NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING.
Wow, what a marathon that was -- huge credit must go to the Serbian for staying in that fifth set to defend his title when he looked down and out at a break down to Rafael Nadal. Some incredible stamina was displayed by both players over almost six hours of tennis in a memorable final.
I'm now now wrapping up this live text commentary -- read on to find out how all the action unfolded over five enthralling sets at the Rod Laver Arena.
Goodbye and thanks for being with us for an epic.
1437 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5 Nadal - GAME, SET, MATCH - NOVAK DJOKOVIC IS THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION.
Amazing get from Nadal -- he sends up a lob at 30-15 and Djokovic nets it!! That clearly gets to the Serb who makes another error and Rafa is back in it. But Djokovic fights back -- big serve down the middle and a winner to defend his title.
The match, the longest in Australian Open history, lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes.
1428 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-5 Nadal - BREAK - Djokovic breaks!! He will serve for the Australian Open title.
At 15-30, Nadal comes in after a short ball from Djokovic, who attempts a top-spin lob but it sails just wide.
But some relentless hitting from Djokovic gives him a break point. Rafa misses his first serve, he mishits the second but saves the point with a cross-court backhand. Gutsy effort. But he's wide with a forehand and another break point. This time Djokovic forces the error as Nadal nets.
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1421 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 5-5 *Nadal - Djokovic wins his service game easily, holding to 15. He finishes with a textbook forehand cross-court winner.
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1416 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 4-5 Nadal - Nadal holds on - the world number two is now just a game away from his second Australian Open title - can he push himself over the line?
Nadal pushed it to 40-30 but Djokovic fired a winner cross-court to take it to deuce. The Spaniard dragged one into the tramlines to give Djokovic a break point but Nadal saved it with a swinging serve out wide. Nerveless.
Another great wide serve forced the Serbian wide and Nadal 's drop shot was too good. Nadal is 5-4 up..
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1405 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 4-4 *Nadal - Djokovic holds.
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1404 GMT: This is now officially the longest match in Australian Open history at 5 hours 15 mins, beating the previous record of 5 hours 14 mins in a match betweeen Nadal and his compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the semi-final in 2009.
1359 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 3-4 Nadal - BREAK - ...and Djokovic breaks straight back!!
Nadal put an easy volley wide in that game -- he challenges but it was a waste as clearly in the tramlines. It clearly throws his concentration -- he nets the next point and then sends a forehand long. Any more twists to come?
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1353 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 2-4 *Nadal - BREAK - Nadal breaks the Djokovic serve!! Huge returns and the Serbian is forced into an error, hitting a backhand beyond the baseline. Surely advantage Rafa now?
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1347 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 2-3 Nadal - Huge serves from Nadal -- Djokovic's return is long and the Spaniard holds.
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1343 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 2-2 *Nadal - Djokovic holds to 30. Match time now five hours and counting.
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1338 GMT: This from my colleague Andrew Dent in Melbourne: "12.30am and rain about but still hundreds of people watching outdoors on the big screen in Garden Square next to the main stadium."
1337 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 1-2 Nadal - Nadal holds to love - both players taking a bit of a breather on the others serve here.
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1334 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 1-1 *Nadal - Some big serves in there -- including an ace -- as Djokovic holds.
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1329 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 0-1 Nadal - Nadal holds to nudge ahead on the fifth set.
An enormous cross-court forehand from the Spaniard in that game to take it to 30-15 -- it's fair to say he's pretty pumped up by all this and the crowd are going wild.
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1323 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 Nadal - SET - TWO SETS ALL!! Nadal takes the tie-break 7-5. Incredible.
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1322 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-6 *Nadal - TIE-BREAK - 5-5 as Nadal gets ar mini-break back! Don't go anywhere...
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1319 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-6 Nadal - TIE-BREAK - 5-3 as Djokovic gets another mini-break and holds serve...
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1317 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-6 *Nadal - TIE-BREAK - 3-3 as Djokovic gets a mini-break back...
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1316 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-6 *Nadal - TIE-BREAK - 2-3 as Nadal gets a mini-break...
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1311 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-6 Nadal - TIE-BREAK - Nadal just won't let this go. Stirring stuff from the Spaniard who keeps the pressure up and wins his service game to love.
It's past midnight in Melbourne and the atmosphere is electric...
