AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2017

Guess 2005 was a happier time for many of us...might as well travel back this w/e.

Dimi failing to take chances to level this... following the pattern of Rafa's QF vs Raonic so far.

I've just realised that BBC has *no* live TV coverage of this. Guess I'll be looking for dodgy streams this weekend.

this is the stream of choice atm: http://videostream.dn.ua/videopage/videoPage.php?g=OTcxOTY%E2%84%96f&c=en&i=eWl2bW9iZGlzaA%E2%84%96f%E2%84%96f

The four consecutive breaks, two ceded on DFs, with Dimitrov blowing four SPs were a pretty hilarious passage of play

Pinches the second set!

Thanks for the tip, Lex. Probably can't do that at work, mind.

I can't believe Dimitrov won that set after all that lmao

this kind of feels like a Fedal match already, right down to the part where Nadal just wore Dimitrov down with sheer will.

Only reading the blow-by-blow and, yeah, from 5-5 in the t-b, Dimi dominates two rallies and loses both.

tbh I've felt like more rallies have been about Nadal dominating and Dimitrov scrambling - his defence has been spectacular at times

i was only able to watch for ~15 minutes or so before having to come to work but dimitrov might have to sellout for more winners imo

This is a bit like 2009 - Nadal in epic slugfest vs Verdasco with Fed already safely in the final with 24 hours' to spare. But Nadal showed no sign of fatigue on the Sunday on that occasion - it was Fed who fell away.

Except Dimi is going to win the whole thing, right?

That was the most mentally strong set I have ever seen Dimitrov play

20min into set five and they're still in game two. :0

it's quite brilliant atm

How the hell did Dimitrov win that point?! Or that one!

As much as I hate the "live odds" thing, it was funny to see Dimi become slight favourite for the first time in the whole match at 3-4 15/40. Gone by deuce.

Fucking hell.

That net cord

Have we come so far for friggin' Nadal to win anyway.

Sigh

Receptionist had Eurosport on. Saw the last game. Aargh.

Outstanding match. The final won't be half as good or as competitive, I bet.

;_;

Annoyance tempered by slight relief as I had money on Nadal. Weird to say that was the most mentally strong match I've ever seen Dimitrov play when he lost in the end anyway but he surprised me many times during it.

So the TBT Slam gives us the first ever Slam with Serena/Venus AND Federer/Nadal finals...

not sure why it only just occurred to me once this ended that I should've gone down to watch the end in my gym or breakfast café

prob the 4 names the casual tennis fan or even just the casual sports follower knows best still standing

xp after Wimbledon 2008

60 Grand Slam titles between them. o_O

On the one hand, this is kind of a boring matchup for anyone who has been an avid follower for the past two decades and has already seen these matchups time and time again.

On the other hand, the fact that we're getting this again in a Slam final given the ages of everyone involved is mind-boggling.

Also, congrats to Mattek-Sands and Safarova.

[eyes emoji] and Mattek-Sands' dodgy attempt to get a TUE that she's refusing to talk about though

http://au.eurosport.com/tennis/australian-open/2017/roger-federer-banishes-doubts-over-his-form-with-classy-showing-on-and-off-the-court_sto6023867/story.shtml (scroll down)

haha I hadn't heard about that

as far as I can tell, she hooked up with a doctor with a very shady record on drugs and attempted - twice - to get an illegitimate TUE for a steroid that the ITF passed but WADA knocked back immediately

lol @ no comments for this

still a great achievement. how much longer can it go on?

I was on Twitter!

23 Slams won under four US presidents, amazing. Serena's the indisputable GOAT now. The Court record is meaningless and anyone bringing it up only does so to minimise Serena's achievement.

Sad for Venus because she's less likely to get a chance like this again - but she's proved she can still be a threat when her health and the court speed permit. I wonder where Serena's motivation goes from here? She's put so much into chasing these records but neither does she look ready to quit.

Girls' champ Marta Kostyuk is the first 14yo junior Slam winner since Laura Robson, Wimbledon 2008.

Their speeches were adorable. Venus is an international treasure. The Court "record" will be not a record for much longer.

Margaret Court's record 'meaningless'? Her opinions are abonimable, and her tennis was played in a different era but on the page the records are remarkable.

Anyway, its wonderful that Serena finally did it - I think everyone was in doubt for a total of about 10 mins about it.

Not exactly looking forward to tomorrow - it'll be weird seeing these two again. Pretty unique tho'. You'd think Nadal but because they are both coming back its a tough one to predict.

Court won a bazillion AO titles when barely anyone played the event

On paper you might discount 1960, 61 but did hardly anyone play in 62 where she also won the French and US open titles?

Also winning consistently throughout the decade and a calendar slam in 1970 with a doubles at the Aus and US open too - I mean its just mind-boggling.

On serve so far: Nadal seems a bit more dominant but no one taken to deuce yet.

#oneLastEffort come on Fed!

First great great rally from Fed - 2BPs

Gets it!!

Great BH for 2 SPs

Aces out!!

Nadal breaks at the first opportunity - might be in for the long haul

Nadal fully in control in the 2nd - a flurry of BPs

1-1 set all, as soon as Fed won the 1st set he also lost the 2nd.

one.more.shot - into the net for a BP rafa

LOL serve