The Serbian world number one played 171 minutes of cat and mouse with his British rival before pouncing when the US Open champion blinked and racing away to a 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-2 victory. There was no ripping off of the shirt and no victory roar like Rod Laver Arena witnessed last year, but there was no disguising Djokovic's delight at claiming a fourth title at Melbourne Park.
His three successive titles were a first since Roy Emerson won his fifth straight in 1967, while a quartet of crowns matches Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, the latter being on hand to present him with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
"What a joy, it's an incredible feeling to win this trophy again. This is definitely my favourite grand slam. I love this tournament. I love this court," said Djokovic, who lost to Murray at Flushing Meadows in September. "Every tournament, especially the major tournaments, is very special (but) winning it three in a row, it's incredible."
The similarity of playing style meant the match, although studded with some brilliant rallies, was not the classic that fans have come to expect from grand slam finals in the golden age of men's tennis. So little separated the two 25-year-old baseliners, however, that two hours and 51 minutes of the contest had passed before the first break of serve.
Crucially, it went to Djokovic and 49 minutes later he was celebrating his sixth grand slam title. For Murray, hampered by a badly blistered toe, distracted at a key moment by a white feather and physically compromised by his four-hour semi-final against Federer, it was a third final defeat in four years in Australia.
The Scot took some solace from the fact that this match was a much tighter affair than his defeats by Federer in 2010 and Djokovic in 2011. "There's going to be some obvious reasons for me feeling a little bit better," said Murray, who was hoping to become the first Briton to win the title since Fred Perry in 1934
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