Australian Open 2012 TV Schedule: Djokovic vs. Nadal Is Tennis' New Best Rivalry
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the greatest rivals in the history of men's tennis, but Nadal versus Novak Djokovic has now become the best rivalry in the sport.
The 2012 Australian Open final on Sunday will be the fourth Grand Slam singles final between Djokovic and Nadal, with the first coming in August of 2010 at the US Open.
Djokovic has the edge 2-1 in Grand Slam finals, including the last two meetings coming at last year's Wimbledon and US Open.
Despite strong competition from Federer and Britain's Andy Murray, Djokovic and Nadal have clearly been the two best players in the world over the past year.
Just as Nadal has dominated Federer and keeps preventing the Swiss star from winning his 17th Grand Slam singles title, Djokovic has been the thorn in the Spaniard's side as well. If Nadal wants to win his 11th Grand Slam singles title on Sunday, he must find a way to defeat his nemesis.
Not only has Djokovic taken trophies away from Nadal, he's dominated the world's No. 1 ranking, something the Spanish star had a firm grip on before the Serbian's amazing 2011 season.
Coming into the final, it is certain that Djokovic enters with a great amount of confidence thanks to his recent success against Nadal.
""I know that I maybe have a mental edge because I've won six finals the five or six times we played in 2011 and I've had lots of success against him," said the 24-year-old Djokovic who holds a losing 16-13 record to Nadal, but has beaten him the last six times they have played.
"On the other hand, it's a new year. It's a new challenge," added Djokovic. "It's a different situation. As I said, he has maybe a day advantage over me for recovery and for getting ready for the finals."
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With Nadal displaying an unbelievable ability to play deep into Grand Slam tournaments despite battling some injuries in recent months, and Djokovic dominating everyone in his path, this matchup could be seen in several Grand Slam finals this season.
These are the two most talented players in the world and they both can excel on all court surfaces.In this year's Australian Open final, Nadal and Djokovic will show that their rivalry is the best tennis has to offer.
Australian Open TV Schedule
Watch: Live at 3 a.m. ET on ESPN2, with a replay at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2
Live Stream: Australian Open TV
