Roger Federer has cemented his legacy as the greatest men's tennis player of all time.
The 35-year-old rolled back the years in a throwback Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal, beating his old rival in a five set thriller to win his 18th Grand Slam.
It was arguably the greatest of his record 18 slam titles, entering the tournament as the number 17 seed, having missed the last six months nursing a knee injury.
The dream final for tennis fans lived up to all expectations. Twice Federer went in front, and twice Nadal hit back with 6-3 sets.
And as it had to, it went down to a fifth and deciding set. Momentum was with Nadal, and he broke early to move 3-1 in front, closing in on his own 15th Grand Slam title.
But just when it looked lost, Federer found an extra gear. Back-to-back breaks followed, before he served out for an emotional victory.
HE’S DONE IT! ðŸ†
Roger #Federer has defeated Rafael #Nadal in the #AusOpen 2017 final to bring up his 18th Grand Slam singles title. pic.twitter.com/0Y1kM79KIc
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017
After almost four-hours of absorbing tennis, the champion acknowledged the role that both players played in another classic from modern tennis's greatest rivalry.
"There are no draws. If there were I would have been happy to accept one tonight and share it with Rafa.
"Everybody says they work very hard - I do the same - but I try not to shout about it. I'd like to thank my team. It's been a different last six months. I didn't think I'd make it but here I am."
Federer's 18th major title sees him pull four clear of both Nadal and Pete Sampras, ending a four and a half year wait since his last big win.
"This one stands alone, this is in its own category" #Federer at @ESPNTennis #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/8MhLec8V6c
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017
It broke a run of four straight grand slam final defeats to Nadal, and made him the second-oldest winner of one of the sport's big four tournaments in the open era.
He proved that age is just a number. The only number that matters to him is 18.
