09:20 AM
Djokovic* 5-3 Tsitsipas (*denotes next server)
Two aces by Tsitsipas to finish the game and force Djokovic to serve for the set. Can he finally put some pressure on Djokovic?
09:16 AM
Djokovic 5-2 Tsitsipas* (*denotes next server)
Tsitsipas is having to cover a lot of ground on the baseline as Djokovic pushes him back and forces him into errors.
Djokovic holds to 15 with an ace and he’s a game away from the set. It’s been one way traffic.
09:12 AM
Djokovic* 4-2 Tsitsipas (*denotes next server)
Brilliant backhand pass by Djokovic, 0-15. So good.
Tsitsipas forehand into the net, 15-30. He responds with his third ace, 30-30. Those cheap points are more than welcome.
Djokovic forehand into the net, 40-30. Tsitsipas ace to hold serve. He desperately needed that.
09:08 AM
Latest update from Simon Briggs on Rod Laver Arena
Compared to last night’s women’s final, the crowd are much noisier early on. They know both of these players and have their partisan loyalties, whereas the Rybakina-Sabalenka classic was more of a grower.
A couple of decent rallies early on but Tsitsipas is landing only 43 per cent of his first serves and deserves to be behind as a result.
09:07 AM
Djokovic 4-1 Tsitsipas* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic overhead winner, 15-0. Too many errors from Tsitsipas, 40-0. But he does peg Djokovic back to 40-30. However, Djokovic closes out the game with a forehand volley winner.
Djokovic is playing like a man on a mission and Tsitsipas doesn’t know how to stop him.
09:03 AM
Djokovic* 3-1 Tsitsipas (*denotes next server)
Longest rally of the match, 25 shots, both players going at it but Tsitsipas takes control with his forehand and finishes with a drive forehand winner, 15-15.
Djokovic gets Tsitsipas on the run and gets the error, 15-30. Big first serve by Tsitsipas is unreturned, 30-30.
Tsitsipas on the back foot again and he slices a forehand wide, break point Djokovic. The pressure tells as Tsitsipas hits a double fault.
Djokovic breaks.
08:58 AM
Djokovic 2-1 Tsitsipas* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic with another comfortable service hold. He finishes the game with a trademark backhand winner down the line.
Tsitsipas will need to do more with his returns to put pressure on Djokovic.
08:55 AM
Djokovic* 1-1 Tsitsipas (*denotes next server)
Long rally to start the game, Tsitsipas trying to dictate with his forehand but he eventually nets, 0-15.
Deep backhand by Djokovic and Tsitsipas shanks a forehand high and long, 0-30. The Greek hasn’t found his timing yet.
First ace for Tsitsipas, 15-30. Djokovic peppers the Tsitsipas backhand and the third seed sends one long, two break points.
Tsitsipas finds a first serve to save the first. Djokovic does incredibly to get a big first serve back in play but he then sends a forehand long, deuce.
Ace from Tsitsipas to hold serve. That should boost his confidence.
08:49 AM
Latest update from Simon Briggs on Rod Laver Arena
Some tit-for-tat aural arm-wrestling between the Greek and Serbian fans on Rod Laver Arena.
Tsitsipas got comfortably the bigger cheer on his announcement, but the Djokovic contingent then responded with a loud chant of “Nole, Nole” (his nickname).
08:49 AM
First set: Novak Djokovic 1-0 Stefanos Tsitsipas* (*denotes next server)
Ideal start by Djokovic as he holds to 15 with a forehand winner. A statement start by the nine-time champion.
08:47 AM
Latest update from Simon Briggs on Rod Laver Arena
Good evening from Melbourne. There are plenty of cameras directed at the Djokovic player box, waiting for a picture of Novak’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, if he should decide to join the team. From my position above them, I don’t think he’s there.
I can see Novak’s mother Dijana and his spokeswoman Elena but there doesn’t seem to be anyone on Dijana’s right. Srdjan skipped the semi-final after the controversy over his photographs and videos with pro-Putin demonstrators from Wednesday.
08:42 AM
Coin toss
Djokovic wins it and will serve first. Less strapping on Djokovic’s left hamstring today compared to previous matches.
He must be feeling very good which is ominous for Tsitsipas.
08:38 AM
HERE WE GO!
Tsitsipas is the first to walk onto court. He gets a good reception and is followed by Djokovic, who waves to his fans.
