Points won by each set: | 28-21, 23-33, 37-23, 22-33, 40-29 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
33 % Federer – 46 of 138
23 % Nadal – 35 of 151
Almost five years waited the 35-year-old Federer [17] to add another major title to his awesome collection. He hadn’t played a main-level match for six months when he arrived in Melbourne, and he didn’t show signs of his former greatness in the opening two rounds, however, from the third round on, he was able to deliver his best tennis in five consecutive matches. In the final, after four quite one-sided sets they were split, and the last set was the longest, also the most dramatic (Federer took a medical time-out before it). Nadal [9] saved break points in two games to lead 3:1*, but the Swiss managed to win the last five games. He needed five break points to break Nadal leading 4:3, the spectators witnessed the longest rally of the match in that game – Federer won it after 26 strokes with a forehand down the line winner. Serving for the match, Federer found himself at 15/40, but with the help of three aces won the game converting his second match point with a forehand winner cross-court. The ball landed on the line – the hawk-eye system showed it following Nadal’s challenge. It’s the first time in the Open Era that two players faced each other six times in five-setters #
Federer’s route to his 89th title (18th Grand Slam):
1 Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
2 Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3)
3 Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
4 Kei Nishikori 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Q Mischa Zverev 6-1, 7-5, 6-2
S Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3
W Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3