Djokovic sealed victory at 1.37 a.m. Monday local time and became the fifth man since the Open Era began in 1968 to win three straight Grand Slam finals. The 24-year-old Djokovic tore off his shirt in celebration after one of the most dramatic finals in the history of the game. He went to his support camp and repeatedly thumped the side of the arena in front of them in delight and relief.

Nadal leaned on the net, while Djokovic sat on his haunches before the trophy presentation. Eventually, nearby official took pity and they were given chairs and a bottle of water each. "We made history tonight and unfortunately there couldn't be two winners," Djokovic said.

Djokovic's win maintained his mastery of Nadal, who has lost seven straight finals against the Serb since March last year.

In the most devastating of circumstances, Nadal became the first man in the Open Era to lose three straight major finals. He lost in four sets to Djokovic at last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

Article sourced from NZ HERALD - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10782130