Australian Open 2012: Novak Djokovic's Momentum Will End vs. Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic should enter the Australian Open finals against Rafael Nadal with all the confidence in the world. He just played a marathon match against Andy Murray to make it here and has defeated Nadal on the last six occasions that they played, so what is there to worry about?
Actually, there is plenty for him to be concerned about. He must find a way to stay energized throughout this match. It was obvious at the end of his match with Murray that he had nothing left in the tank. It was a heroic performance, but not one that lends itself to future success.
Another thing that he has to worry about is that he will only have one day of rest. After playing a long match, rest is imperative. He doesn't have the luxury of downtime because he has to get right back out there.
Hope is not lost for Djokovic, though. As Sandra Harwitt of ESPN.com wrote, it takes a special kind of player to defeat the No. 1 player in the world.
"The semifinal provided another example of why the word "indomitable" is clearly the proper adjective to describe Djokovic. These days, the four-time Grand Slam champion brims with confidence even when the going is tough, a trait that's enabled him to be deemed virtually impenetrable.
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There are very few players on tour who can match Djokovic shot for shot, but Nadal is better equipped than anyone else right now.
Nadal just had an epic match of his own against Roger Federer in the semifinals. Unlike Djokovic, however, he has had an extra 24 hours to rest. He was able to watch Djokovic's match against Murray, too, to see what he was and wasn't doing well.
There is no way that Djokovic and Nadal don't put on a classic final match at the Australian Open, but all that momentum the Djoker built up in his match with Murray will be for naught when Nadal takes him down.
