Novak Djokovic says his ability to get out of trouble in the second game of the second set in the final against Andy Murray proved critical to him eventually securing his third Australian Open crown in a row.
Having dropped the first set in a tie-breaker, the world number one was staring down the barrel at a 0-2 deficit in the second set as Murray won 17 of 19 points to not only hold serve to love to open the set but then lead 0-40 on Djokovic's serve.
But a combination of a forced error and a pair of unforced errors from Murray and two clean winners from Djokovic meant the Serbian managed to draw level at 1-1 in a set that would also be decided in a tie-breaker.
According to Djokovic, who would win the subsequent tie-breaker 7-3 to level the contest at a set all before going on to prevail 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-2 in 220 minutes, that recovery would prove pivotal.
"It's hard, I mean when you play one of your biggest rivals and somebody that is in the top form in finals of a grand slam, there is a lot to play for," said Djokovic, who in the first set had squandered five break points before dropping it in the tie-breaker.
"I think it went two hours, 20 minutes, the first two sets, I think that says enough about the intensity of the match.
"I kind of expected that, I knew that it was going to be physically very demanding, a lot of long rallies, so I needed to hang in there (and) I've done that.
"There was a few turning points in the match (and) maybe one of them was the second game in the second set when I was (down) 0-40 against the breeze.
"He missed a few shots, I managed have that crucial hold (and) after that I felt just mentally a little bit lighter and more confident on the court than I had done in the first hour or so."
Djokovic, who now boasts six grand slam titles, believes his decision to lift his aggression was also a key to avenging his defeat to Murray in last year's US Open final at Flushing Meadows.
"All our matches in (the) last three years have been decided by a very few points, so it's really hard to say if I've done anything different," he added.
"Yeah, I tried to be more aggressive, so I went for my shots, especially in the third and fourth (sets); (I) came to the net quite often.
"I was quite successful in that percentage, so it worked well for me.
"I needed to be the one who dictates the play, and I'm really glad that I've played my best."
As for the victory itself, Djokovic agreed it was special to have become the first man in the Open era to win the Norman Brookes Memorial Cup three years in a row.
"Every tournament, especially the major tournaments, is very special," Djokovic said.
"So every win, of course also adding to that the history part, you know, winning it three in a row, it's incredible. It's very thrilling.
"I'm full of joy right now.
"It's going to give me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season, that's for sure."