The Grand man

New delhi: A century in cricket is a big deal. In tennis, a century has a different meaning altogether. On Monday night at the iconic Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, fourth seed Novak Djokovic was lean, mean, and hungry as he devoured Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. It marked the legend’s 100th win at the Australian Open — a record that is nothing short of phenomenal. Rightly so, even as the contest unfolded, the milestone was hyped and flashed on the giant screen. After all, reaching 100 wins at a Grand Slam does not happen often.

This is the same Novak who has won 10 men’s singles titles at the Australian Open. The same Novak who has faced hostility from fans at the very same arena in the past. A Monday night match was the perfect setting for Djokovic and fans around the globe, as he rolled back the years and produced vintage tennis once again.

At just four months short of 39, Djokovic — owner of a staggering 24 Grand Slam titles — remains fearless. To call him a maverick champion would not be misplaced. Many greats before him, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, retired at a younger age due to injuries and fitness concerns. For Novak, however, age is just a number. He treated the audience to enchanting tennis, unfazed by time.

Pedro Martinez, at 28, was no match for Djokovic. The Spaniard may have been overawed by playing a legend at his favourite venue. While Djokovic has endured unfair and harsh treatment from Melbourne crowds in the past, it never mattered on this night. Novak was on song. His serve looked steely as he belted the ball with ruthless precision. There were no signs of rust. Concerns over his fitness — largely linked to age — were put to rest as he dominated an opponent almost a decade younger. His match statistics told a compelling story: potent serves, razor-sharp groundstrokes, and complete control. Djokovic was well and truly fired up.

“What can I say? I like the sound of it,” Novak said afterwards. “Centurion is a pretty nice feeling.”“History-making is a great motivation, particularly in the last five or ten years of my career,” Djokovic added. “Once I got myself into a position where I could create history, I was even more inspired to play my best tennis — and that’s what I’ve done.”