Djokovic Beats Nadal To Claim Australian Open Title (Video Highlights)

Kurt
January 29, 2012 06:46 AM

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return against Rafael Nadal of Spain in the men's final match on day 14 of the 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament on January 29, 2012.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia has started 2012 the same way he started his epic 2011 season: With a victory in the Australian Open. But it wasn't easy.Djokovic outlasted Rafael Nadal of Spain 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 on Sunday to claim his third consecutive major title and fifth overall. In the process he defeated Nadal, a 10-time major champion, for the seventh consecutive time, all in finals.

At nearly six hours it was the longest final in a major the Open era.

Djokovic won three majors last year, the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, defeating Nadal in the latter two.

Talk will now turn to the only major missing from Djokovic's record, the French Open, where Nadal is a six-time champion.