Like Andy Murray before him, Rafael Nadal isn't convinced Novak Djokovic has any breathing problems going into their Australian Open final on Sunday night.
During Djokovic's five-set semifinal win over Murray on Friday night, and to a lesser extent during his quarterfinal victory over David Ferrer, the Serbian player showed signs of breathing difficulties, something he's put down to allergies.
On Saturday, Nadal told a pre-final news conference that he, like Murray, had seen it all before. Nadal suggested that Djokovic tends to make incredible physical recoveries, even in the latter stages of big matches.
''It's funny, no?,'' Nadal said after a two-hour workout Saturday. ''I saw the match yesterday on the TV ... when he was in the fifth set moving fantastically well, and they show images from 2 hours, 50 (minutes) before and seems like he was destroyed. Two hours 50 later he was in perfect condition.
''So is difficult to imagine that he has these problems. I don't know.''
Against Murray on Friday, top-ranked Djokovic looked out of breath during the second set and again when he moved forlornly back to his chair after dropping serve to go down 2-1 in the third set.
''He's done it many times before,'' Murray said. ''He runs very well even when he's breathing heavy. I was ready for that. He was similar in the last match. But he moved fine.''
For his part, Djokovic, who won three of the four majors last year, says the breathing issues are genuine in the southern summer conditions.
''I've seen doctor and I've talked with some people,'' Djokovic said. ''I've talked with couple of players that have a little allergy problems this year in Australia for no reason, ones they didn't have in last couple years but they had reactions this year.
''I suppose that's my problem, as well. I've been trying to do everything possible to clear that out. But, you know, we are all surrounded with the flowers.''
Djokovic will have to back up for the final with just a day's rest, while Nadal has had two. Nadal enters the match with a 16-13 edge in career meetings, but Djokovic has won the last six matches between them, all in 2011, including the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals.
Nadal played down the extra rest, reminding everyone he played in the Australian Open's longest men's singles match - a 5-hour, 14-minute semifinal win over Fernando Verdasco in 2009, then didn't practice the following day before beating Roger Federer, who had had two days of rest, in the final.
''Well, that's what it is,'' Nadal said. In ''2009 I played longer than him (Federer) in the semifinals. I was recovered for the final, so I think you can say it's unfair, yes, but not crazy unfair.
''Really unfair is the U.S. Open when you don't have day off between semifinals and final. Having one day off, I believe you are not in big trouble.''
Statistics back up Nadal's assertions - for three of the last four years at the Australian Open, the man who has played the second semifinal has won the final. Advantage, then, to the guy with just one day off, Djokovic.
No. 2 Nadal and No. 1 Djokovic are becoming inseparable in Grand Slam finals. This is their third in a row, an Open Era record, and Nadal is playing in his fourth in a row, having beaten Federer in the French Open final last year.
Djokovic's third Grand Slam win in a row would put him in some esteemed company - Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Federer and Nadal have achieved the feat ahead of him.
Nadal, who has 10 major titles, remembers when he won his third in a row - the U.S. Open in 2010. Now, about 18 months later, he's hoping to avoid becoming the first player to lose three Grand Slam finals in a row in the Open Era.
He reckons Djokovic has the advantage going into Sunday's match. Djokovic's only loss in a major in 2011 was to Federer in the French Open semifinals. He is on a 20-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments.
''When you are coming with that confidence, everything is a little bit easier,'' Nadal said. ''I think for him is an advantage, not a pressure, to be in that situation.''
