Novak Djokovic claimed a record seventh Australian Open crown on Sunday as he demolished Rafa Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-3 in his most dominant Grand Slam win over the Spaniard.
The peerless Serb broke Nadal five times while conceding only a single break point to clinch his 15th Grand Slam title and third in succession after winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
The pair’s 53rd Tour clash and eighth in a major final failed to live up to their great rivalry, as top seed Djokovic bulldozed through the first two sets with machine-like precision.
Having won only two points off Djokovic’s first seven service games, Nadal finally prised a break point in the fifth game of the third to get back on serve but it quickly disappeared in a maelstrom of power hitting.
Djokovic held serve, and knuckled down to complete an astonishing rout. He fired a furious forehand down the line to bring up two championship points, then sealed the title when the Spaniard sent a backhand long.
The Serb went down on his knees and shook his fists at the sky, roaring in triumph, having moved past Roger Federer and Roy Emerson’s six Melbourne titles to take sole ownership of the record.
FACTBOX
1-Novak Djokovic 2-Rafa Nadal
Aces 8 3
Double faults 0 2
Break points won 5/8 0/1
Net points won 16/18 7/14
Winners 34 21
Unforced errors 9 28
Total points won 89 53
Match duration: Two hours and four minutes
List of Australian Open men’s singles champions since the event began in 1905 (Australian unless stated):
2019: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Rafa Nadal (Spain) 6-3 6-2 6-3
2018 Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3 3-6 6-1
2017 Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Nadal (Spain) 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3
2016 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Andy Murray (Britain) 6-1 7-5 7-6 (3)
2015 Djokovic (Serbia) bt Murray (Britain) 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-0
2014 Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) bt Nadal (Spain) 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3
2013 Djokovic (Serbia) bt Murray (Britain) 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 6-3 6-2
2012 Djokovic (Serbia) bt Nadal (Spain) 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7(5) 7-5
2011 Djokovic (Serbia) bt Murray (Britain) 6-4 6-2 6-3
2010 Federer (Switzerland) bt Murray (Britain) 6-3 6-4 7-6(11)
2009 Nadal (Spain) bt Federer (Switzerland) 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 3-6 6-2
2008 Djokovic (Serbia) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6(2)
2007 Federer (Switzerland) bt Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4
2006 Federer (Switzerland) bt Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2
2005 Marat Safin (Russia) bt Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
2004 Federer (Switzerland) bt Safin (Russia) 7-6(3) 6-4 6-2
2003 Andre Agassi (U.S.) bt Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 6-2 6-2 6-1
2002 Thomas Johansson (Sweden) bt Safin (Russia) 3-6 6-4 6-4 7-6(4)
2001 Agassi (U.S.) bt Arnaud Clement (France) 6-4 6-2 6-2
2000 Agassi (U.S.) bt Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-4
1999 Kafelnikov (Russia) bt Thomas Enqvist(Sweden) 4-6 6-0 6-3 7-6(1)
1998 Petr Korda (Czech Republic) bt Marcelo Rios (Chile) 6-2 6-2 6-2
1997 Pete Sampras (U.S.) bt Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-2 6-3 6-3
1996 Boris Becker (Germany) bt Michael Chang (U.S.) 6-2 6-4 2-6 6-2
1995 Agassi (U.S.) bt Sampras (U.S.) 4-6 6-1 7-6(6) 6-4
1994 Sampras (U.S.) bt Todd Martin (U.S.) 7-6 6-4 6-4
1993 Jim Courier (U.S.) bt Stefan Edberg (Sweden) 6-2 6-1 2-6 7-5
1992 Courier (U.S.) bt Edberg (Sweden) 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-2
1991 Becker (Germany) bt Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia)1-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
1990 Lendl (Czechoslovakia) bt Edberg (Sweden) 4-6 7-6(3) 5-2 retired
1989 Lendl (Czechoslovakia) bt Miloslav Mecir (Czechoslovakia) 6-2 6-2 6-2
1988 Mats Wilander (Sweden) bt Pat Cash 6-3 6-7(3) 3-6 6-1 8-6
1987 (Jan) Edberg (Sweden) bt Cash 6-3 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3
1986 No competition
