Preview: 2016 Australian Open Final

At a time when the curtain is about to fall at the first grand slam of the year, a question looms around the corner,’ Who is going to be the next men’s champion down under?’ In less than 24 hours, the question will be answered as the final game is down to the top two seeds, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Whoever wins tomorrow, history is sure to be created. If Djokovic wins, it will be his sixth Australian Open trophy, tying him with Roy Emerson for the most titles at this tournament and inching closer to the $100m mark. Likewise, it will also be the most number of finals lost for the Brit. Similarly, if Murray wins the final, it will be a first one for a British player after Fred Perry in 1934 and also the first time two brothers would win at a Grand Slam in different categories.

But, one fact remains intact that it is not going to be a cake-walk for either of them. While Novak has picked up his immaculate run right from where he had left last year, Murray is still riding high on the success of the much talked about Davis Cup victory in 2015.

What sets them apart is the psychological level and mental toughness ahead of the final. Djokovic is miles ahead of Murray in this regard, whereas the latter is already battling a tumult of emotions at this crucial time. On one hand he is ready to take on any challenge on court, yet he is ready to pack his bags and leave for home if his pregnant wife goes into labour. On top of that, Nigel Sears, his father-in-law and the coach of Ana Ivanovic collapsed mid-match earlier, to add to his tension. It is going to be crucial to see how well Murray is going to conduct himself tomorrow, without getting distracted by his personal life.

What also might pull Murray down is his past record at this tournament. He has reached 4 finals here and lost 3 of them to Djokovic. On the contrary, it might act as a thrust to prove himself against all odds and be fifth time lucky. Though Djokovic has a 21-9 lead over Murray and has won 10 of the last 11 matches, we cannot forget that Stan Wawrinka won here in 2014 with almost the same the scenario against Rafa.

The key for Djokovic is going to be maintaining his ethereal form and not repeating the same mistakes he made in his 5-set win over Gilles Simon. While for Murray, it is going to be more in control of his volatile emotions.