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1307 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-5 *Nadal -- Djokovic survives a bit of a scare to hold. He's one game away from defending his title.
Nadal dragged it back to 30-30 but Djokovic finds a superlative backhand winner down the line to wrong-foot him. Nadal then nets and Djokovic takes the game.
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1302 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 5-5 Nadal -- Nadal holds!
From 0-15, Djokovic sends a backhand long with the whole court to aim at, then sends a backhand return long.
Nadal comes up with another big serve before Djokovic finds a forehand winner. Rafa holds though with an angled cross-court backhand that Djokovic can't retrieve. Can Rafa push this into a fifth?
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1256 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 5-4 *Nadal -- Djokovic breezes through the first game back after that delay, holding serve to love with a screaming winner down the line.
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1253 GMT: PLAY RESUMES -- Roof closed, we're under way again in Melbourne.
1250 GMT: RAIN DELAY -- play is suspended while the retractable roof is closed over the Rod Laver Arena.
1246 GMT: After 4 hours 2 minutes of play, the roof is being slowly closed and the court wiped down by ball boys and girls as Nadal and Djokovic wait courtside.
1242 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 4-4 Nadal -- Nadal somehow holds -- but here comes the rain, the roof will have to be closed.
Scintillating play from Djokovic there to drag him to 40-0 in that game despite three first serves from the Spaniard. Nadal saves one break point with a booming forehand, the second with a big serve into Djokovic's body and the third with a backhand behind the Serb. He follows with an ace, which Novak incorrectly challenges, and then another huge serve to hold on. Inspired stuff.
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1235 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 4-3 *Nadal - Djokovic holds - neither player making much of an impact on the others' serve at the moment.
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1231 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 3-3 Nadal - CHALLENGE - Nadal holds with a sharply-angled cross-court backhand.
Nadal challenged a Djokovic return called in in that game but Hawk-Eye lands just on the line so they replay the point. A wry smile from the Serb.
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1225 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 3-2 *Nadal - Defending champion Djokovic holds but Nadal showed signs of a possible fightback there.
Two enormous forehands from the Spaniard in that game, the second followed by a fist-pump as the Majorcan fired himself up.
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1219 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 2-2 Nadal - Confident hold for Nadal there after the change of ends.
Some big serves from the 25-year-old there and he didn't look threatened for once.
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1214 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 2-1 *Nadal - Djokovic holds to love - no sweat.
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1212 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 1-1 Nadal - Nadal holds and he's still showing plenty of fight.
Djokovic pushed him hard in that service games. He takes him to deuce with a deep return that Nadal can't get back over the net. But the Spaniard ups the pace in the next point and finishes with a sliced cross-court smash.
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1205 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 1-0 *Nadal - Djokovic wins a marathon service game to nudge ahead in the fourth set.
There was a 21-shot rally in that game which Djokovic wins with a great drop shot -- and Nadal looked pretty disheartened after that.
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1156 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 6-2 Nadal - BREAK, SET - Djokovic breaks Nadal to love with a clean winner to take a two sets to one lead. 72% first serves in for the Serb in that set, to Nadal's 53%.
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1154 GMT: One online sports bookmaker based in the UK has Djokovic at 1/7 to win this now, Nadal out to 5/1.
1151 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 5-2 *Nadal - But Djokovic is on autopilot and strolls through his service game in a couple of minutes, holding to love.
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1147 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 4-2 Nadal - Important hold there for Nadal.
A string of blistering forehands from Djokovic and he's practically unplayable at the start of the game. He follows it with a delightful drop shot. But Nadal hangs on and eventually a couple of errors from the Serb's racquet see Nadal hold.
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1141 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 4-1 *Nadal - ...and that was quick! Error-free play from the Serb and he wins his service game to love. Nadal on the ropes here.
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1139 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 3-1 Nadal - BREAK - Djokovic breaks through after hitting top gear in that game.
Djokovic forced Nadal back with a series of relentless flat forehands from the baseline and a whipped forehand down the line wins him a break point. A punishing rally and Nadal drags a forehand just wide.
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1130 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 2-1 *Nadal - Djokovic holds again to nose ahead in then third set.
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1124 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 1-1 Nadal - Nadal holds but it's a struggle.
