By R. Cory Smith
The 2015 Australian Open men's final has a very familiar look. No. 1 Novak Djokovic will battle No. 6 Andy Murray for the title; the two players have a combined seven finals appearances prior to Sunday morning.
Despite half of the Big Four being eliminated by the conclusion of the quarterfinals, Murray and Djokovic keep the success of the top players alive. However, the Aussie Open final has been a completely different story for both competitors.
In anticipation of the final match of the first Grand Slam, here's a look at the schedule and full predictions for Djokovic vs. Murray.
2015 Australian Open Men's Final Schedule
Matchup Time (ET) TV Live Stream
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 6 Andy Murray Sunday, 3 a.m. ESPN WatchESPN
For everyone who thought the Big Four appeared to be crumbling, this tournament wasn't for you. Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic were able to pull off wins in the Grand Slams last year, but the start to this season already has a different feel.
Sunday's matchup pits two of the best in the world against each other and marks the return of a final for Murray. The British No. 1 was shut out of the finals in his previous five Grand Slams, but he is playing dominant tennis right now.
Murray, looking for his first Aussie Open title, has a lot of history with Djokovic, per the tournament's official Twitter account:
The final mention in that quote is fitting, as the two players have matched up 23 times professionally. Djokovic holds the overall advantage, 15-8, but they are tied at 2-2 in major finals. That does, however, include two wins in Melbourne for Djokovic.
Sports Center notes the stark difference in the Australian Open final:
Since their last meeting in a major final—Murray's Wimbledon triumph in 2013—it has been all Djokovic. The Serbian has won four straight matches over Murray, all on hard surfaces and three in straight sets.
Needless to say, this looks like the Djoker's match to win. But if he's going to do so, he'll need to play flawless tennis against a player eager to win his elusive third Grand Slam title. Djokovic spoke about his play against Wawrinka in the semifinals, per tennis analyst Carole Bouchard:
In the end, it will be Djokovic hoisting the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after a gritty performance. Looking to join the ranks of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in major wins, Djokovic will finally be at eight overall.
Going to his fifth Aussie Open final, the Djoker will emerge as the King of Melbourne again.
Prediction: Djokovic wins 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
