Novak Djokovic thrashes Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, wins 9th Australian Open

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic thrashed an irked Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to claim his 18th Grand Slam singles title on Sunday. With the 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win in Melbourne, Djokovic is now only two major titles behind arch rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in men's record books.

It was Djokovic's ninth title at the Australian Open, who has never lost a final in Melbourne. Medvedev now has lost three consecutive ATP games to Djokovic, with the latest meeting lasting only for an hour and 53 minutes at Rod Laver Arsenal.

Russia's Medvedev has lost both his Grand Slam finals after losing to Nadal in the US Open final in 2019. He was tipped to put up a great fight against Djokovic as Medvedev was coming off a 20-match winning streak. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old in no time succumbed to the pressure infused by the top seed on Sunday. The final set saw Medvedev throw rackets, produce poor body language, and shout at his team angrily.

Meanwhile, Djokovic, who had sustained an abdominal injury earlier in the tournament, overcame that and produced yet another exceptional performance at his fortress, Rod Laver Arena. He sealed the title with a backhand overhead volley and as soon as the moment arrived, he fell on his back, roared loudly, tapped his heart before hugging his coach Goran Ivanisevic and the rest of his support team.

The celebrations showed how much it meant to the Serbian and his team.

"You're a class guy. You're not calling me anymore to practice in Monaco these past few years! On the court, Daniil is one of the toughest players I have ever faced in my life. It's only a matter of time before you hold a Grand Slam trophy. If you can wait a few more years, I'd appreciate it. It's amazing that he has put together a 20-match winning streak over the past few months," Djokovic, who leads 5-3 in the head-to-head against Medvedev, said in the trophy ceremony on Sunday.

"I think it was a very successful tournament and I'd like to praise [tournament director] Craig Tiley for a tremendous effort. It was challenging on many different levels and Tennis Australia should be very proud for making it possible," the 18-time Grand Slam winner further added.