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Tennis is built for rivalries, and it had several over the years, among others: Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, and Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

Stolle was among the Australians - along with Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe - who dominated the men's game late in the amateur era and start of the professional.

The victory in Auckland also sees Monfils become the oldest man to win a tour-level title since 43-year-old Ken Rosewall won in Hong Kong in 1977.

The great Australian Ken Rosewall won the last of his eight Grand Slam singles titles at the 1972 Australian Open, having turned 37 two months earlier.

Djokovic is already six months older than Rosewall was then, and the game is now more physically demanding.