World number 1 Novak Djokovic will take on world number 2 Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena on January 27.
When and where to watch the matches live, online
The match between Nadal and Tiafoe will not start before at 7:30 pm local time, 2 pm IST and 8:30 am GMT.
Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD will provide live television coverage of the Australian Open in India. The live streaming will be available on Sony LIV.
Nadal vs Djokovic preview
On the back of one-sided semifinals victories, Djokovic and Nadal pack their bags to throw ammunitions at each other for the 53rd time in their illustrious careers and Rod Laver Arena will once again have prima facie visuals of a modern-day classic.
Nadal has been in unstoppable form at Melbourne Park and is yet to drop a set. The Spaniard has won over 97 per cent of his first serve points on centre court. In the semifinal victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, he hit 28 winners in a straight sets victory.
The Spaniard has made a marked improvement in his serve during his rehabilitation period as he recovered from the injury he sustained in the US Open semifinal last year. He admitted after his quarterfinal victory that he is looking more at winning points with a strong serve as opposed to building points. But on Sunday, Nadal will be up against the man who has the best return in the circuit.
Speaking after his semifinal victory against Frenchman Lucas Pouille, the Serb admitted that he watched Nadal's semifinal and feels that the final comes at the perfect time as both men seem to have hit their peaks in the tournament.
"He has played impressively well throughout the entire tournament. He hasn't dropped a set. He looked as good as ever on a hard court throughout these couple of weeks. I haven't played bad myself [in the] last couple of matches. I think that this final comes at the right time for both of us. I'm sure we're going to have a blast on the court." Djokovic said.
The Spaniard played his semifinal bout a day earlier than the Serb but even he was aware of the impending match.
"Of course, Novak is the favourite tomorrow," said Nadal after defeating Tsitsipas. "He has been in that position a lot of times. For Lucas, it's the first time. But let's see. It's a tennis match, and anything can happen."
A final between Nadal and Djokovic cannot pass without the mention of the classic battle between the two in 2012 at the very same place and the top seed brought it up in his post-match thoughts on Friday.
"He's my biggest rival in my career. I've played so many matches against him, epic matches on this court. Of course, the one that stands out was the finals of almost six hours in 2012. Hopefully, we don't go that long this time. But I'm sure we're going to have a good final," Djokovic opined.
Sunday promises to be a modern-day classic between two men who have not learnt how or when to give up.
Read: Nadal vs Djokovic stats preview
Australian Open 2019: TV guide
- UK: Eurosport
- USA: ESPN and Tennis Channel
- Australia: Channel Nine
- Africa: BeIN Sport, Eurosport and Supersport
- Canada: TSN
- Caribbean: ESPN and Tennis Channel
