Nadal earns date with Federer
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal took five sets and almost five hours to fend off “Baby Fed” and revive a classic Grand Slam final against the one- and- only Roger Federer.
Nadal’s 6- 3, 5- 7, 7- 6 ( 5), 6- 7 ( 4), 6- 4 win over Grigor Dimitrov in a grueling, 4- hour, 56- minute semifinal match sets up a championship weekend at the Australian Open like no other, with every singles finalist in their 30s.
The all- Williams women’s final Saturday features the record- chasing Serena against Venus — the first decider between the sisters at amajor since 2009. The Roger- Rafa final will be Sunday — their first meeting in an Australian Open title match since Nadal won in 2009.
“I feel that this rivalry is talked about outside the tennis world, and that is good for our sport,” Nadal said of his ninth Grand Slam final against the 17- time major champion.
Dimitrov, who had only beaten Nadal once in eight previous matches and was in a Grand Slam semifinal for only the second time, played the match of his life.
He had two break point chances in the eighth game of the fifth set, but Nadal’s experience of winning 14 major titles kicked in. He held, then converted his first break point of the set in the next game with a booming backhand winner down the line.
After clinching the win on his third match point, the 30- year- old Nadal dropped to his knees, then onto his stomach and lay face down face down for several seconds before getting up and embracing Dimitrov at the net.
“Grigor played great. I played great. So it was a great quality of tennis,” Nadal said. “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.”
With Federer and Nadal both returning from injuries, and neither having won a major since mid- 2014, a ninth Grand Slam final between two of the most dominant men in the sport was considered an extreme long shot at Melbourne Park.
Nadal, who had a couple of months off to rest his injured left wrist after an up- and- down 2016 that started with a shocking first- round exit in Australia, was ranked No. 9.
He reached a low point, he admitted, after having to withdraw from the French Open, where he has won nine of his 14 major titles.
Federer, off for six months with an injured left knee, was ranked No. 17. He reached the semifinals in Australia andWimbledon last year, but didn’t play the other majors.
He hasn’t won a Grand Slam title sinceWimbledon in 2012, has an 1123recordattour- levelagainstNadal, and has only won two of the eight major finals he’s played against the left- handed Spaniard.