The original demolition men of modern times, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal won it all in 2017. Men’s singles legends won two grand slams each to wrap up an exciting year. However, fans and critics favoured Federer’s return in the hunt more than his Spanish on-court rival. The Swiss master had a ‘magical season’ beginning with year’s first grand slam, Australian Open 2017. In a rematch of the 2009 Australian Open final, which Rafael Nadal had won in five sets, Federer won the gruelling contest at the Melbourne Park. He defeated Manacor-born 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to win his fifth title Down Under and 18th overall. Federer added another major and that too Wimbledon in 2017 to take his grand slams titles tally to 19 – the most ever in men’s singles.

At the Australian Open 2017 final, the old foes were set up for a long battle. On one side was Federer, who was returning after the 6-month layoff from his knee injury. While, on the other hand, it was the greatest left-handed player, Nadal returning on tour after battling with injuries and inconsistent form. Federer and Nadal ranked 17th and 9th trounced their opponents to set up a mouth-watering dream clash at the finals. Australian Open 2017 final was their 35th face-off (over-all 38 so far) with the ninth meeting in grand slams finals.

The evenly-tied match lasted for three hours 38 minutes with Federer ending his drought in grand slams. Prior to his fantastic victory in Melbourne, the player from Switzerland had last won in 2012 Wimbledon. He also managed to beat Nadal for the first time in a Grand Slam since the 2007 Wimbledon final. His achievement at the Oz Open created several records against his name. Like, the 36-year-old became the first man in history to win five or more titles at three different Grand Slam events - five Australian Opens, five US Opens and eight Wimbledon.

Fifth and Final Set Action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQUH01LcvZ8

"I've been coming here for almost 20 years now," Federer said after winning the title. "I've always enjoyed it and now my family does too.” He continued to thank his fans and followers for their immense support through good and bad times, "Thanks again for everything, to everybody. I hope to see you next year. If not, this was a wonderful run here and I can't be more happy to win."

Federer is Crowned Australian Open 2017 Title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_NZKFSx0Vk

It was indeed an emphatic win for Roger Federer. As he now returns as the defending champion at 36, the fans and critics look forward to another magical performance from the tennis wizard. He is currently participating in the Hopman Cup, finding the tournament as the perfect preparation ground before marching towards Melbourne Park. “It all started here at the Hopman Cup,” Federer as quoted by media reports.

He elaborated about his winning chances at the Australian Open 2018. Federer said, “I think I could (win the Australian Open) but again it’s a big question mark. It’s seven matches away, you’ve got to stay healthy, can’t get sick. There are so many components that go into winning a grand slam. It’s hard to imagine that I will play as good as I did last year for some reason. The season has just been magical. We’ll see how it all plays out but I hope I get a chance to defend again.” Good luck with another good year, King Federer!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2017 09:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).