1985 (Nov) Edberg (Sweden) bt Wilander (Sweden) 6-4 6-3 6-3
1984 Wilander (Sweden) bt Kevin Curren (South Africa) 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(3) 6-2
1983 Wilander (Sweden) bt Lendl (Czechoslovakia) 6-1 6-4 6-4
1982 Johan Kriek (South Africa) bt Steve Denton (U.S.) 6-3 6-3 6-2
1981 Kriek (South Africa) bt Denton (U.S.) 6-2 7-6(1) 6-7(1) 6-4
1980 Brian Teacher (U.S.) bt Kim Warwick 7-5 7-6(4) 6-3
1979 Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) bt John Sadri (U.S.) 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2
1978 Vilas (Argentina) bt John Marks 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3
1977 (Dec) Vitas Gerulaitis (U.S.) bt John Lloyd (Britain) 6-3 7-6(1) 5-7 3-6 6-2
1977 (Jan) Roscoe Tanner (U.S.) bt Vilas (Argentina) 6-3 6-3 6-3
1976 Mark Edmondson bt John Newcombe 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-1
1975 Newcombe bt Jimmy Connors (U.S.) 7-5 3-6 6-4 7-6(7)
1974 Connors (U.S.) bt Phil Dent 7-6(7) 6-4 4-6 6-3
1973 Newcombe bt Onny Parun (New Zealand) 6-3 6-7 7-5 6-1
1972 Ken Rosewall bt Mal Anderson 7-6 6-3 7-5
1971 Rosewall bt Arthur Ashe (U.S.) 6-1 7-5 6-3
1970 Ashe (U.S.) bt Dick Crealy 6-4 9-7 6-2
1969 Rod Laver bt Andres Gimeno (Spain) 6-3 6-4 7-5
1968 Bill Bowrey bt Juan Gisbert (Spain) 7-5 2-6 9-7 6-4
1967 Roy Emerson bt Ashe (U.S.) 6-4 6-1 6-4
1966 Emerson bt Ashe (U.S.) 6-4 6-8 6-2 6-3
1965 Emerson bt Fred Stolle 7-9 2-6 6-4 7-5 6-1
1964 Emerson bt Stolle 6-3 6-4 6-2
1963 Emerson bt Ken Fletcher 6-3 6-3 6-1
1962 Laver bt Emerson 8-6 0-6 6-4 6-4
1961 Emerson bt Laver 1-6 6-3 7-5 6-4
1960 Laver bt Neale Fraser 5-7 3-6 6-3 8-6 8-6
1959 Alex Olmedo (U.S.) bt Fraser 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3
1958 Ashley Cooper bt Anderson 7-5 6-3 6-4
1957 Cooper bt Fraser 6-3 9-11 6-4 6-2
1956 Lew Hoad bt Rosewall 6-4 3-6 6-4 7-5
1955 Rosewall bt Hoad 9-7 6-4 6-4
1954 Mervyn Rose bt Rex Hartwig 6-2 0-6 6-4 6-2
1953 Rosewall bt Rose 6-0 6-3 6-4
1952 Ken McGregor bt Frank Sedgman 7-5 12-10 2-6 6-2
1951 Dick Savitt (U.S.) bt McGregor 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-1
1950 Sedgman bt McGregor 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-1
1949 Sedgman bt John Bromwich 6-3 6-2 6-2
1948 Adrian Quist bt Bromwich 6-4 3-6 6-3 2-6 6-3
1947 Dinny Pails bt Bromwich 4-6 6-4 3-6 7-5 8-6
1946 Bromwich bt Dinny Pails 5-7 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-2
1941-45 No competition
1940 Quist bt Jack Crawford 6-3 6-1 6-2
1939 Bromwich bt Quist 6-4 6-1 6-3
1938 Donald Budge (U.S.) bt Bromwich 6-4 6-2 6-1
1937 Vivian McGrath bt Bromwich 6-3 1-6 6-0 2-6 6-1
1936 Quist bt Crawford 6-2 6-3 4-6 3-6 9-7
1935 Crawford bt Fred Perry (Britain) 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
1934 Perry (Britain) bt Crawford 6-3 7-5 6-1
1933 Crawford bt Keith Gledhill 2-6 7-5 6-3 6-2
1932 Crawford bt Harry Hopman 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-1
1931 Crawford bt Hopman 6-2 6-2 2-6 6-1
1930 Edgar Moon bt Hopman 6-3 6-1 6-3
1929 John Gregory (Britain) bt Richard Schlesinger 6-2 6-2 5-7 7-5
1928 Jean Borotra (France) bt R.Cummings 6-4 6-1 4-6 5-7 6-3
1927 Gerald Patterson bt John Hawkes 3-6 6-4 3-6 18-16 6-3
1926 Hawkes bt Jim Willard 6-1 6-3 6-1
1925 James Anderson bt Patterson 11-9 2-6 6-2 6-3
1924 Anderson bt Schlesinger 6-3 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3
1923 Pat O’Hara Wood bt C. St.John 6-1 6-1 6-3
1922 Anderson bt Patterson 6-0 3-6 3-6 6-3 6-2
1921 Rhys Gemmell bt A.Hedeman 7-5 6-1 6-4
1920 O’Hara Wood bt Ron Thomas 6-3 6-4 6-8 6-1 6-3
1919 Algernon Kingscote (Britain) bt E.Pockley 6-4 6-0 6-3
1916-18 No competition
1915 Gordon Lowe (Britain) bt Horace Rice 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-4
1914 Arthur O’Hara Wood bt Patterson 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-1
1913 Ernie Parker bt Harry Parker 2-6 6-1 6-3 6-2
1912 James Parke (Britain) bt A.Beamish 3-6 6-2 1-6 6-1 7-5
1911 Norman Brookes bt Rice 6-1 6-2 6-3
1910 Rodney Heath bt Rice 6-4 6-3 6-2
1909 Tony Wilding (New Zealand) bt E. Parker 6-1 7-5 6-2
1908 Fred Alexander (U.S.) bt Alfred Dunlop 3-6 3-6 6-0 6-2 6-3
1907 Rice bt H. Parker 6-3 6-4 6-4
1906 Wilding (New Zealand) bt H. Parker 6-0 6-4 6-4
1905 Heath bt Arthur Curtis 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
Source: Reuters