Roger Federer rolled back the years to reach his 28th Grand Slam final, defeating Stanislas Wawrinka to secure his place to compete for the Australian Open crown. With a victory at the Rod Laver Arena, the Swiss would clinch his 18th major title, taking him four clear of Pete Sampras and his great rival Rafael Nadal in the all-time standings.
The 35-year-old’s career at the top of the spot looked to be at an end last season, as injuries and a decline in form prevented him from reaching a Grand Slam final in a calendar year for only the second time since his breakthrough in 2004. However, he has capitalised on the shock defeats of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, producing excellent tennis in the process to earn a shot at the crown for the fifth time in his career.
Federer is currently backed at 10/11 in the latest tennis betting odds to win the title, although he will be forced to overcome Nadal one final time to lift his 18th Grand Slam crown. Given that both players’ time at the top looked to be over last year, it is a great treat for the game to see two of its finest competitors battle it once again.
It has almost been five years since the Swiss tasted success at a Grand Slam. His last major title came in 2012 when he bested Murray in four sets at Wimbledon, earning his seventh crown at the All England Club. The rise of the Scot and Djokovic have stopped the veteran from extending his dominance on the biggest stage towards 20 titles, with the Serb denying him twice at Wimbledon and once at the US Open in 2015.
His resurgence at the end of 2015 suggested that Federer could make one last surge in 2016 towards Grand Slam glory. However, the brilliance of Djokovic held him in check as he mastered one feat the Swiss never achieved by holding all four majors at one time. Injuries also began to take hold as his ageing body could not withstand the intense workload on the tour, forcing the Swiss to miss the French Open and the US Open along with the Olympics towards the end of the year.
The time off to recuperate has held him in good stead and has shown that he has the durability to match the best on the tour, despite his age. His five-set victory over Kei Nishikori gave him plenty of confidence as he went stroke-for-stroke with the Japanese – eight years his junior – to advance beyond the round-of-16 in Melbourne.
Federer’s best was yet to come as he raced into a two-set lead over Wawrinka, displaying the pedigree that helped him dominate the game from 2004 to 2010. He also proved that his resilience has not waned with age, fending off a ferocious comeback from his compatriot to clinch the fifth set 6-3 and book his place in the final.
It would be fitting for the Swiss to secure one last Grand Slam crown against his old foe Nadal, bringing back memories of their epic battles of the late 00s. Here’s hoping for another cracker at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
