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By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, January 27, 2017

 
Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal fought off Grigor Dimitrov in a four hour, 56-minute thriller to set up an Australian Open dream final with rival Roger Federer.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

The finish line loomed as clearly as the baseline.

A resilient Rafael Nadal crossed it with a committed closing kick setting up an Australian Open dream final against archrival Roger Federer.

Roddick: Roger vs. Rafa Most Important Match of All Time

Driven to the brink in a pulsating four hour, 56-minute clash, Nadal fought off a dynamic Grigor Dimitrov, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4, to reach his 24th Grand Slam final and first major title match since he won the 2014 Roland Garros.

Dimitrov was undefeated, Nadal was undaunted and they pushed each other all over the court collaborating on a classic.

“I think Grigor played great. I played great," Nadal said. "So was a great quality of tennis tonight. So just for me, is amazing to be through to a final of Grand Slam again here in Australia at the first of the year. Means a lot to me. I feel the love of the people here. They give me a lot of positive energy.

"Just I think I feel very happy to be part of this match, no? Arrive moment in the fifth set that for sure I wanted to win. I say to myself, I am giving my best, I am playing very well. If I lose, that's it. Grigor deserves, too. I think both of us deserve to be in that final. Was a great fight. Finally was me. I feel lucky. I am very happy for that."



A classic conquest sends Nadal into a dream duel with the 17th-seeded Federer.

Roger and Rafa will meet for the ninth time in a Grand Slam final with Nadal holding a 6-2 edge in their major final meetings. The match is a rematch of the 2009 final, which Nadal won in five gripping sets. Overall, Nadal leads the iconic rivalry 23-11.

“I never, ever dreamed to be back in the final of the Australian Open in the second tournament of the year after a lot of months without competing,” Nadal said. “But here I am. I feel lucky and very happy right now.

“First of all I hope to recover well and then you know for me it’s a privilege (to play Federer). It’s a very, very special thing I think for both of us to be in the final of a major again, to have a chance to compete against each other after a couple of years of having problems.”



The 35-year-old Federer is playing for an 18th Grand Slam crown. Nadal is aiming for his 15th career major and a major milestone. The 30-year-old Spaniard is bidding to become the first man in the Open Era—and only the third man in history—to win each of the four Grand Slam titles twice.

Prevailing in a match for the ages created a champions weekend. For the first time in Grand Slam history all four major finalists are thirty-somethings: 35-year-old Serena Williams faces 36-year-old Venus Williams in the women’s final on Saturday while the 35-year-old Federer will take on the 30-year-old Nadal on Sunday.

"Let's enjoy of this because probably will not happen again," Nadal said. "That's what I can say. Just well done for both of the sisters. Going to be a great moment, too."

Dimitrov very nearly denied Nadal’s dream producing periods of brilliant all-court tennis in the longest match of his career. Attacking and defending with vigor, Dimitrov hit 79 winners to 45 for the left-handed Spaniard.

"It's never easy to lose a match like that," Dimitrov said. "I'm happy, though, with a lot of things. I'm going to stay positive and keep my head up high.

"For sure Rafa deserves pretty much all the credit right now since he's such a fighter, such a competitor. At the same time it was an honor for me to play a match like that against him. It also shows me that I'm in a good way, I'm on the right path."

Finding his groove on serve, Nadal stamped three love holds in rolling through the opening set.




Taking charge of more rallies in the second set, Dimitrov applied pressure. Nadal banged a running backhand winner down the line for break point and broke back for 3-4 when Dimitrov tripped a double fault off the tape.

The 2009 champion followed with one of his sloppiest games missing a few forehands than skipping a double fault off the tape giving back the break.

Serving for the set at 5-3, Dimitrov couldn’t exploit his good fortune. Playing tentatively, he badly missed a backhand down the line followed by a flurry of forehand misses as Nadal earned his second straight break for 4-5.

Dripping sweat, Nadal was tested in the longest game of the match. Four times he stared down set points and four times, Nadal delivered jolting shots under pressure, including a jaw-dropping 90 mph forehand rocket down the line and an ace down the T that caught a sliver of the center stripe. Fighting through a 10-minute game, Nadal held for 5-all.

Lost opportunities put Dimitrov’s resolve to the test. The Bulgarian answered in the 12th game. Attacking behind a big forehand, Dimitrov stuck a full-stretch forehand volley for a fifth set point. This time, Nadal finally cracked floating a forehand long as Dimitrov snatched a grueling second set erupting in a scream.

