MELBOURNE, January 29 (Reuters) - Roger Federer came out on top after a rollercoaster ride in the 35th chapter of his rivalry with Rafa Nadal to win his fifth Australian Open 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 and clinch a first grand slam title in four and a half years on Sunday.
The 35-year-old capped his triumphant return from knee surgery with a record-extending 18th major title after a vintage battle with his Spanish rival, who had won all three of their previous meetings at Melbourne Park.
Lefthander Nadal, also returning from injury this year, showed sustained periods of his brutal best from the baseline but was just unable to stay with his rival in the gut-wrenching drama of the deciding set.
Federer was forced to endure a nervous wait for his victory after Nadal unsuccessfully challenged the line call on the second championship point before becoming the first man to win five or more titles at three different grand slams.
The Swiss, for many the greatest player of all time, celebrated with tears in his eyes but his first words were for his old friend and rival.
"Tennis is a tough sport, there are no draws in tennis but I would have been happy to accept one tonight and share it with Rafa," he said.
"I would have been happy to lose to be honest, the comeback was as good as it was. I hope to see you next year but if not, then it was a wonderful year here and I couldn't be happier tonight."
Nadal, the 2009 champion, was also typically gracious after losing his third Melbourne final and coming up short in his bid for a 15th grand slam title.
"It was a great match and I think Roger probably deserved it a little more than me," the 30-year-old said.
"I played a great quality of tennis. That's great news for me. I believe that if I have my body in the right condition, I can have a great year."
FIRST BREAKTHROUGH
Federer made the slower start to the contest but it was the Swiss who made the first breakthrough, converting the first break point of the match with a forehand winner to go 5-4 up.
That was enough to take the opening set but this was never going to be a straightforward win for either player and Nadal was all over his opponent's serve at the start of the second and grabbed a 2-0 lead.
Federer had two break points in the next game but Nadal fought them off and then broke again as his rival struggled for accuracy under the Spaniard's onslaught.
Four big forehands gave the Swiss a break back but Nadal held firm to serve out the set and Federer needed three aces to save three break points at the start of the third.
The momentum had swung, though, and Federer stepped up a gear and rattled off the next two games with Nadal left scrambling to fend off a second break in a marathon fourth game.
He was unable to repeat the feat in the sixth game and Federer, his crosscourt backhand causing Nadal all sorts of problems, secured a two sets to one lead with a drop volley.
The pendulum had not finished swinging yet, however, and Nadal broke for 3-1 in the fourth and held under huge pressure in the next game with a brilliant crosscourt forehand winner at full stretch.
Nadal again closed out the set and Federer took a medical timeout before the start of the decider, returning to court only to give up his first service game.
Federer was not prepared to give up easily on a first grand slam title since Wimbledon in 2012, though, and upped his aggression to put the set back on serve at 3-3 when Nadal sent a rasping forehand wide.
He needed another five break points on Nadal's next service game before the Spaniard finally cracked as Federer sealed the title with a forehand winner that Hawk-Eye confirmed hit the line.
"In the fifth set, I didn't win one serve easily. Even if I played great in the break points, I was suffering a lot," said Nadal.
"He probably remained a little bit more free on points on my serve. That's what I needed in that moment, and I didn't have."
With Federer's contemporary Serena Williams having won the women's title for the seventh time on Saturday, the 2017 Australian Open is destined be remembered as the retro slam.
Federer gave a reminder that no one is immune to the ravages of time, however.
"Now it's time to celebrate in a massive way," he said. "(But) at 35 years old, I don't like to say it, but I'm so old and so the body hurts, it aches."
