You never count Rafa Nadal because you never count yourself. The 35-year-old was down two sets from where he managed to do what is unimaginable! In a match that lasted five hours and twenty-four minutes, Rafael Nadal returned to win the Titanic five-set duel with Daniil Medvedev and claim a record 21st Grand Slam men’s title in the final of the Australian Open.
When Medvedev took the first two sets 6-2, 7-6, even Rafa’s die-hard fans thought it wasn’t tonight and that he might be one of his rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros . The Spanish had other plans. Nadal pulled off one of his most powerful comeback wins at Rod Laver Arena, 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Novak Djokovic was at the height of history last year when he faced Daniil Medvedevat in the final of the US Open. We all know what happened then, just like we all know what happened when Federer sought his 21st title and faced Djokovic.
The match was set for that route, before a raging bull in the form of Rafael Nadal hit the course. It was one of the biggest title wins in the 29th Grand Slam final for the 35-year-old Spanish warrior, who won her second Australian Open 13 years after winning her first Australian Open in 2009.
Nadal became the fourth person to win each of the four Grand Slams twice and the third oldest person to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era behind Ken Roswell and Federer.
The final went down to a bitter end with Nadal breaking up as he worked for the championship only to break the Spaniard back.
In his second attempt to serve it up, Nadal scored three match points to win in his player’s box amid chaotic scenes and a frenzied crowd.
It is the fourth time in his career that Nadal had won by two sets and the second time Nadal had ousted Medvedev in a Grand Slam final, winning an epic five-set victory at the 2019 US Open.
It crowned an extraordinary effort by Nadal at the year’s opening Major, modifying his game to compensate for a degenerative bone disease in his left leg that ended his 2021 season last August.
He then caught Covid in December, which, he said, made him “very sick”.
Medvedev had bid for Djokovic’s calendar Grand Slam push and a 21st title in New York four months ago and was aiming to do the same for Nadal in Melbourne.
Medvedev lost his second consecutive Australian Open final after losing in straight sets to Djokovic in last year’s final.
Nadal is now 4-1 ahead of Medvedev, the Russian also losing to a Spanish lefty in his first major final in five sets at the 2019 US Open.
(with AFP inputs)
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