Historical Men’s Singles Final Between a Pair of Icons

On the other side of the net stood his redoubtable rival Rafael Nadal, and he, too, recognized the magnitude of the moment. Nadal headed into Melbourne having not won a Grand Slam championship since he secured his ninth French Open crown back in June of 2014. The Spaniard missed the 2014 U.S. Open with a wrist injury, and could not defend his title there. In 2015 and 2016, plagued by more injuries including a left wrist issue, he never advanced beyond the quarterfinals at the majors. Nadal had to withdraw before his third round match at Roland Garros last year when his left wrist flared up. He did not return until the Olympics, when he was still compromised by the wrist. At the U.S. Open, he squandered a 4-3, 30-0 fifth set lead against Lucas Pouille in the round of 16.

Nadal played two more tournaments in the autumn but was plainly below part at Beijing and Shanghai in losses to Grigor Dimitrov and Viktor Troicki. The Spaniard did not compete again in 2016. He needed time to heal. He wanted to prepare himself for a healthier 2017. Nadal looked reasonably good in his warmup ATP World Tour event in Brisbane, but lost a match in the quarterfinals of Brisbane 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Raonic that he once would have won. He was seeded ninth in this tournament while Federer was seeded 17th. But both men survived two five set skirmishes en route to the final. Federer ousted Kei Nishikori in the round of 16 and Stan Wawrinka in the penultimate round. Nadal went the distance with the immensely promising No. 24 seed Alexander Zverev and again in a spellbinding encounter with Dimitrov that lasted four hours and 56 minutes in the semifinals.

So Federer and Nadal had both been fully battle tested. They had triumphed at a time when not many experts believed they could do it. Having achieved that, they set up what was from an historical standpoint the biggest match of their careers. Either Federer would win an 18th major and widen his lead over Nadal, or the Spaniard would collect a 15th Grand Slam championship and move within two majors of his old rival. There could not have been more riding on the outcome of this showdown. Federer was fighting against a fierce current of history. He walked on court with a 11-23 head to head record versus the formidable lefty, and that included defeats in nine of their eleven meetings at the majors and six of eight final round Grand Slam tournament appointments. He had lost three times to Nadal in Melbourne, bowing in a classic five set final eight years ago, dropping a pair of semifinals fought out in 2012 and 2014.

Out on the court tonight in front of an exhilarated audience, with millions more watching their every move on television sets and computers all over the world, the two icons put on a remarkable show. Across five sets, with countless shifts in momentum, through a long evening lasting more than three hours and thirty eight minutes, Federer prevailed in a riveting showdown 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. In a role reversal of sorts, he outcompeted the man who has so often been the stronger man mentally at the end of strenuous and stressful contests. Federer pulled off a feat in this encounter that had never managed before against a player who had haunted him in so many hard fought battles across the years. He rallied from a service break down in the final set to deny the Spaniard a victory that seemed almost certain. It was Federer this time who was tougher mentally in the crunch. It was Federer who seemed to want the win even more than an adversary renowned for his capacity to come through in the crunch. It was Federer who believed in himself when the chips were on the line.

Most tellingly, Federer played this match more on his terms than Nadal did. He largely set the tempo, refusing to let Nadal dictate frequently enough off the forehand, remaining ultra aggressive at all times, and not permitting the Spaniard to ever settle into any kind of comfortable backcourt rhythm. The Swiss was swinging freely off both sides and he kept backing Nadal up with the sting of his shots and a clear-minded strategy that he has seldom exhibited against a fellow who has confounded him almost incessantly on the premier stages.

Two things stood out in my mind about Federer’s performance on this occasion. His return of serve was extraordinary in terms of both depth and consistency. Nadal usually makes Federer miserable with a barrage of deliveries directed to his backhand side. But tonight he timed those returns immaculately and it seemed for long stretches that he could keep them within a foot of the baseline with uncanny regularity. He made Nadal think long and hard about where to go with the first serve. The Spaniard tried whenever possible to go into the body on Federer’s forehand side and had a modicum of success with that tactic. But the problem for Nadal was his inability to connect often with his best wide slice serves, and unless his location was impeccable, Federer’s returns were humming and Nadal did not have control of the rallies.

Moreover, Federer’s backhand during the rallies was majestic. The story of this rivalry has been Nadal’s propensity to send clusters of crosscourt forehands with heavy topspin up high to the Federer backhand, forcing his foe to play those shots from above his shoulder. Federer would eventually either miss in those rallies or leave one of those high backhands too short, enabling Nadal to step in and wallop inside out or down the line forehands to end points. In this clash, however, Federer wrote a new chapter. He was able to largely neutralize Nadal’s forehand by rifling winners crosscourt off the backhand. He found his range with that shot and seldom lost it. For his part, Nadal inexplicably did not roll his forehand with the high topspin nearly enough. Had he done that, Federer might not have been as majestic off his backhand side. Nadal was playing right into the ideal hitting zone of Federer, who found a dazzling groove. That, along with some magnificent serving on critical points, is what carried the Swiss to an immensely satisfying triumph.

