Rafael Nadal: Loss to Novak Djokovic May Be Turning Point in Rivalry for Rafa

Rafael Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic for the seventh-straight time at the Australian Open Final on Sunday morning. And that loss might be the match that gets Nadal over the hump against the Djoker.

Wait, what?

After the grueling, five-set classic between the two players, Nadal had a few positives to take from the match. From Sandra Harwitt of ESPN.com:

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The good news is Nadal, a 10-time Grand Slam champion, found positives in the match. He talked pride and encouragement for his role in what will go down as one of the greatest athletic endeavors in the game. He also seemed to understand that though he never was able to pass the Djokovic test in those six finals lost last season, this time around he was right there with the guy who took away his No. 1 crown.

"I never put him in this situation during 2011, all 2011, so that's another positive thing for me," Nadal said. "I didn't have mental problems today against him. I had in 2011 all these mental problems. So that's another positive thing. [I] probably never say that many positive things after I lose."

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Going into the fourth set, it appeared Djokovic had complete control of the match, having won the previous two sets 6-4 and 6-2. But Nadal fought back and when the dust settled in the incredible five-set match, it was evident that Djokovic had outlasted Nadal more than he had beaten him.

Truly, neither deserved to lose this match.

If Nadal really has gotten over the mental block that seemed to afflict him last year against Djokovic, the battle for tennis supremacy this year will be fascinating. If Nadal is able to beat Djokovic before the French Open in May and unravel the Djoker mystery that has so eluded him—and surely they will meet before then—it seems unlikely Djokovic can beat Nadal at the Roland Garros.

Nadal has won six of the past seven French Opens, after all.

With a defeat of Djokovic both before and at the Roland Garros, Nadal can reverse this rivalry that has been so one-sided the past year. And if his performance at the Australian Open is any indication, he's on the path to do just that.

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