Roger Federer Wins The Aussie Open And I'm Speechless
Last night/this morning didn’t happen. It was a fucking dream. I actually don’t believe it happened. Roger Federer won grand slam #18 in a five set thriller like we’ve never seen. Fed became the second oldest man to win a major (Ken Rosewall being the oldest) in the open era and he did it against his long time rival and great friend Rafael Nadal. Neither player quit in this match even when it seemed like it was all over multiple times. Let’s break it down.
Fed started fast, which I said it was imperative for him to do. He was serving great and being very aggressive.
He was brilliant in picking his spots and eventually broke Nadal to take the first set 6-4. All seemed right on schedule for the the Swiss legend, until it wasn’t. Nadal came firing out of the gates of hell in the second set and jumped out to a 4-0 lead. He broke Roger in the second game of the set while just peppering him with dominant forehands. Roger for the first time looked a bit over-matched. His forehand had broke down in the set and as a result he missed countless winners. Nadal took the second set and leveled the match.
Federer regrouped brilliantly after the set and came out ready to rock in the 3rd. He regained his forehand and opened Nadal’s first service game with this winner.
And this winner…
These led to the early break and a dominant 6-1 3rd set. Fed’s serve was magnificent, while his return game was near perfect. He attacked Rafa with quick cross-court winners off second serves as well as his blistering forehands. It was a fucking clinic in the 3rd set and appeared like he was poised to run away with the match. Wrong!
Nadal hit the reset button and came out firing again like he did in the second set with massive forehands. He jumped on Fed’s serve early and got the early break, set up by this point here.
And solidified the set with this amazing point to grab a commanding 4-1 lead.
Nadal leveled the match at two sets a piece and sent it into a deciding fifth set. I mean what better way for these two legends to duke it out than a five set thriller? This entire time I was sitting at the blackjack table at Harrah’s in Atlantic City just glued to the TV. I lost TONS of money because I devoted all my attention to the TV screen. Come to think of it I’m willing to bet my entire table hated me for this period of time. Come to think of it they were all probably as drunk as I was at six in the morning and had no clue what was going on. TO THE FIFTH SET!
I started to panic quickly. Nadal carried the momentum from the fourth set into the fifth and broke Roger immediately to go up 2-0. It was beginning to slip away from the Swiss legend. It wasn’t until this opening point to game six that I started to believe again.
Federer broke Nadal later in that game on a wide forehand by the Spaniard to level the match once again.
Ready for the point of the century? At deuce on Nadal’s serve, the two legends cooked up a 26 point rally ending with vintage magic from Fed. I started to get tingly inside. This was one of the all-time points you’ll ever see so enjoy.
Then followed the break that would doom Nadal. Fed dug deep a massive forehand winner followed by a cross-court back hand winner that was perfectly timed off Rafa’s serve.
So it came down to Roger Federer with the championship on his racquet, just serve out four aces and let’s pop some champagne right? Nope, Nadal wouldn’t go away that quickly. 14 grand slam titles don’t go away without a fight. Nadal fought to get double break point, but Roger came up with the goods to get to deuce. From there, his serve took him home.
And without further to do, Roger Federer’s championship winning point. Holy fuck does that feel good to type.
I got fucking chills man. I honestly couldn’t believe it. When Djokovic took him out in the 2015 US Open Final I was certain it was over. There would be no more Federer grand slam titles. But here we are in fucking 2017 and Roger motherfucking Federer has cemented himself as the greatest tennis player in the history of the world after beating his long time rival Rafa Nadal. Number 18 is Fed’s and I could not be happier. This is the happiest I’ve ever been writing something. To battle back from injuries and surgeries, to be told he was finished, to lose belief in the possibility he could even reach a grand slam final again, and to say fuck you to all of that and win in Australia is story book stuff. He’s the best there ever will be, there is no doubting that after what Federer was able to do in this tournament. And Jesus Christ as if he wasn’t the best player ever, the dude is the most humble, considerate athlete I’ve ever witnessed. Listen to this interview.
We love to make fun of athletes and how “humble” they are and how “classy” they are. Looking right at you fuck face Bron Bron, but Roger Federer is the prime example of how an athlete should aim to be on and off the court. Fucking love this guy.
P.S. Loved covering this tournament for you guys and hope to do it for all the other grand slam titles. Didn’t realize we had a solid tennis following, but we do appeal to the white demographic so I guess I’m not too surprised. Maybe Stool will send me out to Wimbledon in the summer (Ha!), but I will definitely make it out to Flushing for the US Open and get some good shit from that. If you want to talk about the match I’m on twitter @ehubbs13
Double P.S. Congrats to the stoolie that took fed at +1200 during this tournament. Rounds 1-10 on you brotha.