Federer’s tennis was near flawless as he reeled off the final five games of the match, ripping backhands, crushing forehands, spot-serving with precision, taking time away from Nadal by taking the ball early and constantly pressing forward.
Gracious in the wake of a defeat, Nadal said of the final five games: “The way that he played, he can put the balls in—or not. And he put a lot of balls in, taking a lot of risks, and taking the ball very early, playing very fast. So he had success. Well done for him.”
In the aftermath, Federer was free to bask in the knowledge that this pivotal clash in the Grand Slam title derby left him with an 18-14 lead in major singles titles.
Nadal was probably too disappointed in the outcome to take comfort from the fact that Federer was at least five years older than his main rivals. In just twelve months, Federer would win his 20th and final Grand Slam title on the same Melbourne court. But Nadal would go on to eclipse Federer in the hunt, bagging 22.
And there was Djokovic, waiting, watching from the wings, biding his time, which would come.
Honorable mention: It’s only fitting to give honors to a match involving the third leg of the Big Three tripod. So it’s Nadal’s loss to Djokovic in that nearly six-hour Melbourne clash mentioned above. Djokovic won, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5.
