2015 Australian Open Championship Odds and Picks: Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic Tennis Predictions

2015 Australian Open Championship Odds and Picks: Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic Tennis Predictions: For the fifth time in their careers, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will meet in the final of a Grand Slam event. In fact, Sunday’s match will be the third time the two players have met in the championship match of the Australian Open since the start of the 2011 season. “The Joker” rolls into the title match as the top seed and the top-ranked player in the world, and he will be gunning for his fifth Australian Open crown and his eighth major title. Murray, on the other hand, will be looking for his first title in Melbourne and his third major overall.

Djokovic hasn’t exactly been dominant on his way to the final. In fact, he was pushed to a fifth set by Stanislas Wawrinka in the semifinals before eventually prevailing. Granted, he hadn’t lost a set prior to the semis, but from the third round on, Djokovic has played several long, tight games.

For Murray, it appears he is more than recovered from back surgery a couple of years ago, and after being bounced before the semis in four of his last five majors, he only dropped a couple of sets on his way to Sunday’s title match. Plain and simple, he is moving around the court as well as he has since the 2013 season.

Andy Murray Wins If:

A fast start is a must if Murray plans on pulling off the upset. Djokovic’s power tends to wear down opponents, and his legendary stamina allows him to thrive in longer matches. In other words, Murray’s chances of winning decrease the longer this match drags on. At the very least, he needs a fast start to ensure that Djokovic has to expend a ton of energy to fight his way back into the match. Murray doesn’t have to oust “The Joker” in straight sets to win, but he definitely has to control the action in the early sets.

Novak Djokovic Wins If:

His record at the Australian Open speaks for itself, and Djokovic needs to stick with the strategy that has made him a four-time champion of the tournament. He needs to use his power to keep Murray running along the baseline early and often, and even when he loses points, he needs to make sure that Murray has to work hard. His endurance and power edge are his biggest allies in this tournament, and he needs to make sure to exploit him. If Djokovic doesn’t beat himself with unforced errors, he should be able to outlast even the best effort from Murray.

The Bottom Line:

Murray has actually taken care of business against Djokovic in their last two meetings in major finals, beating him in the 2012 U.S. Open and at Wimbledon in 2013. However, Djokovic beat Murray in the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open last year, and he owns a 4-2 edge in Grand Slam meetings overall. More importantly, Djokovic is 3-0 against Murray at the Australian Open, beating him in the title match in 2011 and 201. In fact, Djokovic is a perfect 9-0 in the semifinals and finals combined in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Murray is 0-3 in Australian Open finals. At the end of the day, the Australian Open has been Djokovic’s best tournament for a reason. The tough conditions and fast surface play to his power and stamina, and he has shown he knows how to seal the deal. Expect him to do just that Sunday.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic Wins in 5 Sets

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