an equivalent of 30.2 per cent of Australia’s population takes an overseas trip each year and forecasts this to rise to 50 per cent by 2016-17. That’s a great opportunity in itself for nimble entrepreneurs who can cash in on Australia’s overseas travel boom.

Thank goodness many more Chinese tourists this decade will help offset less domestic travel in Australia.

Even so, it will be a terrible shame if more tourist operators give up on the domestic market as they chase Asian tourists. Our tourism industry has too much of a natural competitive advantage – the country’s vast beauty – to lose share to other destinations.

I’m no tourism expert, but I’ve seen too many industries respond poorly to structural and cyclical threats (retail is an example). The main solution has been to cut costs, damage product quality and wreck brands. Company morale falls and staff only turn up for the pay cheque. Decades of hard work are lost in a few years as even loyal customers start to give up on the product. Innovation and great leadership are lacking.

I wondered why tourism operators in my holiday town did not work closer together and find a way to compete and collaborate at the same time by cross-promoting attractions. I wish more tourist towns adopted a service code of ethics for tourism operators and enforced it. Maybe more stringent accreditation for tourist operators is needed. And I wonder if the quality of customer experiences in Australian tourism are audited enough and benchmarked against other countries.

I wasn’t asked once about the quality of my holiday or any product or service bought.

As an observer outside the tourism industry, it seems so much money is spent (and often wasted) on attracting tourists to Australia, and not enough on improving their travel experience and encouraging repeat business. Do enough international travellers to Australia rave about their experience upon returning home? What about domestic travellers?

A relative who recently returned from Hawaii gushed about the experience and customer service (right or wrong, tipping makes a big difference.) I reckon Far North Queensland has Hawaii covered for natural beauty, but with too much patchy service and standards in Australian tourism, it’s getting harder to make the case to holiday locally – at least for big trips.

Is Australia’s tourism industry up to scratch?

Kanye West Melbourne Side Show Sold Out – Sydney Selling Fast

Kanye West’s Melbourne side show has not sold out, with punters snapping up every available ticket to the event. The only chance Melbourne fans have to see Kanye West now, is to see him headlining the Big Day Out at Flemington Racecourse on Sunday, 29th January.

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Sydneysiders should take note, there are just a few tickets remaining for the Sydney Entertainment Centre show, and we recommend you get in quick to avoid disappointment.

Kanye West Big Day Out Side Shows

Friday, 27 January, 2012 – Sydney Entertainment Centre
with special guests Sneaky Sound System
Tickets available from: http://www.ticketmaster.com.au Ph 136 100
& http://www.bigdayout.com

Tuesday, 31 January, 2012 – Melbourne: Sidney Myer Music Bowl
with special guests Sneaky Sound System
SOLD OUT!

Big Day Out 2012 lineup

Sunday, 22 January, 2012 – Gold Coast Parklands
Smith Street, Southport. Gates open 11am
Tickets $165 (incl GST) + bf*. Strict limit of 4 tickets per customer.
Big Day Out website tickets sold out. Tickets still available from Ticketmaster (website only)
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au, plus Rockinghorse (Brisbane), Sunflower Pacific Fair (Broadbeach) and Kill the Music (Brisbane)

Thursday, 26 January, 2012 – Sydney Showground
Showground Road, Sydney Olympic Park. Gates open 11am.
Tickets $165 (incl GST) + bf*. Strict limit of 4 tickets per customer.
Big Day Out website tickets sold out. Tickets still available from Ticketmaster (website only) http://www.ticketmaster.com.au plus Red Eye Records (Sydney)

Sunday, 29 January, 2012 – Melbourne Flemington Racecourse
Epsom Rd, Flemington, Melbourne. Gates Open 11am
Tickets $165 (incl GST) + bf*. Strict limit of 4 tickets per customer.
Big Day Out website tickets sold out. Tickets still available from Ticketmaster (website only) http://www.ticketmaster.com.au

Kanye West Melbourne Side Show Sold Out – Sydney Selling Fast

Anyone Can Win the Australian Open - Ana Ivanovic

Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic believes the strength of women’s tennis means that anyone in the draw can win the Australian Open. Ivanovic’s preparations for Melbourne Park suffered yesterday, however, with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 loss to Lucie Safarova in the opening round at the Sydney International.

But the out-of-sorts Serb retained belief she would be one of the dozens of players in the hunt to win the Australian Open, starting on Jan. 16. The first round loss for Ivanovic, the former world number one and 2008 French Open champion, followed an early second round loss at Brisbane last week.

Yesterday, she was left to rue missing a regulation smash at 5-5 in the first set tiebreaker, revealing the unforced error played on her mind for the remainder of the match. “The whole first set came down to that one point,” Ivanovic told reporters. “Obviously it happens, it was just a very bad moment for it to happen. It’s a shot I feel very confident at. It’s definitely a little bit disappointing, but it happens and it took me a lot of time to recover.
“It’s tough. I keep replaying that shot in my mind throughout the whole match. I felt like that was the turning point. But still I came out in the second set and I served really well the first couple of games and had some chances. “I feel my game is still there. I have lost but it gives me time to go to Melbourne with plenty of time to tune up a few things.

“I had a good off-season and I just want to try and keep at it. It would be great to have a result straight away but sometimes it’s a process and it takes time.” The four women’s majors had four different winners last year: Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open, Li Na at the French Open, Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon and Sam Stosur at the US Open.

With the Australian Open beginning at Melbourne Park next week, Ivanovic believes the number of good players on tour make it hard to call a winner at Melbourne Park. “When I first started on tour I felt like the first few rounds the seeds would have an easy match,” the Serb said. “Now from the first round you have tough opponents. Everyone is playing well and aggressive and you really have to be tough from the first match on.

“Anyone, basically, can win. That’s exciting for everyone because everyone who is in the draw has the potential to go far.” Elsewhere in Sydney on Sunday, Australia’s Jelena Dokic trounced compatriot Isabella Holland 6-0 6-0 on Ken Rosewall Arena on a day when none of the seeds made an appearance. The big guns will be wheeled out from today.

“We all have days when it doesn’t go right but it’s professional sport, you can’t really be feeling sorry for anyone,” Dokic said of her opponent. Nine of the top ten women in the world are in a high-quality Sydney field. Top seed in the men’s draw is Argentina’s world number 11 Juan Martin del Potro.

The Wait is Over at Melbourne Airport

NEW waiting zones at Melbourne Airport are already having an impact on congestion and safety in the area.

The Ring and Ride zones, introduced on December 21, allow people to wait for up to 20 minutes for free when picking up family and friends.

Hume police and airport staff have already noticed less congestion on the Tullamarine Freeway.

The designated areas have been established in the existing long-term parking area.

The initiative was introduced in response to customer feedback over concerns that vehicles were pulling over illegally to wait on the Tullamarine Freeway or in other areas of the airport.

Hume Highway Patrol Sgt Kel Cannon said anything that reduced the number of people stopping on the freeway was excellent for safety.

“The biggest issue we’ve had is with people wanting to save a few dollars,” Sgt Cannon said.

“It will most certainly reduce our workload with responding to collisions and hopefully save somebody a lot of pain from injuries.”

Melbourne Airport chief executive Chris Woodruff said there had also been an observed increase in congestion at pick-up zones with many drivers continuing to drive laps as they waited.

“Now, drivers can use the Ring and Ride waiting zone until their passenger calls to say they are ready to be picked up from the front of the terminal,” Mr Woodruff said.

Drivers waiting more than 20 minutes will pay $2 under the initiative and drivers waiting between 40 minutes and an hour will pay just $4.