So there we go. It turns out that, in fact, time is no longer illmatic because Novak Djokovic has stopped it and has no intention setting it free. He was brilliant tonight, of course he was, and the rest have a lot of work to do if they’re to set things away again. Thanks for your company and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Ta-ra.
Djokovic now has 18 majors, two behind Federer and Nadal, and at this point you’d back him to end up with more than they do. Nadal will probably keep winning in Paris for a bit longer, but Djokovic will be favourite for the other three and with Federer 40 in August it’s hard to seem him hanging about much longer.
Here’s Djokovic again, and he’s reminded by Barbara Schett that he said he wasn’t moving aside just yet. He ’s a little embarrassed but reckons he’s earned the right to be confident and posits that such confidence allowed him to start the match well. He was relieved to get the break at 6-5 in set one, and Mats tells him he did well to vary his game in a way that Medvedev could not. Djokovic notes that he had clarity in what he wanted to do – with two clear days he had time to watch tape and gameplan but felt that he was constantly in control. Medvedev likes rhythm so he tried to “always give him different looks” to stop him from finding it.
This was one of the toughest tournaments of Djokovic’s life, given the pandemic and injury he had, surprising himself with his ability to recover. He’ll take a lot of positives from this tournament, but will also take a break because he needs one.
Djokovic is still on court celebrating, while in the studio Mats notes how many returns he made. Not with blazing winners but always asking questions, finding the angles and lengths to keep Medvedev off balance. Basically he was almost perfect, not in terms of being in the zone or hitting loads of winners, but in the basic aspects of tennis: hitting the ball where his opponent wasn’t, repeatedly.
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Medvedev will be disappointed in himself, I shouldn’t wonder. He played really well in most of the first set but was poor at either end, so when he got his break it was a break back and when he faltered again it cost him. He did then get ahead in set two, but he couldn’t consolidate and after that he had nothing, so Djokovic walked away from him.
I think what was riveting about Djokovic’s performance is how completely he broke Medvedev down. He didn’t do it with winners, or with serves, or with returns, or with volleys, but by combining them all, along with every other aspect of the game to be just that bit better than an opponent who came into the match on a serious buzz. Somehow, he was unbelievably good without seeming to be unbelievably good, because what was unbelievably good about him was general not particular.
“Good evening everyone,” he begins, as the crowd go wild. He says that Medvedev is a “great guy, a great person” and that they used to spend more time together; “you’re not calling me the last few years but it’s great you’re still thinking nice things about me.” He says that Medvedev is one of the toughest players he ever played and that it’s a matter of time before he wins a slam, “if you don’t mind waiting a few more years.” He congratulates his run of victories, asking the crowd to do the same, then thanks his family and says it’s been roller-coaster ride for him, especially in the last few weeks.
He goes on to say that there are a lot of mixed feelings about players coming to Australia but looking back it was for the best, and he thanks all those who made the competition possible. “Last but not least”, he thanks the court, the Rod Laver Arena, saying his love for it grows every year.
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Djokovic raises the trophy aloft!
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Medvedev comes to collect his shots tray, and says it’s never easy to talk when you’ve lost the final of a slam – I feel you old mate. He congratulates Djokovic and tells a story that he first practised with Djokovic when he was 5, 600 in the world. “He was a god to me,” he says, and was surprised that Djokovic spoke to him like he was a mate, calling him a “great person”. He thanks his family and hopes to win a slam soon, thanks all those who’ve made the tournament happen, and thanks for crowd. He seems like a very nice man and says he hoped to make the match longer, but he couldn’t.
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We “enjoy” a long speech about the difficulties of staging the tournament, and appreciate the altruism of its sponsors; I’m choking up here. But do members of the crowd boo when vaccines are mentioned? Dearie me. “You’re a really opinionated group of people,” the people are told. It’s a beautiful moment.
