Djokovic vs. Murray: Highlights, Comments from 2015 Australian Open Men's Final

Novak Djokovic's run as world No. 1 won't be ending any time soon.

The Serb hoisted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the fifth time after defeating Andy Murray in four sets in the 2015 Australian Open men's final. Not only has Djokovic dominated in Melbourne, but he's done the same to Murray, improving to a 16-8 all-time record against the Scot.

A final score of 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0 helps tell a bit of the story from this match, as both men squandered big opportunities to pull away early before Murray completely collapsed down the stretch.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

In the first set, Murray had seven break-point opportunities, winning just two while allowing Djokovic to take control. The Scot showed signs of life in the second set, saving three break points before going on to take the tiebreaker. The wheels fell off for Murray thereafter, as his serve was increasingly inaccurate, and unforced errors piled up. Finally, a Murray backhand sailed into the net on match point as Djokovic took the win.

Djokovic finished the match with eight aces, 53 winners and 40 unforced errors while winning 59 percent of his first-serve points, 70 percent of his net points, 56 percent of his break points and 46 percent of his receiving points. Murray tallied 10 aces, 41 winners and 49 unforced errors, winning 65 percent of his first-serve points, 70 percent of his net points, 42 percent of his break points and 40 percent of his receiving points.

Here's a look at the full highlights from the match:

After the match, Murray spoke of his struggles and Djokovic's dominance down the stretch during a press conference, via AusOpen.com:

"

Well, obviously had opportunities in the first three sets. Then the fourth set, I mean, obviously I need to watch it back to see if I played badly. I mean, he was just ripping everything. Returns he was hitting on the baseline, this far from the line all the time. Once he got up a break, he just loosened up and was just going for his shots. I couldn't recover. So the fourth set wasn't as frustrating to me. The third set was frustrating because I got a bit distracted when he, like, fell on the ground after a couple of shots. It appeared that he was cramping, and then I let that distract me a little bit. That's what I'm most disappointed about, not so much the fourth set because I think, especially at the end of it, he was just going for everything, and it was going in. But the third set was more frustrating for me.

"

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The frustration Murray was probably referring to was Djokovic's sudden burst of energy in the third set. This was a turning point in the match, as the No. 1 seed looked winded prior to calling a timeout. Afterward, he was running extremely well, quickly chasing down every ball along the baseline and remaining very accurate.

It couldn't have been easy for the Scot to maintain his confidence or momentum during the onslaught from his opponent, and that may have sparked Murray's severe collapse in the final set.

During an interview after the match, Djokovic spoke of the momentum turning in his favor, via the Australian Open's official Twitter account:

Rest assured, he was speaking of that pivotal third set.

Djokovic's ability to take over the match is a great indication of the quality of his game, conditioning and mental toughness going forward. Overcoming early woes against a strong opponent like Murray bodes well for the remainder of the year for the world No. 1. That brings up this burning question: Could his current momentum carry him to that elusive French Open title?

The Serb has yet to win at Roland Garros, reaching the finals twice—including last year—but failing to take home the Coupe des Mousquetaires on both occasions. Following his victory in Melbourne, Djokovic was asked if he would trade in one of his five Australian Open victories for a French Open title, via AusOpen.com:

"

Ha! Don't ask me this here, please (smiling). No, I strongly believe everything happens for a reason in life. I try not to waste my energy thinking, What if, what if, so forth. For a reason I've been playing so well here and winning five titles, and for a reason I haven't won French Open yet. I'll keep pushing and keep working and keep believing I can make it, at least once, until my career ends.

"

His response, while funny, exuded confidence. Djokovic believes in himself, and that is the most important aspect of accomplishing a seemingly unobtainable feat. Based on his brilliant showing at the Australian Open, and the momentum he's carrying forward, there's no reason to believe the world No. 1 won't be favored in the year's remaining Grand Slam events.

Confidence is everything, and Djokovic has plenty of it.