Federer under threat as Djokovic and Nadal close in on Major record
ROGER FEDERER is back home in Switzerland this weekend, and could be excused for looking on slightly anxiously at this morning’s Australian Open men’s final.
When he won his 20th Grand Slam title a year ago, with Rafael Nadal having fallen injured and Novak Djokovic in an existential funk, his leadership of the all-time tally looked secure.
No longer. The upshot of today’s 53rd meeting between the Spaniard and the Serb is that this extraordinary figure is looking under threat.
Victory for Nadal would put him two behind Federer with his obligatory French Open victory march to come. That is fitness permitting, but the clay is the one time of year when his health is nearly always guaranteed.
A Djokovic win would put him within five (and ahead of Pete Sampras and Roy Emerson). As he is yet to turn 32, and with the younger generation still struggling to make its voice heard, he is within range as well.
It is a scarcely believable state of affairs and, two weeks on from when his body virtually admitted defeat, another testimony to Andy Murray that he was able to live with these men for so long. Given that he is facing a sixtimes champion, Nadal must be considered a marginal second favourite. He was probably sensible yesterday to bat away questions about potentially overtaking Federer’s Major record. ‘I don’t take it like this. I always say the same: I do my way, then when I finish my career, we’ll see where I am, where Roger is, where Novak is,’ said Nadal. ‘My goal is always the same: just be happy with what I am doing. I am more than happy, satisfied about all the career that I’ve had. ‘My real goal is just to keep doing the things that I am doing as long as possible, giving me chances to compete at the highest level. If I’m able to make that happen, I will have chances to win.’ As with Federer last year, Nadal’s form suggests that champions can benefit from prolonged practice coming into the start of the season. His serve is getting through the court more after tweaks done under coach and former world number one Carlos Moya.
But as Moya admitted, playing Djokovic brings different challenges to anyone else.
‘Mentally, he has an edge when he plays any other player but not with Novak,’ said Moya. ‘So I think this kind of match it comes to three or four points like it happened with Wimbledon (last summer’s classic semi-final that Djokovic and Nadal shared) so that day most of these important points went Novak’s side.
‘I believe if some of those points come on our side he will have a chance to win.’
Their only other Australian Open meeting, in the 2012 final, which lasted nearly six hours and remains the longest final in Grand Slam history.
Moya does not think another marathon will serve his player well: ‘I think he has to avoid that. Not only for the final but also what it takes to recover from that and the risk of injuries. Short points against Novak is not easy. He’s one of the best movers on the tour but for me Rafa has the weapons.
‘Why not expect a great match from Rafa? I think he has the weapons to beat him.’