Australian Open men’s final preview: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal

All eyes will be on Melbourne Sunday night as one of tennis’ great storybook rivalries writes another chapter.

In a return to the golden age of their careers, 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer faces 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open Men’s Championship.

Late last year, Federer joined his long-time rival and friend in Mallorca, Spain, to officially open the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center. That day, only months ago, Federer was sidelined recovering from a knee injury. Nadal, too, had shut his season down due to a wrist injury.

Both players joked around that they would’ve loved to play an exhibition for the fans, yet they were unable.

Now, here we are, hours away from these two great champions facing off for the chance to lift another Grand Slam trophy.

Now No. 17 in the world, Roger Federer returned to Melbourne to play his first official tournament in over six months, and against all odds, the Swiss great has turned the clock back to his years of domination on the tour, coming all the way through his side of the draw to make his first Australian Open final since 2010.

It is only fitting that his opponent is his greatest rival. Federer and Nadal have played 34 times before, putting on some of the greatest shows in tennis history. Yet, despite all the history between these two greats, this 35th meeting is one of the most intriguing.

In their primes, seemingly every final was contested by these two great champions and ambassadors of the sport.

Since 2004, when the pair first met in Miami, Nadal owns a 23-11 head-to-head over the Swiss Maestro. The two have contested nine Grand Slam finals, where Nadal has won six of the eight. Federer’s only two victories in Grand Slam finals have come at Wimbledon.

As the men’s top seeds dropped out left and right throughout this unpredictable tournament, talk of this dream final began to surface, yet no one could have dreamed that a 35-year-old coming off knee surgery and a 30-year-old coming off a wrist injury would be the final matchup.

These two great champions have continued to defy all odds for two weeks, and the dream final is finally upon us. At 35, Federer becomes the second oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final since Ken Rosewell made the U.S. Open final in 1974 at 39.

Nadal is seeking to become the first man ever to repeat the career Grand Slam. A win in Melbourne would give the Spaniard each Grand Slam title at least twice.

These ambassadors of the sport have become friends over the years, and at this point in their careers, both Federer and Nadal recognize how special this match is.

All eyes are on Nadal and Federer, who are seeking their 15th and 18th Grand Slam titles, respectively. Credit: Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“Is special (to) play with Roger again in a final of a Grand Slam,” Nadal said. “I cannot lie. Is great. Is exciting for me and for both of us that we still there and we still fighting for important events. That's very special.”

“I just think he's an incredible tennis player,” Federer said. “He's got shots that no other one has. When you have that, you are unique and special. Plus, he's got the grit. He's got the mental and physical ability to sustain a super high level of play for years and for hours and for weeks. He's proven that time and time again.”

“I think he's been tremendous for the game,” he continued. “I have a lot of respect for him on many levels.”

On Sunday night, history will be made down under one way or another. No matter the outcome, the tennis world will rejoice in having one more opportunity to see these two amazing champions fight one more time.

There is no better way to close the book on an amazing 2017 Australian Open.

Federer outlasts Stan Wawrinka in all-Swiss semi

Before reaching this final, each player had to fend off two amazing players in five-set thrillers.

For Federer, he faced his friend and countryman Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals. Always an awkward match because of their history, both former Australian Open champions were hungry for another shot at the title.

Federer got off to a great start, claiming the first two sets. Just as he looked ready to finish the match in straight sets, the Swiss number one found another level, storming back to take the third and fourth sets.

For the second time in the tournament, Federer was forced to five sets. Just like the previous time, the 17-time Grand Slam champion broke early, gliding to victory.

Looking back, Federer’s start to the tournament was far from perfect. In the early days, a run to the final seemed unfathomable.

The 35-year-old was pushed to four sets in the opening round against Melzer, but he came through. He was tested by a 20-year-old American in the second round, but fought through.

It was in the third round that Federer found his old self, crushing Tomas Berdych in straight sets. World No. 5 Kei Nishikori pushed the Swiss great in the round-of-16 to five sets, but Federer came out on top.

The four-time Australian Open champion easily dispatched Andy Murray-conqueror Mischa Zverev in the quarterfinals to set his all-Swiss semi against his Davis Cup teammate.

After two incredible weeks, no one would’ve imagined that Federer would be only three sets away from his 18th major title. His passion, commitment and drive is like any other in the sport.