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It’s funny, really. There was no barrage from Djokovic, no point of the match where you said to yourself Djokovic is on absolute flames here. But looking back at it, it was a devastatingly expert performance, the right things done at the right times with the minimum of doubt or fuss. He just knows what to do and that’s too much for anyone else to cope with.
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I guess Djokovic had a day longer to recover from an easier semi - though Medvedev also won in straight sets, beating Tsitsipas will have taken more out of him than beating Karatsev took out of Djokovic. But we can’t pretend this was that. Djokovic served better, returned better, selected his shots better and constructed his points better. Medvedev will beat most players playing as he played tonight, but to get by one of the greats in a final, big first serves and occasional winners aren’t close to enough.
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That was an astonishing effort from Djokovic, who beat Medvedev up then beat him down. The difference, in the first instance, was the big points, but there was more to that than this – Djokovic had more shots and more variety such that Medvedev couldn’t cope, and hidings of this nature can change the trajectory of a career. I don’t think that’ll happen because Medvedev has so much going for him, but it’ll take him a while to recover from this; you think you’re there but actually you’re nowhere near.
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Novak Djokovic wins the Australian Open! He beats Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-2 6-2!
Djokovic 7-5 6-2 6-2 Medvedev* Djokovic plays a sensational point, a whipcrack forehand allowing him to net, where he cleans up. Medvedev, absolutely gone, then nets a backhand, and Djokovic is circling with bad intentions but a forehand into the net hands yerman a sop; 15-30. He stops before the next point to ask that the crowd show respect to the players but shutting the eff up, wins it, and then a forehand error hands Djokovic championship point. AND HAVE A LOOK! Medvedev makes a first serve but Djokovic nails his return, quickly attacks the net, and a leaping backhand smash makes it nine Australian Opens and 18 grand slams! Djokovic has played majestically tonight, and it is frankly unfathomable how good he is.
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*Djokovic 7-5 6-2 5-2 Medvedev Gosh, Djokovic raises 15-0 with a tremendous volley – Goran loves it as well he might – but Medvedev is free now, the match gone, and a barrage of forehands earns him 15-30; he exhorts the crowd to exhort him. But back in the real world, Djokovic belts down a service winner then lads a ball on the outside-most fibre of the the line – it’s a kind of slapstick – before outlasting Medvedev from the back. he’s a game away, and it’s absolutely ludicrous how well he’s played here.
“See?” returns Ramanpriya, who earlier noted that Djokovic is quite good at tennis. I can confirm that that remains the case.
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Djokovic 7-5 6-2 4-2 Medvedev* Djokovic spends the change of ends closing his eyes; this has been such an expert performance, riding Medvedev’s good period then slowly strangling him while tickling his feet. Medvedev holds to 15.
“What is happening to Medvedev?” asks Shankar Mony. “Poor choices at net, overhitting groundstrokes, consistently second best on big points. The big three are the big three until someone proves they are not, I guess.”
In very simple terms, Djokovic is happening to Medvedev, stealing the first set without playing well, then playing well. The combination cannot be good for one’s self-esteem.
*Djokovic 7-5 6-2 4-1 Medvedev I wrote in my preamble that Medvedev was in Djokovic’s head; yeah, don’t tell anyone. Thanks. Lol @ me. He does get a chance in this game, given a second serve then a short ball at 30-15, but he can’t do anything with it and the texture of this beating is going to stay with him for a while. He’s hitting shots that against any other player win him the point only for Djokovic to send them back with interest, and this is close to did.
Djokovic 7-5 6-2 3-1 Medvedev* This is a must-hold for Medvedev and he gets to 15-0 with a forehand cross-court – a shot that Frew McMillan has been willing him to play for a while. At 30-0 Djokovic cracks a succession of quality forehands to elicit an error, but have a look! Medvedev tries a drop, Djokovic sends it back across the face of the net ... and Medvedev jabs it over, pulling his racket away as he plays the shot to impart the necessary backspin. That is brilliant behaviour and Djokovic applauds; Medvedev quickly secures the hold.
