Is it a tennis or a soccer match?

When Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray contest for the crown of this year's Australian Open in the Final tomorrow, it won't be quite as light-hearted as the Rally for Relief exhibition match (the charity event which took place on 16 January to raise money for the victims of Australia's flood disaster) as shown in the pictures above, but it is unlikely that the loser will be bitter either.

Both 23 and their birthdays being just a week apart, Djokovic and Murray have known each other since their early teens.

"We’re good friends, we practice a lot together," Murray said about his relationship with Djokovic. "So there won’t be any secrets with our games,” Murray said.

Djokovic also spoke fondly of their friendship. "We played under 12, under 10, under 14. We grew up together. We basically made a breakthrough to top 100 more or less at the same time."

"It’s nice to see somebody doing well, the person who was your longtime friend,” he said.

But with Murray trying to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a Grand Slam and Djokovic aiming to repeat his success here in 2008, they are going to lay their friendship aside they moment they step onto the court tomorrow.

As Murray predicts: "It’s going to be a brutal match.”