Through the first six games of the first set, both players found their bearings. In his first three service games, Nadal won 12 of 14 points in his delivery. Federer also was unthreatened, taking 12 of 15 points on his serve. But the Swiss made his move in the seventh game. With Nadal down 15-30, Federer approached on a floating shot from the Spaniard and put away a forehand swing volley with sweeping assurance. At 15-40, a briefly rattled Nadal pulled a backhand wide. Federer had the break for 4-3. He served stupendously in the following game. Not once did he miss a first serve. He opened with a 207 kilometer service winner to the forehand, followed with a perfect serve-and-volley combination, then unleashed a forehand winner down the line, and finished off the hold with an ace down the T. Nadal held on in the eighth game, but Federer was unshakable at that stage, serving two aces, holding at 15 to seal the set 6-3. He could hardly have been more efficient in winning four of the last five games.

But Nadal inevitably was ready to retaliate, and Federer wandered into difficulties. After Nadal held in the opening game of the second set with a second serve ace out wide to the forehand in the deuce court (he was trying to keep Federer honest), Federer double faulted on the first point of the following game. He rallied from 0-30 to 30-30, but Nadal summoned some inspiration at that juncture, connecting with a sparkling forehand passing shot up the line. Federer rallied to deuce, but the Spaniard came forward to take the next point at the net and he got the break for 2-0 by rolling three forehands in a row up high to the Federer forehand. That formula worked, resulting in a netted backhand slice from his opponent. Why the Spaniard wandered away from that strategy is anybody’s guess.

Nadal needed to save a couple of break points in the third game but he held on for 3-0 as Federer’s sharpness from the back of the court diminished. Federer was in disarray now, falling to 0-40 in the fourth game. He saved two break points but Nadal converted on the third as Federer miscalculated on an inside out forehand and drove it wide. Now Nadal was up 4-0 with an insurance break, and that was fortunate for the 2009 champion. From 30-30 in the next game, Federer produced an inside out forehand winner and another forehand placement into an open court. He broke back for 1-4 and held on for 2-4, but Nadal poured in four straight first serves in a love hold for 5-2. After Federer held on in the eighth game, Nadal closed out the set in fine command. Once more, he put four consecutive first serves into play, holding at love, taking the set 6-3.

And so it was one set all, and Nadal had asserted himself well. In the opening game of the third set, Federer raced to 40-0 with an ace, but no hold is ever safe against someone as determined and intensely focussed as Nadal. He gave himself three break point opportunities in that crucial game, but Federer was implacable, releasing aces out wide to Nadal’s forehand in the ad court every time, holding on steadfastly for 1-0. Perhaps relieved by that stellar stand, Federer made three forehand winners in the next game and broke at 30 for 2-0. He did not miss a first serve in the third game and held at love with back to back aces.

Now Federer was flowing and Nadal was feeling the weight of his opponent’s game, not to mention the strength of Federer’s psyche. The Spaniard was down 15-40 in the fourth game but he managed to hold after four deuces, saving three break points—the last with a 196 kilometer ace down the T. Federer was not swayed in the least. He held at love for 4-1. After Nadal led 30-0 in the sixth game, Federer swept four points in a row with outstanding returning. He had extended his lead to 5-1. Despite facing two break points in the seventh game, Federer remained composed and full of conviction. He closed out the set 6-1 with an elegant backhand drop volley winner.

The first three sets had been completed in under two hours, but there was hard work ahead for both competitors. After Nadal and Federer held their serves with relative ease through the first three games of the fourth set, suddenly Federer let his guard down again, and that is a dangerous thing to do against a rival of Nadal’s sheer resolution. The Spaniard surged to 0-40 in the fourth game with a forehand inside in winner. Federer fended off one break point but at 15-40 he did not succeed. Nadal’s low backhand passing shot provoked a netted backhand volley from Federer, and the momentum had shifted decidedly back to Nadal.

The southpaw had a 3-1 lead in that fourth set. He had to work exceedingly hard to hold in the fifth game but did so on his fourth game point with a phenomenal shot. Federer had laced a backhand crosscourt, and Nadal seemed trapped behind the baseline. But he chopped a forehand with extraordinary skill, knifing it crosscourt for an outright winner. The piece of genius lifted Nadal to 4-1. Down break point in the sixth game, Federer aced his way back to deuce. After a successful serve-volley combination, Federer aced Nadal again to make it 2-4. Nadal promptly held at love with an ace for 5-2. Federer held in a deuce game and now Nadal served for the set. With Federer looking fatigued, Nadal held at love again. He had taken the set 6-3. It was two sets all. Seemingly, the 30-year-old Spaniard had righted his ship and was headed straight into calm waters for the fifth and final set.

After the fourth set, Federer took a medical timeout in the locker room for treatment on an ailing upper right leg.When he returned, he seemed as dazed and vulnerable as he had looked before his timeout. In the opening game of the fifth set, Nadal was inspired and Federer was out of sorts. Nadal laced a forehand down the line for a winner and forced an error off the Federer forehand for 0-30. Federer took the next point but Nadal reached 15-40 with another down the line winner off the forehand. Federer responded with a forehand inside in winner, but then pressed on a forehand down the line and sent it wide.