08:36 AM
Fans are ready
08:34 AM
Dominant Djokovic
Djokovic leads their head-to-head 10-2, winning the last nine matches.
Djokovic also boasts a 9-0 record at the Australian Open when he reaches the final.
08:29 AM
‘Tsitsipas looks really dangerous right now’
Eurosport expert John McEnroe told Reuters:
Maybe Tsitsipas got a bit of a wake up call when Alcaraz won the Open and became world number one and he’s quite a few years younger.
Holger Rune is starting to make some real inroads and some of the other younger players. It seemed that the guys that were expected to win like a bunch like (Daniil) Medvedev, (Alexander) Zverev before he was hurt, (Dominic) Thiem and Tsistipas, there was a danger that it hasn’t gone their way.
So I think there was this danger that (Tsitsipas) was going to be sort of not forgotten, but sort of not top top tier. So I give him a lot of credit because he didn’t have great results at the majors last year. But there seems to be a positive energy that’s coming from him that I hadn’t seen for a while. And when his forehand’s working it’s really big time. He looks really dangerous right now.
08:18 AM
Twelve months ago, Djokovic had been deported from Australia…
… now he is aiming to win a 10th title in Melbourne.
Honestly, I’m over it. Once I came into Australia, my intentions were always very positive to come back. Of course, the feelings of coming back to Australia this year were different than any other year because of the events of last year.
I said many times that I don’t hold any grudges, that I just love playing in Australia, love being here. That kind of emotion I feel like helped me to feel comfortable and to play well. I won Adelaide, now I’m in the finals of the Australian Open. I haven’t lost a match in last five weeks in Australia.
08:08 AM
Djokovic’s father allowed to attend final after video of him with Vladimir Putin fans
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said:
It’s his decision. We’re going to let it be his decision and ultimately he’s got to make the call.
He didn’t breach any event policy. That’s really important because what’s been written about what he (allegedly) said hasn’t been correct and I think people are back-tracking from that.
That’s unfortunate that massive assumptions were made.
08:01 AM
In case you missed it…
…Aryna Sabalenka won the women’s final on Saturday, beating Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in three thrilling sets.
Our tennis correspondent Simon Briggs says the Belarusian has the potential to revolutionise the women’s game.
Read his piece here.
07:51 AM
Australian Open men’s final day
Good morning and welcome to coverage of the Australian Open men’s final between Novak Djokovic vs Stefanos Tsitsipas.
It is the final day of the opening grand slam of the year and it has been full of great tennis, upsets, drama and controversy.
But at 8.30am (UK time), Djokovic will be aiming to move level with Rafael Nadal on 22 major titles while Tsitsipas is fighting for his first.
The two players have met before in a grand slam final. At the French Open in 2021, Tsitsipas took a two sets to one lead before Djokovic fought back to win in five.
The world No 1 ranking is also at stake and Djokovic believes his experience in these situations should benefit him.
“I think that the experience of being in this particular situation and circumstances before helps,” he said. “I think also the fact that I never lost the Australian Open finals definitely serves as a great confidence booster prior to Sunday.
“But, of course, still the job needs to be done on the court. I’m going to play against Tsitsipas, who is in a great shape, great form, has been playing some of his best tennis. I’m sure that he’s going to be very motivated to win his first Grand Slam title.
“I know his game pretty well. He knows my game well. We played several times in different surfaces. We played in one Grand Slam finals, was on clay, though, in Roland Garros some years ago.
“I know what’s ahead of me, and I’m excited. Fortunately for me at this stage of my career, because of all the achievements, it is always basically every match or every tournament there is always something on the line, particularly when the Grand Slams are played. Of course, I’m privileged to be in this position, and I’m hoping for the best.”
For Tsitsipas, he says the chance to win a major and be world No 1 is something he has been working towards his whole life.
“I remember watching it on TV saying to myself, I want to be there one day myself,” he said. “I want to recreate that feeling for me.
“I knew that’s a very long journey to get there. There are certain steps you have to take to give yourself the chance to be competing for something like this.
“But I very much believed it. I very much believed it. First of all, it’s your ego that speaks. You either have it or not, you know? As a kid, I was very confident. Thank God I was good in my country. Starting from that, I knew if I’m able to get out of my country and compete in other countries, European leagues, European tours, I proved myself over and over again that I’m actually good. I did finish as a junior No. 1. Now I want to do it in the men’s side, in the men’s professional tennis.”
