AUSTRALIAN OPEN: BACK TO NOSTALGIA & TIME-TRAVELLING TO THE FUTURE


Federer’s prolonged excellence made it seem incredible that he had suffered a knee injury while lifting one of his twins out of the bath, hadn’t competed for six months, had fallen to 17 in the ATP World Rankings and had not won a Grand Slam title for four and a half years.


Now he won an enchanting final 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 against the 30-year-old Nadal, while extending his record of Grand Slam titles to eighteen. So unexpected was this triumph that it is currently being touted as the greatest achievement by any male


www.isportgroup.com/InternationalTennisMagazine 8 | March 2017 INTERNATIONALTENNISMAGAZINE


player in the history of the game.


Serena Williams’ hardships were tougher still. A pulmonary embolism a few years ago might have ended much more than just her career; then repeated knee and shoulder injuries last year contributed to the loss of the World No.1 ranking.


Now though Serena’s 6-4 6-4 win over her 36-year-old sister Venus earned her a 23rd Grand Slam title, the most by any singles player in the open era. The sisters’ combined ages made


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