Djokovic leads Australian Open final by 2 sets

MELBOURNE — Five-time champion Novak Djokovic has taken a 2-set lead in the Australian Open final against Andy Murray, winning the second set 7-5 after taking the first 6-1. Djokovic, down three game points in the 11th game, rallied to break Murray, including a point from a 36-shot rally.

Djokovic then held serve, saving one break point, to clinch the second set in 1 hour, 20 minutes. He won the first set in 30 minutes.

Murray held service to lead 2-1 in a near 11-minute game with five deuces which included a time violation warning for taking too long between serves. Right after the warning, he hit an ace to bring the game back to deuce, then also had an ace to clinch it.

The two exchanged service breaks in the seventh and eighth games — the first time Murray had broken through in five break-point chances to that stage of the match.

Djokovic has never lost a final at the Australian Open, while Murray is 0-4 in finals here.