An increasingly proactive Dimitrov won 12 of 14 net points in the second set.

Nullifying a Nadal challenge to start the third set, Dimitrov saved a pair of break points, including flashing a bold forehand swing volley for deuce. A double-net cord winner that clung to the tape then dribbled over game Dimitrov game point. He smacked his sixth ace wide for a 2-1 third-set lead. By then, each man had won precisely 71 points.

Tenacity triggered the break. Nadal nudged back a wide serve with a return that barely creeped over the net, Dimitrov misfired on a forehand sitter than slapped a backhand long as Nadal grinded through the break for 3-2.

Struggling to land his first serve, Nadal fought off four break points trying to confirm the break. Dancing around a backhand Dimitrov drilled a forehand down the line for a fifth break point, breaking back on a Nadal forehand error. Sliding a pair of aces down the middle, Dimitrov backed up the break for 4-3.

The third set tiebreak was a testament to Nadal’s toughness and resourcefulness. Nadal hammered a diagonal smash that a sprinting Dimitrov nearly knocked back from way back near the clock in the corner as the Spaniard snatched a 4-2 lead. Dimitrov slid an ace then drew even at 5-all when Nadal netted a mid-court forehand. A grueling physical rally ended with Dimitrov scattering a forehand wide of the sideline for set point.

Crouching low, Nadal used his legs effectively banging a backhand crosscourt to close a punishing set that sapped some of the spring from Dimitrov’s legs.




Physicality and shotmaking ratcheted up to lung-bursting, jaw-dropping levels in the fourth set. Serving at 5-all, 30-all, Nadal defended everything Dimitrov threw at him, curling back some beautiful stretch forehands to draw a netted slice backhand.

That sequence launched coaches Uncle Toni Nadal and Carlos Moya out of their seats hurling fists in the air. A fired-up Nadal navigated a demanding hold for 6-5.

Pushed into his longest match of the tournament, Dimitrov came out swinging with ambition in the tie break. A churning deep serve drew a shanked backhand as Dimitrov snatched the mini break for 4-2. Streaking forward behind a crosscourt forehand, the lanky Bulgarian knifed a high backhand volley for triple set point at 6-3.

Bulgarian fans were chanting “Grigor! Grigor!” as Dimitrov cracked a serve down the middle to force the fifth set.

It was the second time in the tournament Nadal,who fought off Alexander Zverev in a four hour, six-minute thriller in round three, was pushed to five sets.

A frantic start to the final set saw both men fight off break points as tension tormented the server. It took 21 minutes to play the first two games as Dimitrov denied three break points and Nadal saved one to level.




The standard spiked to eye-popping places in the third game. Slipping near the service line, Dimitrov scrambled to his feet and played an over-the-shoulder Jai-Alai shot to set up a forehand winner. A slick half-volley pickup set up a snazzy stretch forehand capping a dazzling hold.

When Nadal held for 2-all the pair had collaborated on 22 consecutive service holds.

Winless in six career matches that spanned beyond three-and-a-half hours, Dimitrov was bouncing behind the baseline serving four-and-a-half hours into this draining duel.

Springing up high, Dimitrov threw down a diagonal smash for double break point in the eighth game. Grunting in exertion, Nadal blasted a backhand winner down the line to save the first then attacked punching a forehand volley to deny the second. Under pressure, Nadal closed net again knocking off a forehand volley for game point. Nadal was pumping both fists furiously battling through a tough hold for 4-all.

A Dimitrov forehand crashed into the tape and catapulted long for break point. Dimitrov did well to scrape a stretch forehand volley off his shoelaces, but Nadal was already bursting forward hammering a backhand pass down the line. After four hours, 45 minutes, Nadal had the break and stepped up to serve for the final.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion stuck an ace off the line for match point. Dimitrov saved it with a leaping smash. A twisting serve down the middle gave Nadal a second match point at four hours, 54 minutes. Dimitrov denied it with a forehand down the line.




On his third match point, Nadal drew a backhand error then dropped to the court lying face down as if embracing the blue hard court and all the resolute suffering it took to pull out an epic four hour, 56-minute fight.

A riveting match in which both men competed with championship class and vigor ended with the pair sharing a warm embrace at net while fans showered them with an extended standing ovation in appreciation of a heart-racing semifinal.

Now Nadal will rest, recover and try to reload facing his rival, while trying to win his first hard-court title since the 2014 Doha.

“We never thought we would be here again in the final of Australia,” Nadal said. “We feel very happy. And we hope you feel very happy too.”


 

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