This will be Federer's first final in Melbourne since 2010, when Federer claimed his fourth Australian Open title, his most recent Grand Slam on a hard court.

As the great champion told the crowd on court after his semifinal win, “if I can’t walk for another 5 months, that’s okay. I’ll give it all I have.”

Roger Federer seeks his 18th major title on Sunday night, which would put him four above Nadal, who currently sits at 14. Credit: Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Nadal fends off challenge from Grigor Dimitrov to set up dream final

After Federer’s three hour victory the night before, all eyes were on Nadal to see if the 14-time Grand Slam champion could make the dream final a reality. Nadal faced world No. 15 Grigor Dimitrov, whose game has long been compared to Federer’s.

As if Federer’s epic semifinal wasn’t enough, the Spaniard and the Bulgarian battled for four hours and 56 minutes, just shy of five hours. The match was back-and-forth throughout. There were twists and turns, and both players were pushed to the brink.

Nadal had just enough in the end, breaking Dimitrov in the ninth game of the fifth set before serving the match out.

The world number nine had an easier start to the tournament than Federer, breezing through his first two matches. His greatest test came in the third round when he clashed with up-and-comer Alexandr Zverev.

Nadal found himself down two sets to one, but the 2009 Australian Open champion found enough left in the tank to get past the 19-year-old German.

Nadal faced quality opponents since that thriller, yet the 30-year-old has been too good. He battled past Gael Monfils in the round-of-16 and world No. 3 Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals before setting up his semifinal with Dimitrov.

This will be Nadal's third-ever Australian Open final, his first since 2014, where he lost to Wawrinka. His lone title down under came in 2009, when he beat Federer.

Analysis

The 35th edition of Federer-Nadal, or as many have been calling it "Fedal," promises to be one of the most unique ever, considering how unexpected this matchup is.

The two champions last met in the Basel final in 2015, where Federer beat his longtime rival in his hometown tournament.

Having played 34 times before, Federer and Nadal know each other’s game like no one else does. In this unexpected final, one of the greatest hurdle for both players will be nerves early on.

After winning Wimbledon in 2012, Federer has been 0-3 in Grand Slam finals since, all losses to Novak Djokovic. In each match, Federer did not get off to a good start as his nerves got the best of him. He will need a better start should he claim title number 18 on Sunday.

The same applies to Nadal. The 14-time Grand Slam champion has not been to a Grand Slam final since 2014 when he won the French Open for a record ninth time, and nerves will undoubtedly play a role.

In terms of match strategy, look for Nadal to repeat what he did in the semifinal against Dimitrov. The Bulgarian’s game is very like Federer’s, so the logic says if Nadal beat someone similar to Federer, he will look to employ that same approach.

Nadal often looked to push Dimitrov to his backhand, so look for the Spaniard to repeat this strategy.

Federer will want to avoid getting into long rallies with Nadal, who is one of the best defensive players on tour. The 35-year-old should look to control the net from the start, which would allow him to keep Nadal on his toes and keep points short.

In their only Australian final to date, Nadal defeated Federer in an extremely emotional match. Credit: Victor Fraile/Corbis via Getty Images) — In the 2009 men's final, Nadal defeated Federer in an extremely emotional match. Credit: Victor Fraile/Corbis via Getty Images)

No matter the champion on Sunday night, the tennis world will be treated to an epic match down under. Perhaps the two most beloved players on the ATP World Tour, seeing either great champion win another Grand Slam trophy would be an incredible sight.

One extra interesting wrinkle in this match concerns Federer's extra days of rest. Thanks to the tournament’s scheduling and a hint of luck, the Swiss No. 2 played his semifinal the day before Nadal, giving him one extra day to prepare for the final. In addition, Federer also played almost two hours less in his semifinal win.

However, Federer should not expect a tired Spaniard. Nadal is one of the best players ever in terms of recovering after a tough match.

Just took to 2009 for the best example, where Nadal played an epic semifinal with Fernando Verdasco before recovering to beat Federer in the final.

Yet, now, after all the talk and predictions, all we can do is sit back, smile and enjoy this amazing men’s final. One of these two amazing champions will lift another title and one will fall short. But, we, the fans, are the real winners for getting the chance to witness this historic matchup another time.