Nadal at long last was in the lead, up a break at 1-0 in the fifth, but he fell behind 15-40 in the second game. Still, he ferociously saved three break points, cancelling two of them with forehand winners. Nadal held on for 2-0. Federer held at love in the third game but Nadal steadfastly held for 3-1 from break point down, taking away Federer’s chance with a backhand crosscourt winner. Federer held easily in the fifth game but soon reached 30-40 with Nadal serving at 3-2. Nadal took one of the rare short returns from Federer and drove a forehand into the clear. He moved on to gain the advantage, standing one point away from a 4-2 fifth set lead. But his forehand crosscourt clipped the net cord and sailed unluckily wide.

Federer realized he might be able to manufacture a break. He blasted a backhand crosscourt and Nadal was hurried into a forehand error. Now at break point down again, Nadal misfired wide on an inside out forehand. He has missed one of his favorite shots, and Federer was revitalized. Many members of the audience rose to their feet and showered Federer with a standing ovation. It was 3-3. He held at love in the seventh game with a second serve ace, and Nadal seemed shellshocked by his predicament.

Federer opened the eighth game with a brilliantly inventive short and biting backhand slice, drawing Nadal forward and coaxing a forehand error. The Swiss provoked a passing shot error from Nadal to make it 0-30, and then the Spaniard double faulted. Federer had remarkably collected ten points in a row. Yet Nadal’s perspicacity surfaced here. He made it back to deuce but Federer was in his own world now, playing sublime tennis, pretending there was no pressure when he was surrounded by it. An astonishing rally ended with a flick of the wrist and another forehand down the line winner from Federer. He had garnered a fourth break point, but Nadal wiped it away with a searing first serve down the T at 194 kilometers. Federer barely touched it. Unswayed, Federer drilled a scorching forehand down the line to force a mistake from Nadal. At break point for the fifth time, Federer did not fail. An exquisitely angled backhand crosscourt return was too much for Nadal to handle. He netted  a forehand down the line.

And so it was 5-3 and Federer was serving for the match. Understandably, he was too excited about the situation. He served-and-volleyed on a second delivery but Nadal’s return whistled by him for a winner. A backhand unforced error put Federer down 0-30. He aced Nadal for 15-30 but Nadal went to 15-40 with a backhand volley winner set up by an excellent approach. Federer, however, wasn’t wavering. He aced Nadal down the T and released an inside out forehand winner when no such opening seemed available. It was deuce. An unstoppable first serve enabled Federer to advance to match point as the fans thundered down applause from every part of the arena. A double fault was called on Federer. But he won a challenge yet lost the replayed point on a forehand unprovoked mistake.

Be that as it may, Federer quickly garnered a second match point. He clipped the sideline with a crosscourt backhand. Nadal challenged the call, but the ball was squarely on the line. Federer had come through handsomely in five pendulum swinging sets. Although he had 57 unforced errors and Nadal made only 28, Federer more than made up for that statistic by hitting no less than 73 winners while Nadal had just 35.

The only man older than Federer who has won a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era is Ken Rosewall, who won the Australian Open 45 years ago at the age of 37. The last man to win a major as the No. 17 seed was none other than Pete Sampras at the 2002 U.S. Open. Federer has raised his record in major finals to 18-10. This was the fifth time he has won “Down Under”. He has five U.S. Open titles in his collection and seven at Wimbledon. Only once has he triumphed at Roland Garros, and that was in 2009.

In the process of garnering one of the most gratifying wins of his illustrious career, Federer denied Nadal the chance to become the first man since Rod Laver to have won every major at least twice. That was no mean feat.

This was not up there in quality with some of the Federer-Nadal gems like Wimbledon in 2008, the Australian Open of 2009 or even the Italian Open of 2006. All of those five set confrontations were superior to this one. But the fact remains that Federer performed like a man much younger than his years, despite his ailing leg, despite the length of the confrontation, despite everything.

When it was over, Laver handed Federer the trophy in the presentation ceremony. Both Nadal and Federer did an outstanding job of speaking like sportsmen and recognizing the occasion for what it was. They were honorable. They were gracious. They were enormously respectful of each other. For Nadal, this was a heartbreaker. He had rescued himself from 3-4,15-40 down in the fifth set of the semifinals to oust Dimitrov. He had come agonizingly close to toppling Federer and claiming a 15th major. His response to a devastating defeat was nothing short of commendable.

Now Federer has widened the gap between himself and Nadal. The Spaniard is four majors behind the Swiss, and Novak Djokovic is stuck at 12 for the moment, six back of Federer. When his career concludes and Federer reflects on the victories that meant the most to him on a personal level, he will surely mention this win over Nadal somewhere near or perhaps at the top of his list. Roger Federer is a towering champion who has reaffirmed that he must be regarded as the greatest ever to play a game that he cherishes.

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By Steve Flink