*Djokovic 7-5 6-2 3-0 Medvedev Medvedev is hating this now, but because he knows he’s lost he’s hitting with a bit more freedom than before, cracking a forehand winner for 40-30. So Djokovic wallops down another mighty first serve, and unless something staggering happens he’ll soon be celebrating his ninth Aussie Open and 18th major. That too is staggering.
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Djokovic 7-5 6-2 2-0 Medvedev* Medvedev fights to reach 30-all and at deuce spanks a second serve miles long. He needs something here and a big forehand looks to have earned it for him ... but then he nets his volley. I hate to say it, but his heed is gonner than that loving feeling.
“Alas, this tournament is done,” says Ladka Lal. “Thiem is the closest to the big three and he should’ve won last year. I doubt anyone wins with any of the dominant three in the draw and Federer turns 40 soon. At 25, Medvedev is no kid.”
Players mature at different times, but yes, beating any of the three is taxing. I’m not sure Thiem is as mentally strong as the other two, and I’d take either of them to do him in a final, but that’s not happening anytime soon I don’t suppose.
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*Djokovic 7-5 6-2 1-0 Medvedev Just when it looked like this was going to be brilliant, Djokovic found what he needed, and in that second set it got to Medvedev, who showed some emotion and seemed to get distracted by it. Still he gets to 0-30, and though Djokovic responds with an ace he follows it with a double, his first of the match; two break points. The first vanishes when Medvedev hooks a forehand wide - that was a chance – and a service winner down the middle follows. I’m sure that authorities far more learned than me will be able to explain how and why Djokovic is constructing points better and all that, but this isn’t really that, I don’t think; he’s just been more solid at the key moments, and accelerates through deuece to hold.
Djokovic 7-5 6-2 Medvedev* At the end of the last game, Medvedev crashed his racket into the court; he really showed it, I can tell you. It’ll think twice before looking at him on the bus again. Anyhow, his new one forces him to double-fault at 15-all then go long on the backhand to give Djokovic two set-points. The first is saved when a return goes long, but when the next one lands on the line, rather than step back to have a proper look he swats impatiently into the net! There’s not a lot between these, but Djokovic still has the better timing, and that’s why he’s two sets in front.
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*Djokovic 7-5 5-2 Medvedev Excellent from Medvedev, sending Djokovic to the backhand corner and eventually eliciting an error on the slice. He responds with a tremendous serve, and though Medvedev hauls himself back into the point, when the men stare each other out at the net he’s the one who blinks first, netting a backhand. Djokovic quickly makes it 40-15, but an inside-out backhand down the line gives Medvedev something to hang onto, a netted first serve a little more, and when Djokovic goes wide with a backhand of his own, we have our first deuce in quite some time. These are the days of your life, and it’s Djokovic who embraces that reality, a big serve down the middle, then another, extinguishing the opportunity almost before it existed.
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Djokovic 7-5 4-2 Medvedev* If ever Medvedev needed an easy hold, he needs an easy hold now, and though Djokovic has won four games in a row he’s only one break in front. But he seems to take a breather in this game, swatting only ok serves wide and long to allow a love hold.
*Djokovic 7-5 4-1 Medvedev A fine forehand winner gets Medvedev 15-0 but an error and a service winner edge Djokovic in front; he’s just a bit better at the moment, and when a poor smash offers a chance, Medvedev swings wildly and sends his forehand fractionally wide. An ace follows, and he’s sprinting away now.
Djokovic 7-5 3-1 Medvedev* So far, Djokovic has played the biggest points slightly better, and the first point of his next service game is a long one; he nets to give Djokovic the advantage. A backhand miss - following a tame second serve – makes it 15-all, but you get the feeling that Medvedev is beginning to wonder and another error has him facing 15-30. The next point then has to be halted when a woman in the crowd does some shouting, about what I can’t deduce, then Medvedev gathers and cleanses an ace down the middle; he needed that. But a forehand goes long to raise a break point, Djokovic celebrating by gesticulating for quiet – perhaps the aforementioned woman was giving him gyp – and then Medvedev goes long on the backhand! Three games in a row for Djokovic now, and he’s got his foot on Medvedev’s face.
