Novak Djokovic: Serb's Blistering Match vs. Murray Will Only Make Him Stronger

There have been some concerns raised about world No. 1 Novak Djokovic after a brutal, back-and-forth match against Andy Murray in the semifinals, but this epic battle will only make Djokovic better moving forward.

Friday's match in Melbourne was a fantastic affair that tested the endurance of Djokovic and Murray...and then tested it some more. The match involved 345 points, complete with 96 winners and 155 unforced errors. It lasted nearly five hours, including an 88-minute third set and a 65-minute fifth and final set.

In that respect, there are legitimate concerns about Djokovic fatiguing against Rafael Nadal in the final. After all, Nadal's semifinals matchup against Roger Federer was a measly three hours and 42 minutes.

But one of the reasons Djokovic became the best in the world in 2011—besides his fantastic backhand, return game and speed—was his endurance. His only five-set match of 2011 was against Federer in the semifinals of the US Open and he only got better as that match wore on, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to capture the next three sets. He beat Nadal in the final shortly thereafter in four sets, like he did at Wimbledon.

Is Djokovic going to be hurting on Sunday against Nadal? Of course he is. Will it be the deciding factor? No, because Djokovic will win on Sunday.

Djokovic did the same thing against Murray on Friday that he did against Nadal and Federer last year—he battled back. Djokovic is known for this by now and as brutalizing as the match against Nadal will likely be, I don't see endurance being a pivotal factor. Instead, we should focus solely on their games.

The reason I have Djokovic winning the Australian Open, and the reason I had him winning it all along is primarily because of his return game and his backhand. The reason why Federer fails to defeat Nadal time and time again is because he doesn't have the backhand to cope with Nadal's thunderous left-handed forehand. Djokovic has this, and that's why he defeated Nadal all six times they played in 2011 (all were finals, two were Grand Slam finals).

Don't get me wrong, Nadal is playing fantastic tennis and there's an argument to be made that he's the true GOAT. But Djokovic is the world No. 1 right now and deservedly so. His game is equipped to deal with anyone on the planet and he'll show that once again against Nadal in the final.

Friday's match against Murray only made Djokovic mentally stronger.