An ace down the middle made it 30-0 to the Majorcan, but Djokovic drags it back to 40-30 with a devastating cross-court forehand and then deuce. An unforced error long from Nadal but he then forces Djokovic to slice long and wins the game with a big serve that Djokovic nets.
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1116 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 6-4 1-0 *Nadal - Djokovic holds easily to nudge ahead in then third set.
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1112 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 6-4 Nadal - BREAK, SET - Djokovic levels it at one set apiece!
A sizzling backhand pass down the line brings up set point no. 4 for the Serbian -- and Nadal double faults to relinquish his lead.
Two first serves took Nadal to 40-30 from 15-30 down. Nadal challenged a Djokovic forehand called in but it was unsuccessful.
"There are Spanish flags now being waved all over the stadium," my colleague Andrew Dent writes from the Rod Laver Arena.
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1102 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 5-4 *Nadal - BREAK - Nadal breaks back! Djokovic will be kicking himself after that.
An unforced error on Nadal's lassoed forehand makes it 30-0 before Djokovic nets a forehand of his own. He follows a cross-court forehand with a stretching forehand volley to make it 40-15 but Nadal drags it back to deuce.
The Spaniard gets away with a lamentable drop shot which Djokovic fails to punish and then Djokovic double faults. What a moment that could be.
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1055 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 5-3 Nadal - CHALLENGE - Nadal holds to make Djokovic serve for the set. After some heavy top-spin forehands, Nadal's fizzing backhand down the line sets up an easy volley at the net that he puts away for 30-15.
He forces an error from Djokovic and the Spaniard challenges successfully on his serve after the ball is called out. Djokovic earns a set point but sends a stretching one-handed backhand beyond the baseline. Djokovic nets a huge forehand service return to make it 5-3.
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1045 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 5-2 *Nadal - CHALLENGE - successful challenge from Nadal there on Djokovic's serve. Great intensity from Djokovic and he wins the game after charging to net a playing a delicate drop shot that Nadal can't chase down.
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1041 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 4-2 Nadal - Nadal holds after some big serves and a final, wayward forehand return from Djokovic that flies wide.
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1035 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 4-1 *Nadal - A Nadal backhand down the line brings it to 30-30 but a scorching inside-out forehand from Djokovic gets him to game point. The Spaniard nets a backhand and Djokovic is on a roll here.
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1032 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 3-1 Nadal - BREAK - Spectacular double-fisted backhand down the line from out wide by Nadal. But Djokovic fights back to earn a break point which he takes with a forehand volley that drops right on the baseline.
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1025 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 2-1 *Nadal - Djokovic holds in a routine game as it stays with serve in the second set.
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1018 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 1-1 Nadal - Nadal eventually holds after a flashes of brilliance from both players.
Nadal is forced into an error by a cross-court backhand by Djokovic and he nets for 0-30. The Serb earns two break points but Nadal saves the first with a trademark whipped forehand winner down the line and then a sizzling forehand to win a lengthy rally.
The Spaniard wins it with an ace down the middle. Bruising stuff.
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1009 GMT: Djokovic 5-7 1-0 *Nadal - Djokovic holds quite easily there as we enter the second set.
"The collar of my shirt weighs a ton. Sweaty night," tweets Neil Harman, tennis correspondent for The Times newspaper in London, from courtside.
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1004 GMT: *Djokovic 5-7 Nadal - SET - Nadal takes the first set. Djokovic hung in there, saving two set points to bring it back to deuce. But he then sent an angled forehand wide and then one long as the Spaniard takes the first set in 80 minutes.
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0957 GMT: Djokovic 5 *Nadal 6 - BREAK - Nadal will serve for the first set. Djokovic really hit his straps early on in that game, manoeuvring Nadal around the back of the court in some flowing rallies. But Nadal drags it back to 30-30 and follows with another winner to earn a break point. Djokovic sends a forehand long and Nadal has the edge again.
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0950 GMT: *Djokovic 5 Nadal 5 - Nadal sends a forehand wide but then takes the game to thirty. Looks like we might be heading for a tie-break...
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0945 GMT: Djokovic 5 *Nadal 4 - Djokovic holds to win his third game in a row, but an unfortunate net cord stopped Nadal getting a triple break point at 0-40. Djokovic drags it back to 30-30 by winning a punishing baseline rally and takes the next two points to get his nose in front.