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*Djokovic 7-5 2-1 Medvedev This is so, so good now, and Medvedev stretches Djokovic with a forehand then cleans up with a backhand for 15-30, only to change his mind about a backhand down the line to go cross-court ... and into the net. Another error hands Djokovic game-point, and though Medvedev dominates the next rally with his backhand, he eventually drops slightly long; every time he manufactures himself a chance, it’s promptly confiscated from him.
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Djokovic 7-5 1-1 Medvedev* Already, this is extremely key, and Medvedev opens with his first double of the match. But he’s soon at 15-all before chasing down a drop, reading a lob, and finally clouting away a moon-ball; he allows himself a wry grin and well he might. He’s going shot for shot with Novak Djokovic, in a major final! I’ve not a clue how these lads hold it down, no clue at all; my eyeballs would be sweating all over the show at the over-stimulation of it all, and Djokovic senses some weakness, turning up the power to reach 30-40 before forcing a forehand error! He breaks back immediately, and that sends a very strong message indeed.
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*Djokovic 7-5 0-1 Medvedev That set was a whole story in itself, Djokovic starting fast and Medvedev taking over, before the big dog teefed his lunch money. Well Medvedev has got backup, and at 15-all climbs into a succession of forehands hit flat and hard only to go fractionally long on a key one – though Djokovic helped him along with a brute of a second serve. Medvedev is still sitting a coupe of feet behind the baseline which is allowing Djokovic, who’s planted on it, to attack ... but he goes long with a backhand and must now defend a break point. And Medvedev is right there, inciting a netted backhand, and we didn’t need confirmation that he’s in this but he’s tipped himself down our earholes anyway.
Djokovic 7-5 Medvedev* Here we go. Medevedev is back groaning during the points; that seems to be telling, and Djokovic lets out a moan of his own when punishing a forehand winner down the line. And have a look! A brilliant return has Medvedev on the defensive, zoning a backhand over the net that Djokovic is well-placed to despatch, and a brilliant return then facilitates a belting forehand winner; three set-points. This would be such a sonning off, but Medvedev finds two tremendous serves, the second an ace ... that is superb behaviour. But he then nets a forehand, and after playing a brilliant set he’s simultaneously tossed it and had it extracted from him! Djokovic is cold.
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*Djokovic 6-5 Medvedev Medvedev is playing from nearer to the baseline now, but Djokovic gets to 30-0 even if he does well to win the second of those points given how bait his drop-shot was. He rustles up a love hold though; can he get enough returns in to increase the peace pressure?
Djokovic 5-5 Medvedev* Medvedev still looks the better player as he races to 30-0; he’s playing his own game, while Djokovic is searching for ways to take it away from him. He quickly secures a love-hold, and if we go to a breaker I know where my money is going.
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*Djokovic 5-4 Medvedev This is excellent from Medvedev, again outlasting Djokovic from the back for 0-15; he misses so few balls, which makes him a tricky opponent for a man who can usually rely on his own superior consistency. But Djokovic has served so well in this tournament and is soon at 40-15; Medvedev then reads a short one, coming to the net to despatch his winner ... but wallops into the top of the net. He’ll now serve to stay in the set.
Djokovic 4-4 Medvedev* Medvedev is serving really well now – he’ll need to – but after that shot earns him 15-0, he rallies brilliantly for 30-0. The points are getting longer now and they’re evenly matched in that aspect, Djokovic taking the next ... so Medvedev retorts with an ace ... and another.
