In Nadal, Djokovic’s easy semi-final wins, is there a case for best-of-three sets at Grand Slams?

Seven years after they played one of the greatest Grand Slam finals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will face each other in Australian Open final again. But unlike in 2012 when they had to beat Roger Federer and Andy Murray in the semi-finals, they have cruised into the 2019 finals. Nadal has not dropped a set while Djokovic has dropped just two sets.

The two dominant semi-final wins set a blockbuster final, but have also thrown up an important question – Is men’s tennis being let down by the very factor that makes Grand Slam matches interesting? Are we deprived of a contest by the adherence to the best-of-five format?

The call for having best-of-three matches for men is not new. The length of matches, the physical toll on players and the attention spans of the audience have all been cited as reasons. But the Australian Open semis highlighted what may be the most compelling – competition, the fundamental aspect of sport.

Women play best-of-three sets on the tour as in Grand Slams and while players been erratic at Grand Slams, rarely have the big matches been one-sided in the recent past. The format makes for equal chances and unexpected results – who saw unseeded Danielle Collins beating Angelique Kerber to reach semis. The third set decider in a women’s match, and indeed in the men’s matches on the regular ATP tour, can be as intense as epic fifth sets.

There is still plenty of support for the best-of-five format and indeed, we would not have been able to witness some of the all-time classics if not for it. But with the state of events as it stands – the trinity of Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic dominating the Majors, the question arises – how much is the format hindering others from breaking through?

It could be, validly, argued that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were also once young and first-timers who made their way to the highest level in this format. Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka also had to master their way in this format. So if the younger ones are not able to keep up, is the system be blamed?

But think about the fan, the ticket-buying spectator on Rod Laver Arena who got to watch only 83 minutes of Djokovic clobbering Lucas Pouille. (That Australian Open has the strangest policy for the semi-finals – three on one day and one on the next – is another fragment of inexplicable tennis tradition.) Think about the fans watching all over on TV at odd hours who want to see action-packed tennis in the closing stages of a Slam? Is a format that has invariably titled in the favour of a few helping bring new fans or retain the old ones?

Leave aside Wimbledon 2018, where the semi-finals were slammed for the length, the pattern of one-sided semi-finals is becoming increasingly common. Admittedly, there are anomalies and other intense five-setters – Djokovic going down to Marco Cecchinato or when Grigor Dimitrov overcame Nick Kyrgios in Melbourne. But what does it say about the sport when the last four standing are not up to the level of competition expected?

By the second week, players should have hit the stride on the courts, not lose steam. The key to reaching deep in a Major is staying fresh through the first week and peaking at the right time. The Big Four had mastered this art but the coming generation is still struggling with I’ll make it five-setters early in the tournament. Players christened heir apparent over the years – Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Theim – have still not cracked the code.

Psychology, of course, also plays a huge role in playing long matches. The level of intensity and concentration needed to play best-of-five is something that has to be earned, and Masters 1000 titles and top-five rankings cannot prepare you for it.

This is where the old guard already has a huge advantage and there are very few youngsters who have both the physicality and psychology to do this. The last youth to actually manage it was a 20-year-old Juan Martin del Potro back in 2009, Marin Cilic did win a Major in 2014 but couldn’t maintain his level. In fact, there are no male Grand Slam winners under the age of 30 now. This is the neon sign that something must be done.

The 2012 Australian Open epic took 5 hours and 53 minutes, was brutal, but also among the best exhibitions of five-set tennis. A four-Slam old Djokovic came into that match beating Murray in a semi-final that lasted 4 hours and 50 minutes and this ability to endure is what makes him a big-match player.

Contrast it to 2019, where the 32-year-old and 31-year-old who have both had surgical procedures in the last year still look fresh while their much younger opponents were drained by heat and stress.

Many players themselves have called for best-of-three at Slams, from Djokovic to Murray, who came to the realisation while in the studio at Wimbledon last year while Federer had actually suggested making Masters 1000 events and ATP World Finals five-sets as well.

But it was Billie Jean King who made the most striking point – “I think it takes too much out of them. Like one time the players played in the Australian Open final. It took six hours. They could hardly walk off the court. I guarantee you that it took a year off their careers.”

With both Nadal and Djokovic fighting their way into the final again, it is hard to say whether they did lose years. But while they will be relieved at their easy passage into the final, Australian Open would have benefited from more competitive semi-finals.