Roger Federer (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will relive their epic rivalry when both tennis greats meet in the final round of the Australian Open 2017.
Dreams will come true for tennis fans when Nadal and Federer competes for the Australian Open title on Sunday at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. It will be the first time the two players face each other in a final round of a major event since their classic 2011 meeting at Roland Garros, where the King of Clay defeated the Swiss Maestro in four sets.
Federer and Nadal are both coming off injuries prior to the start of the 2017 season, but the two veterans were able to turn things around in the first Grand Slam event of the year.
After returning from a knee injury, Federer has been playing great tennis, which helped him get past top players in the world. The 35-year-old Swiss displayed resilience against compatriot Stan Wawrinka in their semifinal clash.
"I couldn't be happier right now," Federer said after defeating Wawrinka in five sets 7-5 6-3 1-6 4-6 6-3, reports the BBC. "I felt like everything happened so quickly at the end, I had to check the score."
"I never ever in my wildest dreams thought I'd come this far in Australia. It's beautiful, I'm so happy."
It will be Federer's ninth major final against Nadal, who is also having a blast of his own at the Australian Open.
Like Federer, Nadal decided to skip the remainder of last year's season to recover from a recurring left wrist injury that halted his French Open title run. Many have doubted Nadal to compete at a high level, especially after struggling in the past two seasons. But the 14-time major winner has proven doubters wrong in Melbourne, winning all his matches to reach his first major finals appearance since winning the French Open more than two years ago.
"It was a fantastic match. Very emotional," Nadal said after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinal round, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4. "For me, it is amazing to be through to a final of a Grand Slam again here in Australia at the start of the year. Means a lot to me. I feel the love of the people here. They give me a lot of positive energy."
Nadal leads Federer by 23-11 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup. Their most recent meeting was in 2015 at the Swiss Indoors Basel, where Roger defeated Rafa in the final round. Federer and Nadal have great admiration and respect to one another, but fans can still expect another epic battle from two of the greatest players in the sport.
"It's special to play with Roger again in a final of a Grand Slam," Nadal said, reports the ATP's official website. "I cannot lie. It's great. It's exciting for me and for both of us that we are still there and we are still fighting for important events. So that's important for us, I think. That's very special."
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Australian Open 2017 Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.
