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CLOSE 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...

Share Tweet Email More Save Photo Roger Federer, above, conjured a vintage performance to come back and beat Marin Cilic. Credit Tony O'Brien/Reuters WIMBLEDON, England — At the 2014 United States Open, the only man standing between Roger Federer and another major final, another chance to add to his 17 Grand Slam titles, was Marin Cilic. Rafael Nadal was not in the tournament. Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic had lost by the time Federer and Cilic stepped on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court for their semifinal. Cilic blew Federer off the court that September day, winning straight sets, and went on to claim his first major championship. It seemed as if history was going to repeat itself Wednesday in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, the first match between Federer and Cilic since then. For the first two sets on Centre Court, Cilic was once again bombarding Federer, hitting 12 aces among his 23 winners. He won 87 percent of his first-serv...