World number two Rafael Nadal has admitted that he may not be ready to beat Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open.
Nadal overcame traditional rival Roger Federer in the semi-final, but the emergence of Djokovic as the world's top tennis player has given Nadal a new test.
The duo have met 29 times, with Nadal leading the head-to-head 16-13. Djokovic, however, leads the Spaniard 10-5 on hard courts, and has triumphed in their previous six meetings.
Nadal believes that he is going in the right direction, but is still unsure as to whether he has enough to beat the Serbian yet.
"I am happy with how I am doing," admitted the ten-time Grand Slam champion, "but I don't know if it's going to be enough against him. I need to play a little better, in my opinion, to have a chance.
"But I think I am going the right way to compete against the best players in the world. I got here by beating the sixth best player (Tomas Berdych) and the number three (Roger Federer).
"So it's a fantastic way to start the season but now is another big, big test. I don't know if I am ready to win the match, but I am going to fight for it."
Djokovic is aiming to become only the fifth man in the Open era to win three straight Grand Slam titles, having won 70 of his 76 matches last season.
Barney Corkhill
