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Home , Steffi Graf

SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017 Lay-off puts Federer quest back on track

MELBOURNE: Resurgent said a long period of rest when he took six months out with injury had fuelled his incredible shot at more glory at the . The 35-year-old Swiss veteran is wowing the world with his wholly unexpected run through to Sunday’s final, raising the prospect of an unprecedented 18th major title. Federer, whose ranking has dipped to 17 after a knee problem ended last season following Wimbledon, has defied the doubters by reaching his 28th Grand Slam title match. After a fighting, five-set semi-final win over fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka, he became the oldest man to reach a major final since Australia’s (39 years 310 days) at the 1974 US Open. Federer said much of his rejuvenation stemmed from his injury break, the longest of his career, which followed surgery on his knee earlier in the season. “It was a good thing to do. You can only ever do so much treatment to feel decent,” said Federer, whose 19-year playing career has been largely injury- free. “What I’ve come to realize is when you don’t feel well, you have too many problems going on, you just won’t beat top-10 players. “All the time all you’re doing is fighting the fire. From that standpoint, yeah, the six months definitely MELBOURNE: United States’ serves to Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni during their semifinal at the gave me something in return.” Australian Open tennis championships. — AP The Swiss marvel has spent a total of 13 hours 40 minutes on court in his six matches to get to his sixth Australian final, but he says he feels in good shape. “I just wanted to get healthy again. I’m happy this week has been a good one,” he Sis Venus stands between said. “So I will leave it all out here in Australia and (even) if I cannot walk for another five months, I will give it all I have.” Serena and tennis history ‘Just relax, man’ Federer, a staunch tennis traditionalist, said it meant a great deal to be linked with a record set by Rosewall, an eight- MELBOURNE: Serena Williams is on the through with her illness and stuff, I just and her sister. The time Grand Slam-winner, by reaching the final. “We don’t cusp of making Grand Slam history, 19 can’t help but feel like it’s a win-win situa- 13th seed also takes the record for the speak about him enough. I think he’s a wonderful man,” he years after her first appearance at the tion for me,” she said. “I was there for the longest wait between major finals, at said. “He wrote me a letter again this week to wish me well Australian Open-with only her greatest whole time. We lived together. I know seven-and-a-half years since her last again. He does it every year at the Australian Open. Still rival, sister Venus, able to stop her. The what she went through. “It’s the one time appearance at Wimbledon in 2009. haven’t seen him, unfortunately. I know he’s around. 35-year-old American made her Grand that I really genuinely feel like no matter Venus admits her sister doesn’t have “I love that generation of players with , Rod Slam debut in Melbourne way back in what happens, I can’t lose, she can’t lose. many weaknesses in her game to Laver, Ken Rosewall, . “I know he’s a few years 1998 and won the first of her major titles It’s going to be a great situation.” exploit, but she is up for the challenge. older, but I know he had a tremendous career. So to be in the at the US Open a year later. “When I’m playing on the court with her, same breath like these guys, it’s a great feeling. “I love these She has since accumulated 22 over an ‘Chump change’ I think I’m playing the best competitor guys. It means a lot to me to have equalled something like this astonishing career, matching ’s Serena said she never lost hope of in the game. I don’t think I’m chump since a long time.” Open-era record. One more today-her meeting her sister again in a major final. change either, you know,” she said. “I Federer said his charge through the top half of the men’s seventh in Australia-and she will hold “This probably is the moment of our can compete against any odds. No mat- draw, aided by the shock exit of world number one Andy the record outright, with only Margaret careers so far,” she said. “I never lost ter what, I get out there and I compete. Murray, had surprised even him. All the same, he needed to Court’s all-time mark of 24 left to hope of us being able to play each other “So it’s like two players who really, really give himself a talking-to before completing Thursday’s three- achieve. Williams has refused to talk in a final, although it was hard because can compete, then also they can play hour, 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 win over Wawrinka. “It’s gone much about the possibility of finally surpassing we’re usually on the same side of the tennis.” “Okay, it won’t be an easy better than I thought it would. That’s what I was telling myself the German, after intense pressure over draw.” Venus, who has won seven Grand match,” she added. “You have to control in the fifth set,” he said. the long-standing record took its toll at Slam finals and lost another seven, will yourself, then you also have to hopefully “I was saying like, just relax, man. The comeback is so great last year’s US Open, when she lost in the be the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park put your opponent in a box. This oppo- already. Let it fly off your racquet and just see what happens. semi-finals. But she now has a golden in the Open era, joining a select list of nent is your sister, and she’s super-awe- “I think that’s the mindset I got to have, as well, in the finals. chance of further cementing her place in 30-somethings including , some.” — AFP Sort of a nothing-to-lose mentality. “It’s been nice these last history, and at the same time reclaiming six matches to have that mentality. It worked very well so I’ll the top world ranking that Angelique keep that up.” —AFP Kerber seized from her last year. “It is what it is. Like I said from the Mrs Federer in the pink beginning, I don’t really talk about that any more,” Serena said when pressed MELBOURNE: Brief stories from the Azarenka is taking time off after the on what breaking the Graf record Australian Open yesterday: birth of her first child. Grunting has pre- would mean. Intriguingly, it is her older viously been so loud that it was audible sister who could ruin her day, with In the pink from outside Melbourne Park and TV Venus, 36, turning back the clock to Roger Federer’s wife, Mirka, set viewers have phoned in to complain. make her first Grand Slam final since tongues wagging with her eye-catching But for anyone who’s missing the Wimbledon in 2009. It was Venus who hot pink jumper during her husband’s screaming, one betting company has knocked Serena out in round two on semi-final against Stan Wawrinka. Much launched a ‘Guess the Grunt’ game on her Grand Slam debut 19 years ago, of the commentary wasn’t complimen- its website. and they have since played eight major tary but it turns out that the garish item, finals against each other. with bright green collar and cuffs and Name-dropping Serena leads 6-2 in those finals, and emblazoned with a picture of a tiger, Australian legend Evonne Goolagong- has an overall 16-11 win-loss record has cachet: it’s a Gucci design, with a Cawley accidentally let slip who will be against her sibling. While reluctant to price tag of about $1,500. That’s a lot for presenting the trophy to the winner of speak about making history, she is hap- a jumper but it probably won’t concern the women’s singles final, the Herald Sun py to dwell on another all-Williams final, Federer, who has earned about $1.4 mil- reported. As Goolagong-Cawley delivered heaping praise on Venus. The elder lion by reaching Sunday’s final. the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup to an Williams has beaten injuries and over- on-court ceremony, she told the crowd: come Sjogren’s syndrome, a rare, ener- Name that grunt “I’m looking forward to handing it over to gy-sapping autoimmune disorder, to The Australian Open has been bless- Hana.” An hour later, two-time Australian MELBOURNE: Switzerland’s Roger Federer celebrates after reach a 15th Grand Slam final, nearly edly quiet this year as champion grunter Open winner Hana Mandlikova was for- defeating compatriot Stan Wawrinka during their semifi- eight years after her last. is serving a drugs ban mally revealed as the woman who will nal at the Australian Open tennis championships. —AP “After everything that Venus has been and the equally shriek-prone Victoria present the trophy today. — AFP