2012 By The Numbers...Going The Distance

© Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic won the longest match of the season in the Australian Open final.

ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at the 2012 season by the numbers. In the fourth and final installment, we reflect on the longest finals of the year and highlight some of the most interesting facts and figures of the season.

Going The Distance
Tremendous athleticism and desire to win led to some gripping final contests this season on the ATP World Tour. At the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic showed incredible endurance to defeat Andy Murray in 4hr., 50min. in the semi-finals before returning to Rod Laver Arena 48 hours later to edge Rafael Nadal in five hours and 53 minutes, making it the longest major championship final in terms of duration.

Longest Finals (Games)

Longest Finals (Time)

Miscellaneous Facts & Figures

THE LAST TIME…
• No. 1 and No. 2 seeds reached a final: No. 1 Novak Djokovic d. No. 2 Roger Federer, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals-London (12 times total in 2012, 11 in 2011)
• A player won the title without dropping serve: Roger Federer (47 games), Cincinnati; (also Milos Raonic, Chennai, 48 games)
• An all-left-handed final: Rafael Nadal d. Fernando Verdasco, 2010 Monte-Carlo
• A player outside Top 100 reached a final: Ricardas Berankis (No. 141), Los Angeles
• An unseeded player won a title: Thomaz Bellucci, Gstaad (four times in 2012)
• A player won title saving match point: Novak Djokovic (saved 5 MPs in Final vs. Murray), Shanghai
• A player won both singles and doubles titles: Mikhail Youzhny (w/Baghdatis), Zagreb  Six other players reached both finals: Janko Tipsarevic, lost singles, won doubles final, Chennai; Jarkko Nieminen, won singles, lost doubles final, Sydney; Carlos Berlocq, lost both finals, Vina del Mar; Fernando Verdasco, lost singles, won doubles final, Acapulco; John Isner, lost both finals, Indian Wells; Marcel Granollers, lost both finals, Umag
• A qualifier reached a final: Jerzy Janowicz (l. to Ferrer), Paris 

OTHER 2012 STATISTICS…
• The longest singles tie-break on the ATP World Tour was: John Isner d. Jesse Levine 64 76(17-15) in 1st Rd. of Delray Beach. The longest doubles tie-break was: Blake-Querrey d. Huey-Inglot 76(16-14) in final of Houston
• The longest Match Tie-break was: Qureshi-Rojer d. Bryan-Bryan 46 64 18-16, 2nd Rd. of Madrid; Anderson-Querrey d. Dolgopolov-Tsonga 64 57 18-16, 1st Rd.
• The winner in ATP singles finals this year won 52 of 66 times (.788) when capturing the first set. Last year 53 of 65 times (.815) compared to 50 of 65 times (.769) in 2010, 52 of 64 times (.813) in 2009 and 55 of 65 times (.844) in 2008.