Roger Federer wins Australian Open after epic five-set slug fest against Rafael Nadal

ROGER FEDERER held aloft the Aussie Open trophy last night – but admitted he’d happily have shared it with his greatest rival.

In five relentless, remarkable sets, the 35-year-old clinched his 18th Grand Slam title and one that will maybe go down as the greatest.

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That it was Rafa Nadal on the other side of the net made it mean even more special, because no player has pushed the Swiss legend harder throughout their careers.

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And after finally coming through a classic final 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 in three hours and 37 heart-pounding minutes, he beamed: “I’m out of words. I’d like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. Four, five months ago were could barely play and now look at us.

“Tennis is a tough sport, there are no draws – but if there were, I would happily have taken one and shared it with Rafa.

“I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get back here on a night like this.”

Nadal said: “Congrats to Roger and all his team. It is just amaazing the way he’s playing after so long not being on the tour. To make that happen has taken incredible work and I’m so happy for him.

“For me, it’s been a great month. I played in Brisbane, in Sydney and then here and really enjoyed it. I’ve had fantastic support and this tournament will always stay in my heart.

“I’ve fought, I’ve got to the final and in the end Roger probably deserved it a little bit more than me. I’ll keep trying – I’m back at a high level and I’ll fight to stay there.”

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Reuters

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What a night. What a match. What a champion.

After six games of the opener, held to serve with barely a sniff offered up by either man, Federer took a step forward and went on the attack, racking up the first two break points of the night and swaggering to the sidelines as Nadal sliced a backhand wide.

The Spaniard stood his ground, challenging the call. But it didn’t look like he believed his own instincts and the replay showed the inevitable. In a match this huge, with such tiny margins, moments like these would be defining.

Out came Federer and held for the set. Suddenly you began to wonder whether that extra day’s rest he’d had after the semi victory over Stan Wawrinka, coupled with the five hours Nadal had played into Saturday morning against Grigor Dimitrov, would start to tell.

But then you remembered that this was Rafa we were dealing with. A sensational senor who simply refuses to go away.

He held. He broke. He held. He broke. Four up and firing on all cylinders, the guy was flying – and even though Federer nicked one of the breaks back, the damage had been done and in no time the match was all tied up once more.

Federer settled himself to go again, then stopped and called for a ballboy to bring a towel, because the baseline where Nadal had just been standing was sopping with sweat.

The Swiss superstar himself never seems to have a bead of the stuff on him. He’s super-cool. But that doesn’t mean he’s not grafting, as he proved in the opening game of the third when he needed to bang down THREE aces to stop Nadal breaking him.

That mini-crisis averted, he broke to lead 2-0, then again for 5-1 and now we were right down to the business end. In the late-night humidity, the ball was flying off the blue rubber and it was suiting Federer’s game – literally – down to the ground.

Nadal was being rushed into shots he didn’t want to play and was having to cling on desperately. But once more, he not only did cling on, he fought back, breaking in the fourth game of the fourth- and then, with what can only be described a wizardry, holding to lead 4-1.

Federer looked for all the world to have stayed in the game with a backhand angling away to Nadal’s left, but the Spaniard hurtled beyond the tramlines to whip a forehand at an extraordinary angle that his opponent could only stand and applaud.

That split-second’s turnaround in fortunes seemed to unsettle the Swiss, who piled up unforced errors throughout the set and never looked like forcing the break back he needed.

One more loose backhand into the net at set point down and, just for a moment, his shoulder slumped. For the first time since the final here in 2009, these two great warriors were taking their personal duel into a fifth. In two hours and 37 relentless minutes, they’d won 110 point each. It was that tight.

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Eight years ago, it had been Nadal who came through, taking the decider 6-2 to lift his first Aussie title. Now, he sat in his chair, sucking on an energy gel, while Federer went off with a physio, just as he had at the same stage against Wawrinka.

As he re-emerged, the noise almost blew his bandana off. Melbourne had got its wish, not only a Dream Final but one that went right down to the wire.

Once silence finally fell, it was first blood to Nadal, breaking serve to get his nose in front. Federer had two points to do the same right back, but the Spaniard dug in and ground it out for 2-0.

For the first time, the Swiss legend looked in trouble. Now, he had to break twice to win, while all his rival had to do was stand his ground and what didn’t help was that nagging right thigh of his, which needed treatment again after he held for 2-1.

Nadal closed out a tight fourth game, jamming the final serve in at Federer’s toes and forcing him to fire wide. As the final reckoning loomed ever closer, he somehow seemed to be growing stronger, feeding on the situation.

Could Federer somehow syphon some of that strength off and get himself back into it? At 0-30 on Nadal’s serve, it seemed as if he just might - and to a cacophony of cheers, applause and stamping of feet, he saw it through to draw level once more.

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What a finale this was, the best tennis of the night and maybe of the entire tournament. Federer, from being out on his feet, was stepping in and again and killing points at the net. Nadal, from being puffed up and pumping, looked a little deflated.

Now the Spaniard was playing catch-up. Now he looked vulnerable, again finding himself 0-30 on serve. Then, crucially, he double-faulted. He was in a crisis, not helped by some gonk in the crowd yelling his name as he made to serve to keep his hopes alive. It was that kind of occasion now, no one could possibly keep their cool.

Back he clawed, though, point by point until he was at deuce. Everything hung on this now and, just when you thought things couldn’t any more dramatic, they locked into the longest rally of the night that ended with Federer putting away a punding forehand for his fourth break point.

Yet again, Nadal saved it. Yet again, the Federer forehand got through his defence and now it was break point No5. This time, he took it. What a man. What a match,

They were on their feet all around this bowl now, umpire James Keothavong trying manfully to restore order, but it was a lost cause. The place was in a ferment, more so than ever when Federer walloped down the final, clinching shot

But wait. Even then, there was one last twist, because Nadal was challenging.

We waited for maybe 15 seconds that felt like hours. Then the replay showed it had kissed the line - and Federer jumped for joy, looking more 15 than 35 in his moment of wonderful triumph.