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Roger Federer savors No. 18 because success can be fleeting




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Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in five sets at the Australian Open final, adding to what's been an amazing history between these two competitors




















MELBOURNE — When a champion experiences the best his sport has to offer a record 18 times, there tends to be an understanding of how fleeting those moments of pure joy can be in the grand scheme of life.
So, when experiencing a great victory, a champion tries to store the grand  achievement, in slow motion, in his memory bank.
At least that is how 35-year-old Roger Federer suggests he handles the milestones of his life, including his latest successful quest of glory — a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over 30-year-old Rafael Nadal, his oldest rival in the game, at the Australian Open on Sunday.
This latest victory enabled Federer to increase his record of Grand Slam titles — the biggest prize in tennis — to an impressive 18.
“You don’t know if these moments ever come back,” Federer said. “Everything is put together in just that one moment (of victory).”
No superstar athlete ever has a guarantee that they’ll win again — there’s always going to be a last time. And when you’re in your mid-30s and missed the last half of the season with a knee injury, realism can’t be ignored. Federer isn’t getting younger, he’s getting older — that’s just a fact of life.
And as the sands of time flow through the hour glass, it’s hard not to wonder whether tennis fans will ever witness the best of the best — Federer and Nadal — go at each other that many more times, if at all.
While Federer insists that no one should read into his on-court comment “If I am back next year” as a hidden message, he did want to use the moment to acknowledge how grateful he is, just in case there isn’t a next time.
“You know, knowing that I have only so much tennis left in me, if I do get injured…who knows what happens,” he said. “You never know when your next Grand Slam is going to be, if ever. You never know if you’re going to have an opportunity at this stage, I felt I could thank so many people at once.
“I hope I can come back, of course. That’s my hope right now.”
Federer first played against Nadal at the Miami tournament in 2004 — Federer was 22 and Nadal 17 at the time — and Nadal won that day. It’s now 13 years later and Nadal leads their meetings 23-12, but Federer can keep in his mind he won the latest of their classic battles.
“This one is definitely a milestone in my career, there’s no doubt about it,” Federer said. “He’s caused me the most problems in my career. Rafa definitely has been very particular in my career, I think he made me a better player. It remains for me the ultimate challenge to play against him.”
And then Federer was off to celebrate with the suggestion he’s still young enough to be out all night long.
“We’re going to be partying like rock stars tonight,” he said, smiling. “I can tell you that.”


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