Rafa on Top Down Under!

WOW.

After 5 sets, almost 4.5 hours, Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in the Australian Open.

Despite The Salmonella, I planned my day to watch as much of the match as possible. Because I'm either too poor or too cheap for cable, the only place to watch the match replay on ESPN2 was to go to the gym. I ate very, very little and avoided any potential website or TV spoilers. After several hours of work, I made it to the gym around 4pm.

I stayed until the very last possible second, but almost three hours into the match, there was still no clear winner. Before cheating, I tried to find the match online, with no luck.

I'm telling you, these two men play phenomenal tennis. Check out these highlights, but please realize that virtually every single point they played could've made this reel. They push each other's game to a ridiculous level, and even though Rafa is my favorite, Federer is so classy and awesome you can't help but feel bad for him. The trophy ceremony will kill you, watching a champion so obviously emotionally defeated.



Congratulations Rafa! Honestly, I was skeptical, after you played a record 5 hour plus match only a day and a half before the final (Federer getting two full days of rest), but you continue to astound me with your never-give-up approach to the game. VAMOS!