Roger Federer has 17 Grand Slam titles to his name, Rafael Nadal has 14 – so is it any surprise that the 2017 Australian Open men's singles final is one that everyone even remotely associated with tennis is looking forward to?
Federer and Nadal ready to light up Melbourne
Most thought the Federer and Nadal era was done, what with Novak Djokovic winning majors left, right and centre and Andy Murray proving to be a dominant force. Add a few talented players coming through and the two legends of the game struggling with injuries, you would have put good money on the Swiss great and the Spanish superstar never meeting again in a Grand Slam final.
But then, Federer and Nadal are no mere mortals – they are two of the greatest men's tennis has ever seen and their ability to keep coming back, and keep playing tremendous tennis is unparalleled.
Now that they have defied all odds to get to this Australian Open final, they will want to put on a match to remember and talk about over and over and over again.
"We never thought that we had the chance to be, again, in a final, and especially in the first of the year," Nadal said. "Happened. Both of us I think worked very hard to be where we are.
"It is great. It is great that, again, we are in a moment like this and we going to have a chance again to enjoy a moment like this.
"Just very happy for me and very happy for him because I think going to be a very nice moment."
It is also going to be a very nice moment for all the millions of fans of these two tremendous players. And like the Williams sisters final on Saturday, you feel no matter what the outcome, it will be the sport of tennis that will end up as the biggest winner.
"I understand the magnitude of the match against Nadal, no doubt about it," Federer, who beat Stan Wawrinka in five sets in the semifinals, said.
"I just think he's (Nadal) an incredible tennis player. He's got shots that no other one has. When you have that, you are unique and special. Plus he's got the grit. He's got the mental and physical ability to sustain a super high level of play for years and for hours and for weeks."
While this match won't go on for weeks – like that advertisement between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi – hopefully, it goes on for a few hours and goes the distance, with the better man, whoever that might be, coming out on top.
When to Watch Live
Nadal vs Federer is set to begin at 2pm IST (7.30pm GMT, 8.30am GMT, 3.30am ET).
Live Streaming and TV guide
India: TV: Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv and Yupp TV.
Spain, UK and Europe: TV: EuroSport. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player. UK: Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live.
Switzerland: TV: SRG SSR.
Australia: TV: Channel 7. Live Streaming: 7 Live.
USA: TV: ESPN. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
South East Asia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Fox Sports Play.
