The oldest major men’s finalist in 43 years hit a lull in the fourth game of the fourth set. Federer missed a routine forehand and Nadal pounced breaking at 15 for 3-1. One of the most electric exchanges of the match ended with Nadal stretching for a running squash shot forehand that kissed the top of the tape stretching his lead to 4-1. An empowered Nadal charged through the fourth set without facing a break point. The left-hander threw down a love hold forcing a fifth with a flurry of fist pumps as he walked to his chair. For the first time since their 2009 Australian Open final, Roger and Rafa would go the distance. Leaving the court for a medical time out, Federer, who also took treatment in his semifinal win over Wawrinka, confronted immediate danger in the final set. Dropping deep behind the baseline to start the decider, Nadal played lockdown defense squeezing out the opening break when his rival scattered a forehand. Serving with more precision, Nadal fended off three break points for a 2-0 lead he would extend to 3-1. Taking massage treatment on his right thigh after a love hold, Federer went back to work reaching love-30 in the sixth game. When Nadal sailed a forehand, Federer had his fifth break point of the set only to see the Spaniard save it with a forehand winner. A jolting backhand gave Federer a sixth break point and when Nadal narrowly missed an inside-out forehand the crowd erupted as Federer was back on serve 3-all.
2017 AUSTRALIAN OPEN REVIEW
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