Australian Open 2016 Schedule: Women's Final Replay and Men's Final Coverage
Novak Djokovic will be hoping to avoid a similar fate to fellow top seed Serena Williams on Sunday, as the reigning champion lost to Angelique Kerber in a thrilling final at the Australian Open.
Kerber won a pulsating contest 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday in a match rife with enthralling moments. It's the first time the seventh seed has ever won a Grand Slam title, becoming the first German woman to win one since Steffi Graf.
It’s a clash which will whet the appetite for Djokovic’s showdown with Andy Murray too. The Serb is chasing his sixth Aussie Open crown, but after losing at this stage four times previously, Murray will be desperate to finally triumph Down Under.
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Here’s a look at where you can catch a recap of the women’s final, the viewing details for the men’s event and a preview of what should be a gripping showdown between Djokovic and Murray in Melbourne, Australia.
TV Details
Saturday, Jan. 30: Repeat of Williams vs. Kerber will be shown on ESPN 2 (US) at 9 a.m. (ET) and can be viewed on WatchESPN (US). Highlights of the match are available on the BBC Sport website (UK).
Sunday, Jan. 31: The men’s final will be live on ESPN (US) at 3:30 a.m. (ET) and Eurosport (UK) at 8:30 a.m. (GMT).
Djokovic Looking to Make History
No men's player has ever won the Australian Open six times, a feat which reigning champion Djokovic has the chance to accomplish when he strides out onto the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
The top seed and world No. 1 turned in a masterful showing in the semi-final, beating fellow former champion Roger Federer in four sets. The opening two stanzas of the match, in which the Serb dropped just three games, were some of the finest tennis we’ve ever seen from Djokovic.
Here is a reminder of some of the incredible tennis played by the Serb in Thursday's contest:
As we can see here courtesy of Bleacher Report UK, Djokovic’s record in the Grand Slams has been sensational lately:
Murray is a very difficult opponent to get the better of, though. Milos Raonic found that out to his peril in the semi-final, taking a one-set lead twice in the match before being pegged back on two separate occasions and eventually being beaten by the two-time Grand Slam winner.
It was a match which stretched over four hours, though, meaning Murray will have a physical disadvantage in this one. After all, even though Djokovic was involved in a four-set match himself, in the main it was pretty easy work for the reigning champion, who also has the luxury of an extra day’s rest.
Djokovic has a very good record up against Murray too, as he does against most players. Sky Sports News HQ broke down the head-to-head record between the pair:
The Scot will seek to latch on to some sources of encouragement heading into this one. Although there have been spells of imperious tennis from Djokovic, there are times when he’s let complacency creep in, as was the case in the third stanza against Federer and in the fourth round against Gilles Simon, when he was pushed to five sets.
As BBC Sport's Russell Fuller noted, Murray came through an extremely tough contest with Raonic and should have confidence in himself ahead of Sunday's showdown:
There’s an unshakeable steeliness about the reigning champion, though. On this court, he’s a formidable opponent and, when it comes to finals, has won all five of his appearances. By contrast, the final Sunday of this competition holds nothing but heartbreaking memories for Murray.
If any player in the game can shake off a gruelling five-set epic and go at full tilt into a Grand Slam final, it’s Murray. The extra day’s rest, the impenetrable mentality and the harsh losses on this court will eventually count against the Scot, though, allowing Djokovic to come through this final in relatively comfortable fashion.
Prediction: Djokovic beats Murray in four sets
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