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0938 GMT: *Djokovic 4 Nadal 4 - BREAK - Djokovic breaks back. The Serb had a chance there with a second serve at 30-30 but wasted it. Nadal netted though to take it to deuce. Nadal saves one break point but sends a forehand long. Djokovic takes the second though as the number two seed nets. Game on.
By the way, another interesting statistic: Djokovic has a 10-5 overall winning record against Nadal on hard courts
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0927 GMT: Djokovic 3 *Nadal 4 - Djokovic holds easily there to 15 to take the pressure off slightly.
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0923 GMT: *Djokovic 2 Nadal 4 - Nadal holds on after a marathon 12-minute game that could be the key to this first set.
A lovely drop shot from Djokovic draws Nadal in and the Serb passes him with a deft flick. Nadal follows with a net-cord that flies wide to give the Serb his first break point of the match but Nadal drags it back with a forehand winner.
Djokovic carelessly sprays a forehand wide but follows with a whipped winner after a deep return. Another forehand error from Djokovic sees him waste a second break point and Nadal follows with a whipped forehand winner. Djokovic fights back though before some big serves from Nadal sees him finally hold.
Some superlative tennis from both players in that game but Nadal prevails.
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0910 GMT: Djokovic 2 *Nadal 3 - BREAK - Nadal has got his nose in front. The Spaniard had put a forehand wide after an entertaining rally of a dozen shots but follows with a backhand winner from well inside the baseline.
A two-fisted backhand winner from Nadal gets him a first break point but he puts his service return long. A 23-shot rally sees Djokovic net a backhand to give Nadal a second chance and Djokovic sends his forehand long. First blood to the Spaniard.
A reminder that this is the third consecutive Grand Slam final to feature Djokovic and Nadal, which is an Open era record.
The Spaniard has lost his last six matches against the world number one, twice in major finals in 2011 with Nadal finishing runner-up to the Serb at last year's Wimbledon and US Open.
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0901 GMT: *Djokovic 2 Nadal 2 - CHALLENGE - Djokovic correctly challenges a long forehand from Nadal but the Spaniard follows with a smash. Djokovic turned his ankle slightly i that game but seems ok.
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0855 GMT: Djokovic 2 *Nadal 1 - Nadal starting the stronger here, a rasping winner taking him to 0-30. But a clean winner from Djokovic, followed by an ace (which Nadal queries but is in...) and another kicking serve from the Serb which pulls Nadal out wide and is followed it with another forehand winner sees him hold.
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0851 GMT: *Djokovic 1 Nadal 1 - Djokovic puts two service returns long as Nadal holds to love.
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0847 GMT: Djokovic 1 *Nadal 0 - Nadal pushed Djokovic to 15-30 there but some punishing groundstrokes from the Serb, followed by a viciously kicking second serve to the ad court on the final point, sees him hold comfortably in the end.
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0844 GMT: They're underway: Djokovic serving...
0838 GMT: It's a sweltering 33 degrees Celcius on court in Melbourne, where the local time is 19:38, but it should cool off a bit for Rafa and Novak as the evening closes in....
0834 GMT: ...and his opponent, top seed and world number one Novak Djokovic is out too. The players are warming up.
0832 GMT: Here comes Rafael Nadal, the number two seed at this year's Open, comes out on court to thunderous applause.
0827 GMT: And with the pre-match entertainment over, the roof over the Rod Laver Arena is now being opened.
0825 GMT: Goosebumps in Melbourne as the rousing strains of 'Advance Australia Fair' are belted out across the arena.
0820 GMT: Rod Laver, winner of eleven Grand Slam titles during the 1960s -- including three Australian Opens -- brings the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup trophy onto the court.
0815 GMT: Past champions Frank Sedgeman, Mervyn Rose, Ashley Cooper, Bill Lowrey, John Newcombe, Mark Edmonson, Roy Emerson and Ken Rosewall carry the trophy around the arena.
0810 GMT: This from my colleague Andrew Dent at the final in Melbourne: "Excitement is building ahead of the men's final. The roof is closed with the threat of rain and it is very hot inside the Rod Laver Arena."
WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT on the men's final of the Australian Open in Melbourne between world number one Novak Djokovic and number two Rafael Nadal. The match is due to start at the Rod Laver Arena at 0830GMT -- stay with us for all the action as it unfolds.
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