*Djokovic 4-3 Medvedev Medvedev needs to take advantage of this little period if he can, but Djokovic isn’t about to let him, holding to 15; we might be reaching that curiously elusive circumstance in which both players play well at once. This has all the ingredients of a jazzer for the ages.
Djokovic 3-3 Medvedev* Medvedev is suddenly hotter than the earth’s core, and a backhand winner is backed up by an ace down the middle. Djokovic responds by going long and wide, before a backhand is too good for him. This has the makings; if you can sit down, you absolutely must.
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*Djokovic 3-2 Medvedev A booming forehand - another booming forehand – gives Djokovic 15-0, but because he’s going for his shots he’s always liable to stray and goes long in the next point ... then nets from by the net. Medvedev took all the pace off his forehand there, and at at 15-30, second serve, has a little chance. There you go! The longest rally of the match so far and during it, Medvedev stops grunting; he’s settled now and starts to dictate, so Djokovic tries a drop to end things ... and nets! Two break-back points ... two sensational gets from Medvedev, hoisting moon-balls on the run; when the second lands in the forehand corner and bounces almost head-height, Djokovic nets! We’re back on serve and we got ourselves a ball-game!
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Djokovic 3-1 Medvedev* Yeah, ok; Djokovic is into this. He pastes a forehand return down the line for 15-0, but Medvedev responds with his first ace ... and his second. He likes that, as you might. Next, another big delivery is too good, before Djokovic makes 40-30 by winning another rally; Medvedev has yet to take one of those, which must be a worry. Djokovic is standing right on the line, and though he goes long to hand Medvedev his first game, he’s controlling the exchanges at the moment.
*Djokovic 3-0 Medvedev Medvedev knew this was going to be hard, but now he knows it’s going to be hardest. Djokovic holds to love, and looks rrrridiculous out there. Medvedev needs to settle and fast; he came back from two sets down to take Nadal to a decider when they met in the 2019 US Open final, but that’s not really the best way of going about stuff.
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Djokovic 2-0 Medvedev* A terrific opening point from Medvedev, a ninja-style forehand whip giving him 15-0; that’ll feel good. But three consecutive errors hand Djokovic 15-40, the first break point then saved with a big forehand down the line, flat as Dutch milk, before a rally from the baseline is won by Djokovic! Welcome to the match, Daniil old mate!
*Djokovic 1-0 Medvedev Ahahahaha! Djokovic begins with an ace down the middle then comes in off a backhand approach that’s too good on its own. Nicely done. A forehand winner follows, then a backhand into the net; Medvedev won’t feel like he’s in the match yet but he’s got a mini-sniff that’s quickly taken away from him, another serve out wide securing the game.
And ... play.
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Right then. The players take their final little sit-down; Djokovic will serve.
My colleague Emma Kemp tells me that the woman who sung the Australian Open used the phrase “young and free” instead of the new, inclusive formulation “one and free”. A timely reminder that not everything is changing.
“I always love the optimistic notes about underdogs who get to this stage for them to be expertly dismantled by the, well, expert,” says Ramapriya. “Djokovic will boss this. Rod Laver and co will need to come up with excuses for why Medvedev wasn’t quite what he’s currently being trumped up to be.”
I’m not sure about that. Medvedev knows a lot, and has already come close in a major final.
Medvedev looks focused.
Here they come!
The perfunctory manner in which Medvedev disposed of Tsitsipas on Friday was very impressive. Admittedly he was recovering from the physical and emotional dump of recovering from two sets down to beat Nadal, but Medvedev was merciless.
Mischa Zverev reckons that Medvedev needs pace on the ball, so Djokovic should vary the speed of his groundstrokes. My guess is we see him come to the net a fair bit, but that’s fraught with danger given how flat Medvedev hits it.
Ovbviously Dominic Thiem won the US Open, but the last time someone other than him, him or him took a slam in which him, him and him played was Stan Wawrinka, who won at Flushing Meadow in 2016. Combined, the three have won 57 of the last 70.
