What do you get when you put world-class tennis players at the top of their game on a finals court together? You get intense drama and emotion that portrays the essence of the sport. That's what happened this month in Melbourne, in the Men's Australian Tennis Final, a Grand Slam event. Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer was an epic Down Under affair for the ages.
In one of the best Grand Slam finals ever, Rafael Nadal triumphed over Roger Federer in an ultra-competitive five-set match. The duo traded set wins for the first four sets. However, Nadal came out victorious, 6-2, in the final set. This was not without a lot of hand wringing and nail biting for fans. In the end, it was worth it for the enthusiastic crowd at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park.
Rafael Nadal's momentum from the semi-finals carried over into the final. In the semi-final, he played a hard-fought match against Fernando Verdasco. Both men are from Spain, with Rafael Nadal from Majorca. The largest island of Spain, Majorca is in the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Islands archipelago. Nadal is the first Spaniard to win in Melbourne.
Nadal had a marathon semi-final match against Verdasco that lasted more than five hours. You would think exhaustion would have been a factor for him in the ensuing final. However fatigue was more a nuisance than a hindrance to Nadal's efforts. He knew what he was in for against the always-tough Federer. He rose to the challenge.
The crowd witnessed two men at the epitome of tennis excellence. Their final match was over four hours long. It was high-intensity all the way. The 22-year-old Nadal had some amazing forehand shots (on the run) that dug him out of dangerous situations. In addition, he made beelines for Federer's drop shots and caught up to them consistently.
Federer played excellent throughout the final match as well. In fact, he had numerous opportunities to win the Australian Men's Final. Federer volleyed back many powerful overhead shots that gave Nadal trouble. With these and his other strategies Federer won set two, 6-3, and set four by the same score.
Rafael Nadal countered with consistent backhand efforts. He definitely needed these accurate shots. He was facing an opponent who won the Men's Australian Tennis Final in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Nadal was a semi-finalist in the 2008 Australian Men's Tennis Final. The world's current third-ranked men's tennis player, Novak Djokovic won this event in 2008.
The fourth set of this year's final was particularly dramatic. Nadal chased a lob down that was over his head. He chased it down with his back to the net and connected. He also exhibited in-air body twists to connect with Federer's powerful overhead shots. Truly, the crowd was witnessing years of training and perseverance on the open court.
At one point in the fourth set, the score was 2-2. A rally from all areas of the court was in progress. It ended with a Nadal forehand that hugged the line. This was a significant shot. Even though he lost this set, the shot inspired Nadal. It gave him the momentum to secure his victory in the fifth set.
This victory gave Rafael Nadal his first hard-court Grand Slam title. He is the number one ranked men's player, with Federer ranked second. Federer is now 2-5 versus Nadal in Grand Slam finals. The two men have a great, friendly rivalry going. Nadal has victories now against Federer on clay, grass and the aforementioned hard-court. This is Nadal's sixth major title win. It is also his fifth straight victory over Roger Federer.
While still excellent tennis, the Women's Australian Tennis Final was less dramatic. Serena Williams of the United States defeated Russian Dinara Safina. The final score was 6-0, 6-3, in Williams' favor. Serena is the number one ranked female player. Safina is second. Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Montenegro is third.
Serena Williams won this final in under one hour. It was the first evening women's final in Australia. For the 27 year-old tennis star, it was her 10th Grand Slam victory.
There will certainly be more dramatic and close women's finals coming down the pike. As far as men's finals go, they will have to raise their games to new heights to top this match Down Under. It most definitely can happen. It will be well worth it when a match of this caliber comes around again.
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