Rafael Nadal Vs Roger Federer for Australian Open final Confirmed
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The timewarp effect at the Australian Open is complete after Rafael Nadal dramatically set up a men’s final against Roger Federer to follow that of the Williams sisters.
Nadal, 30, will be the junior partner of the weekend after summoning up a display that saw him draw on his famed determination of old to see off Bulgaria’s courageous and freeflowing Grigor Dimitrov in an epic semi-final.
The Spaniard needed four hours and 56 minutes to win 6-3 5-7 7-6 6-7 6-4 at 12.44am. He will now play in a championship match between two players who share 31 Grand Slam titles between them.
Amid uproar he forced two match points which were saved with an overhead and sweeping forehand into the corner before Dimitrov drilled a final backhand long. Nadal lay down at the back of the court before embaacing his opponent at the net.
But his progression may have come at a cost as Nadal will have had 24 hours less to rest after a gruelling contest that required him to dig deep within himself.
After some running repairs he will look to become the only player in the post 1968 Open era to win each of the big four tournaments twice.
It will be his 35th career meeting against Federer, with the Spaniard leading the series 23-11. They have only met once since last facing off in a Major, in the semi-finals here three years ago, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic having assumed the roles they once held.
Aside from the sheer length of the match, facing Dimitrov will have been perfect preparation for Federer from Nadal’s point of view, because their styles are so similar.
Nadal made it clear from the start that his go-to shot would be the hefty forehand onto the singlehanded backhand of Dimitrov, which is elegant but can be exploited.
For the first set it looked like the tactic would work, as Dimitrov struggled to cope with its power after missing two early break points.
The Spaniard was striking cleanly but could not maintain that level in a somewhat messy second set in which he got annoyed by a perfectly justified time violation.
Dimitrov twice broke to go ahead but handed his lead back. The Bulgarian, who was not faced with quite the same overwhelming support for his opponent that Stan Wawrinka was in the first semi-final, made a big hold for 6-5 after both players had offered plenty of gifts.
He then took advantage of more loose play to level the match, and it was hard to think that Roger Federer was looking on with much trepidation.
Nor would he have been too alarmed with the 70-minute third set, which saw a break each and a brief delay towards the end when a spectator needed medical attention close to the Nadal support box.
Both players were displaying signs of anxiety, although the Spaniard was slightly the more positive in the tie-break.
The pivotal point was at 5-5 when Dimitrov did some brilliant defensive work and then ruined it by pushing a forehand wide, going on to lose it 7-5.
The younger Dimitrov would probably have subsided at this point, but he kept testing Nadal with his all court game as the clock ticked closer to midnight.
He was comfortable enough in forcing the tie-break, and the Bulgarian showed the greater composure with his well-judged forays to the net to take it 7-4.
Dimitrov had to save a break point at 2-2 but then had two of his own at 4-3, which Nadal prevailed in by moving into the court and, on the second, coming up with a volley.
That induced a crack in Dimitrov and in the next game he double faulted and then went long after a net cord. Nadal sealed the decisive break with a backhand down the line and the roof nearly came off the Rod Laver Arena.
An exhausted Nadal said afterwards: ‘It’s difficult to describe my emotions. I was tired and Grigor was playing unbelievable. It was a great match and I feel very happy to be part of it. Both weeks here have been unforgettable for me.
‘Last year was very tough, it takes a while to come back to the level that I had. I worked very hard at home but never dreamed to be back in the final of the Australian Open, my second tournament of the year. I feel lucky.’
Of Sunday’s final he said: ‘First of all I hope to recover well and then for me it will be a privilege and very special for both of us to have another chance to compete against each other after a couple of years of problems.’