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More from Jonathan Howcroft: “The final five minutes before the walk-ons are precious real estate, so... there’s a musical theatre number from the cast of Come From Away, a show about checks notes 9/11 and Canada. No, me neither.”
On Eurosport, Mats reckons that Medvedev is the toughest emotional challenge for Djokovic and I agree. He has the least that can wrong, both with his game and in his head. I’d be staggered if he doesn’t turn up tonight.
Here’s more from him: “The final match of the 2021 Australian Open will take place in probably the coolest conditions of the tournament and under washed-out skies. The splashes of colour around Melbourne Park are more welcome than ever, including Novak Djokovic’s portrait, Nole’s fans, and the final of the Glam Slam on Court 3. Surprisingly, there were more cheers inside RLA for Daniil Medvedev than the eight-time champion when their names were called a few moments ago.”
Our man Jonathan Howcroft is on the ground at Melbourne Park. Rod Laver Arena will be 85% full tonight, which is a beautiful thing.
@emmavkemp pic.twitter.com/yP92VIpb1t
— Jonathan Howcroft (@JPHowcroft) February 21, 2021
Of those three, Medvedev is readiest. Thiem is a beautiful mover, the best on tour, but mentally he’s not as impervious to it all, while Tsitsipas has more shots so more that can go wrong.
It’s funny really, we seem to be at a similar stage in the women’s game. For the first time in a generation, Serena’s best is no longer the best, and her not best isn’t enough to take care of the best. My guess is that Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek take it away from here, just as Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Thiem look ready to do too.
So how do we think this is going to go? Well, I feel silly even saying this, but I’m going to say Medvedev in five. Zverev took Djokovic to a decider without playing that well and without ever really looking like he might win; Medvedev is better than him and will play better than that, and though Djokovic is and will too, it just feels like the wheel is turning.
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Preamble
Bob Marley once sung that “none of them can stop the time,” an idea expanded upon by Nas who declared that “time is illmatic” – not just an incredible force but the incredible force and necessarily, implacably, essentially so.
All very true, but neither man had experienced a pandemic. Things are different now, and the way in which we measure our lives might never be the same, the simple passage of days taking on different meaning or meaning nothing at all. How on earth can we grasp what’s happened and what’s happening, if we have no context in which to set it? If everything stops – if we don’t experience joy, change and the touch of those closest to us – then are we even alive?
Well, tennis is here to save us. If Daniil Medvedev beats Novak Djokovic, then for the first time since July 2003, the best men’s player in the world won’t be him, him, him or him. It’s true that a win won’t take Medvedev to number one, but ultimately it’s about winning majors not topping lists, and ya boy has won 20 matches straight, 13 of them against top-10 players. If he can augment that run by just one, then we can be sure that we’re not stuck in what Doc Emmet Brown called a “paradox”; that we really do exist.
Medvedev has won three of the last four meetings between the players, and is that rarity on tour: someone who annoys rather than is annoyed by Djokovic. Somehow, the Serbian is spooked by an opponent with no deadly weapons who’s about nothing but hitting the round thing into the rectangular thing, over and over again, right close to the baseline where it’s hard to get back.
And so he should be. Competing against someone as monomaniacal as Medvedev is no joke, all the more so when your game is about sticking in rallies longer than your opponent, and though Djokovic’s angled forehand – that hook shot from the centre that pretty much only he can play – will cause trouble, it’s not one to unfurl on every point. He’ll have performed some serious thinking to get ready for this.
Of course, Djokovic has already done 17 times what Medvedev is trying to do for the first time, and that is a significant factor in his favour, so too that he’s serving more aces than ever before. But he’s playing an opponent he knows will turn up and the injury he’s carrying will remind him that, as Leonard Cohen reminds us, it’s later than he thinks. For professional sportsmen, time will always exist – and this might just be epochal.
Play: 7.30am local, 8.30am GMT
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