Only Novak Djokovic can describe what mental zone he was in tonight as he dismantled Rafael Nadal's game that over the past fortnight actually looked like it was heading for an 18th Slam.
I recall several years ago a Press Conference in Paris where Novak spoke about 'variation' in tennis where he talked of 'loop balls', flat balls, slice balls, ways to keep the opponent guessing, and that was on the dirt.
Playing on clay it seems is an art form where only a tactical mind will prevail or an awful lot of spin, ala Spanish style.
Rafa, despite winning the US Open three times and the Australian Open once hasn't really enjoyed the hard surfaces that have seen him retired early particularly in recent years due to the physicality of it.
Let's face it, hard courts are not only brutal on the body but also on the mind, no advantage on a hard court in any aspect.
Novak it seems is a tactical genius, more so than the man who he calls his 'greatest rival'.
Just quietly I find that comment rather interesting as he doesn't mention the 'GOAT' Federer in the same breath.
Bit going on there ?
So to the Australian Open Mens Singles Final of 2019.
Nothing short of ridiculous that the World's best player can dismantle the second best by a cricket score. A bathroom break, a three course meal, a taxi ride, two beers at a local pub, it was daylight between these two.
Novak could have done all of the above and still won comfortably.
What I find so 'distressing' is the way in which Rafa's topspin game was completely shot to pieces by a style which cannot possibly be taught by any tennis coach in the World as a 'safe' way of playing.
Flat hitting from on the baseline.
Now in saying that, a fellow by the name of Juan Martin Del Potro commenced a run in New York in 2009 that made the public plus the tennis coaches of the World sit up and take notice of the style which he adopted, particularly against the 'dirt ballers'.
The Argentinian's 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 demolition of 2003 French Open Champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in the fourth round was not only impressive but offered a blue print of sorts to the rest of the tennis World who struggled with the high bounce of the fancy names who were outrageously tough to beat on European clay.
In the quarter finals of the US Open of 2009 Del Potro won the last three sets against Cilic 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. Degree of difficulty there on a hard court ??
Outrageous.
Semi Finals, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 over the greatest topspinner of our time, Rafa.
At 1.98 metres tall is that the height that can in fact stand on the baseline and thank a 'moon baller' for the generous and hittable height of ball that has most players almost in the front row of seating looking for a reprieve ?
So did Novak in 2019 perhaps go through the intricacies of that match in New York where Del Potro belittled Rafa ? Well the style and score similarities says exactly that, how else do you explain the one sided nature of a final that offered so much and yet delivered barely a whimper of combat ?
I have coached tennis for around 30 years, I know enough to help most players out but I am far from a 'guru', I will leave that to the 'Zen Masters' of the tennis coaching World who can come up with ideas on how to beat a ball that unless taken early will bounce over your head.
Novak did that to Rafa in Melbourne and unless I am a poor judge of ability if I was the Fed I wouldn't be too concerned about Rafa surpassing his 20 Slam haul, I would be more concerned about Novak.
In fact Fed's record on tonight's performance at the Oz Open is looking decidedly 'modest' with the current mood the Serbian is in.
Wherever Novak was in that 18 months that saw his ranking and form look like a local club player is now a thing of the past not dissimilar to the great Tiger Woods who's brilliant game went missing for years for one reason or another.
Many styles in tennis, many tactics, many ideas, many 'idiot proof' ways of playing however I am now a believer in the mind being the biggest factor in the sport without a doubt.
What Novak dished up to Rafa tonight was a mental belting from one mind to another that defied logic and now puts the sport into even more perspective with the so called 'Next Gen' players apparently knocking on the door of the big guns.
No where near it, not in the same post code.
Never liked Novak.
After tonight I believe he is a genius...…..
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