Incredible! This one word sums up Rafa's game in the Australian Open 2009 final. As Jim Courier put it "How is this guy even on his feet?". But on his feet he was and for more than 18 hours 54 minutes of playing time which included close to 10 hours in the last 48 hours of the Open.
Incredible athleticism combined with a die-hard must win attitude cracked Federer's normally impassive veneer to make him visibly nervous and suddenly the 14th major for the FedEx looked further away. Federer's first serve percentage kept dropping and the double faults crept up to hurt him at crucial junctures and when he hit one long after saving three championship points, he handed the Australian Open to Rafa.
While Rafa has been gracious enough to acknowledge Federer as the 'greatest ever', it now appears as if it will be Rafa who now has a realistic chance of completing a Grand Slam in 2009. Also, Rafa has now beaten Federer in their last five encounters. If Federer wants to confirm his place as the 'greatest ever' in history, he will have to break this wall down or stand by and witness Rafa's elevation to that epithet.
