Just when pundits thought Australian fans would experience their first ‘Sincaraz’ instalment on Sunday, Novak Djokovic emerged to set history on a different path.
The Serbian star put together an all-time performance to dethrone the two-time reigning champion Jannik Sinner 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena to enter his 11th Australian Open men’s singles final.
It would have felt decidedly unsatisfying if the intergenerational rivalry between Djokovic and Sinner had no epic Melbourne Park chapter given the former, who'd ruled here so completely for so long, had seemingly passed the AO baton on to the latter to begin an impressive reign of his own.
It was only fitting that Sinner and Djokovic battled it out in a classic under the Friday night (then Saturday morning) lights.
With similar playing styles, it was as if 10-time champion Djokovic saw a reflection of his prime self on the opposite side of the court. At times, the world No.2 left Djokovic in discomfort and disbelief as Sinner worked the 38-year-old around the court for the first half of the match.
But you could argue that Djokovic was playing like his prime self as he shifted into a different gear.
It was a gear not many thought he could still attain, and despite Djokovic leaving many tennis fans stunned by the magnificence of his performance, Sinner was not surprised.
READ MORE: Zverev lauds fighting spirit in AO semifinal exit
“He’s won 24 Grand Slams,” the Italian said. “We know each other very well, how we play. I’m not surprised because I feel like he’s been the greatest player for many, many years.
“Of course, he’s playing less tournaments because of his age and everything, but we also know how important Grand Slams are for me, for him, for Carlos [Alcaraz], and everyone. There is this small, extra motivation, and he played great tennis.
“Hopefully, I can take it as a lesson to see what I can improve on.”
After being broken at 3-3 in the final set, Sinner created chances to place the match back on serve.
“I had my chances in the fifth set. Many break points, I couldn’t use them,” he said. “He came up with some great shots.
“Most of the time, he served very well … I was in the rallies a couple of times, I missed the shots, and it can happen. That’s tennis, and that’s how tennis works.”
Friday night’s loss means Sinner relinquished the opportunity to become just the fourth male in Australian Open history to win three straight singles crowns, and the first since his semifinal opponent to achieve the feat.
An opportunity missed to join that illustrious list, plus the fact his 19-match AO winning streak had ended, made the result even harder to swallow.
“[It hurts] a lot,” said a deflated Sinner. “It was a very important Slam for me, knowing also the background, it can happen.
“It was a good match from both of us. I had many chances, couldn’t use them, and that’s the outcome. It hurts for sure.”