Novak Djokovic’s record-breaking title or Czech colours back on top? The Australian Open Grand Final is here!

A long and challenging two weeks are coming to an end. Only the final duels remain to be played at this year’s Australian Open. It’s not just about points and money, but also about making an indelible mark on tennis history. Novak Djokovic can win a record tenth title in Melbourne and get back to number one. In the women’s doubles, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova will try to defend their title.

Allegedly poor quality balls or frequent errors by the umpires. The opening Grand Slam of the season had to deal with a wave of criticism not only from the general public but also from the players themselves. Still, the tennis world is in anticipation of how it will all turn out in the end.

The court named after Rod Laver, the legendary Australian, will cater for the weekend’s final battles with not only the home sensation or the undefeated tennis players from the Czech Republic.

Women’s shooting range and unseeded finalists

Saturday’s day will be marked by the women’s singles and men’s doubles. Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka will take to the Rod Laver court for their final at 9:30 CET. Kazakhstan’s Rybakina has lost a single set so far in the tournament and will try to win her second Grand Slam title.

On the other side of the net, world number five, Belarusian Sabalenka. For the 24-year-old from Minsk, this will be the first Grand Slam final appearance in her still short career. So far at the Australian Open, however, she has not lost a single set and is rightly tipped as a slight favourite.

The mutual record of both tennis players also speaks better for Sabalenka. In her three duels on the WTA circuit so far, she has always walked away victorious in three sets. Fans can no doubt look forward to a real showdown. Both tennis players rely on hard first serves and rocket shots from the baseline.

After the women’s singles ceremony, it will be the turn of the men’s doubles, which is very attractive for the home team. Two unseeded pairs with zero experience of such big matches have surprisingly made it to the final. A significant advantage in the result may be the chemistry.

Experience is on the side of the Monaco-Polish pair Hugo Nys, Jan Zielinski. Both players are currently around 40th in the rankings and are pure doubles players. So far, they have combined for one ATP 250 title and a win on Saturday would catapult them into the top 10.

The other final pairing was the home team of Jason Kubler and Rinky Hijikata after a fantastic run. The unseeded Australians are playing their first ever tournament together, but it is expected to be far from their last.

They have gone through three top ten pairs on their way to the final, following the path of compatriots Kyrgios and Kokkinakis last year. They will undoubtedly benefit from the home, boisterous atmosphere, as they have throughout the tournament so far.

Final Sunday with a Czech footprint

Sunday’s programme will be interesting especially for domestic tennis fans. From 5 a.m. onwards, the pair of Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková will play another women’s doubles final. The number one seed and the defending champion from last year have lost a single set in the first round, and since then they have been going through the tournament without any major problems.

On Sunday, they will face the tournament’s top two, Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara. After last year’s semi-final, the top ten seeds have a chance to claim their first Grand Slam title. These pairs have never faced each other on the circuit, so it is hard to predict the course of the match.

The Australian Open 2023 will traditionally end with the men’s final. This year, two of the main favourites have made it to the final. On one side, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, on the other, Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

The stakes are high. The winner of the final will go to the top of the ATP rankings. For Tsitsipas, this is his second Grand Slam final. His first experience ended with a defeat in Paris, where he fell to the racket of his Sunday’s ace in four sets, so he has something to return to the Serb.

Djokovic, on the other hand, can make history. After last year’s absence, he is reaching for his tenth Norman Brooks trophy, which would again push the limit of his own record for the number of titles on Melbourne soil.

At the same time, the Serbian former world number one has a chance to win his twenty-second Grand Slam triumph overall, which would put Djokovic level with his old rival Rafael Nadal at the top of the historical charts.

The rightful favourite is Novak Djokovic despite his leg injury. In recent matches he has literally humiliated his opponents with unprecedented debacles in the late stages of the tournament. The Serbian’s record is also on his side, he managed to dominate the last eight duels with Tsitsipas.

Source: Australian Open