A new year always brings a new beginning to a certain variety of sports on the calendar and tennis is a prime example.With the new 2017 season bringing the world out of the indoor arenas of Europe back into the humidified outdoor circuits of the Antipodes,there occurs a familiar sight of the court surface being changed into blue Plexicushion Prestige. The tune up tourneys synchronise in the build up to the Melbourne Park surface wise in what is projected as the ideal weather conditions of the Australian summer.Or that is if you classify Melbourne’s weather as such considering its closest in its fluctuations to a city in a UK summer.
Nevertheless,it can be extremely heat at times with the heat peaking at various points in the fortnight resulting in player withdrawals.The Norman Brookes and Daphne Akhurst trophies are possessions that the heat has to be overcome for the 256 players in the main draw.For some like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, both no 2 seeds in this year’s tournament,it sounded like a cakewalk for both having won it six times each.While that could be said for the 22 slam champions Serena who breezed through most of the tourney to take a sixth Aussie open, it wasn’t the course that the Serbian took.
Little did Novak know what was to happen on the opening Thursday when he went crashing out in five sets to Dennis Istomin.Not much later after and the 2 seed Andy Murray in the 4th round went down to the Mischa Zverev.These two results left the draw open for some former champions to comeback. Some is probably a euphemism enough to describe the talents of a duo who has taken 31 Grand slams between them.Roger and Rafa as always didn’t disappoint.
Whether it was Kei Nishikori,Stan Wawrinka, Gael Monfils , Grigor Dmitrov or both Zverev brothers, they managed to put their best game to once again compete in a historic final in Melbourne.And what a final it was. Both coming back form long layoffs, both no longer seeded in the top five …. it didn’t matter. Strokes after strokes and forehand after forehand the two engaged in a sort of a battle worthy of the Norman Brooke trophy.Federer raced to one set and then 2-1 lead only for Rafa to claw back in sets 2 and 4. Despite both now ageing some impressive forehand winners were witnessed especially from Roger.
The match had many points to ponder , the winners of Roger were matched by his unforced errors but the final set rally was something of the old Roger to witness.Nadal rallied to take the initial break in final set for only for Roger to have one more break in him at 2-3 and then took the decisive lead breaking Nadal once more to take 5-3 lead only to hold for an amazing 18th grand slam title.
What was special about the Australian Open? The obvious answer would be Roger ‘s win after a lengthy layoff. Some will say Serena as well winning a historic 23rd singles slam or Rafa getting all the way to another Aussie open final in his comeback.Roger and Rafa playing the final is no less reason of what can be described as a brilliant final.The 1980 Wimbledon final between Borg /McEnroe has always stood as great benchmark.Towards the end of that decade the Becker/ Edberg Wimbledon rivalry and then the many Sampras / Agassi finals in the 1990s and early 00’s were also significant.In recent times Murray and Djokovic stood out as the slam rivalry albeit Djokovic had a comfortable advantage in those matchups mostly.
Rafa and Roger have engaged in many a slam final in the previous decade and to see them again in the Aussie Open is no surprise considering they played in 2012 and 2014.But to have them in a grand slam final,the first in six years has truly put nostalgia to light and despite the ageing bodies this will always remain as the storied rivalry of all time in tennis and possibly the greatest.
Roger who many dismissed years back in the 2013 season as an “also ran” and “past his prime” has done what millions wanted all along.The passion was always there and his skills were exquisite as ever.He played an awesome tourney and there could have been a no bigger draw in tennis in the fortnight in the lights of Melbourne than him.The resting body did well to pounce and pounce early he did.The”Happy Slam” has provided much joy with a legendary final! Now that is what is called a Comeback. 
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