Factbox: Australian Open men's singles champions
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - List of Australian Open men's singles champions since the event began in 1905 (Australian unless stated):
2017 Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Rafa Nadal (Spain) 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3
2016 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Andy Murray (Britain) 6-1 7-5 7-6(3)
2015 Djokovic bt Murray 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-0
2014 Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) bt Rafa Nadal (Spain) 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3
2013 Djokovic bt Murray 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-2
2012 Djokovic bt Nadal 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5
2011 Djokovic bt Murray 6-4 6-2 6-3
2010 Federer (Switzerland) bt Murray6-3 6-4 7-6
2009 Nadal bt Federer 7-5 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-2
2008 Djokovic bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6
2007 Federer bt Fernando Gonzalez (Chile)7-6 6-4 6-4
2006 Federer bt Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2
2005 Marat Safin (Russia) bt Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
2004 Federer bt Safin 7-6 6-4 6-2
2003 Andre Agassi (U.S.) bt Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 6-2 6-2 6-1
2002 Thomas Johansson (Sweden) bt Safin 3-6 6-4 6-4 7-6
2001 Agassi bt Arnaud Clement (France) 6-4 6-2 6-2
2000 Agassi (U.S.) bt Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-4
1999 Kafelnikov bt Thomas Enqvist(Sweden) 4-6 6-0 6-3 7-6
1998 Petr Korda (Czech Republic) bt Marcelo Rios (Chile) 6-2 6-2 6-2
1997 Pete Sampras (U.S.) bt Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-2 6-3 6-3
1996 Boris Becker (Germany) bt Michael Chang (U.S.) 6-2 6-4 2-6 6-2
1995 Agassi bt Sampras 4-6 6-1 7-6 6-4
1994 Sampras bt Todd Martin (U.S.) 7-6 6-4 6-4
1993 Jim Courier (U.S.) bt Stefan Edberg (Sweden) 6-2 6-1 2-6 7-5
1992 Courier bt Edberg 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-2
1991 Becker bt Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia)1-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
1990 Lendl bt Edberg 4-6 7-6 5-2 retired
1989 Lendl bt Miloslav Mecir (Czechoslovakia) 6-2 6-2 6-2
1988 Mats Wilander (Sweden) bt Pat Cash 6-3 6-7 3-6 6-1 8-6
1987 (Jan) Edberg bt Cash 6-3 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3
1986 No competition
1985 (Nov) Edberg bt Wilander 6-4 6-3 6-3
1984 Wilander bt Kevin Curren (South Africa)6-7 6-4 7-6 6-2
1983 Wilander bt Lendl 6-1 6-4 6-4
1982 Johan Kriek (South Africa) bt Steve Denton (U.S.) 6-3 6-3 6-2
1981 Kriek bt Denton 6-2 7-6 6-7 6-4
1980 Brian Teacher (U.S.) bt Kim Warwick 7-5 7-6 6-3
1979 Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) bt John Sadri (U.S.) 7-6 6-3 6-2
1978 Vilas bt John Marks 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3
1977 (Dec) Vitas Gerulaitis (U.S.) bt John Lloyd (Britain) 6-3 7-6 5-7 3-6 6-2
1977 (Jan) Roscoe Tanner (U.S.) bt Vilas 6-3 6-3 6-3
1976 Mark Edmondson bt John Newcombe 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-1
1975 Newcombe bt Jimmy Connors (U.S.) 7-5 3-6 6-4 7-5
1974 Connors bt Phil Dent 7-6 6-4 4-6 6-3
1973 Newcombe bt Onny Parun (New Zealand) 6-3 6-7 7-5 6-1
1972 Ken Rosewall bt Mal Anderson 7-6 6-3 7-5
1971 Rosewall bt Arthur Ashe (U.S.) 6-1 7-5 6-3
1970 Ashe bt Dick Crealy 6-4 9-7 6-2
1969 Rod Laver bt Andres Gimeno (Spain) 6-3 6-4 7-5
1968 Bill Bowrey bt Juan Gisbert (Spain) 7-5 2-6 9-7 6-4
1967 Roy Emerson bt Ashe 6-4 6-1 6-4
1966 Emerson bt Ashe 6-4 6-8 6-2 6-3
1965 Emerson bt Fred Stolle 7-9 2-6 6-4 7-5 6-1
1964 Emerson bt Stolle 6-3 6-4 6-2
1963 Emerson bt Ken Fletcher 6-3 6-3 6-1
1962 Laver bt Emerson 8-6 0-6 6-4 6-4
1961 Emerson bt Laver 1-6 6-3 7-5 6-4
1960 Laver bt Neale Fraser 5-7 3-6 6-3 8-6 8-6
1959 Alex Olmedo (U.S.) bt Fraser 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3
1958 Ashley Cooper bt Mal Anderson 7-5 6-3 6-4
1957 Cooper bt Fraser 6-3 9-11 6-4 6-2
1956 Lew Hoad bt Rosewall 6-4 3-6 6-4 7-5
1955 Rosewall bt Hoad 9-7 6-4 6-4
1954 Mervyn Rose bt Rex Hartwig 6-2 0-6 6-4 6-2
1953 Rosewall bt Rose 6-0 6-3 6-4
1952 Ken McGregor bt Frank Sedgman 7-5 12-10 2-6 6-2
1951 Dick Savitt (U.S.) bt McGregor 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-1
1950 Sedgman bt McGregor 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-1
1949 Sedgman bt John Bromwich 6-3 6-2 6-2
1948 Adrian Quist bt Bromwich 6-4 3-6 6-3 2-6 6-3
1947 Dinny Pails bt Bromwich 4-6 6-4 3-6 7-5 8-6
1946 Bromwich bt Dinny Pails 5-7 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-2
1941-5 No competition
1940 Quist bt Jack Crawford 6-3 6-1 6-2
1939 Bromwich bt Quist 6-4 6-1 6-3
1938 Donald Budge (U.S.) bt Bromwich 6-4 6-2 6-1
1937 Vivian McGrath bt Bromwich 6-3 1-6 6-0 2-6 6-1
1936 Quist bt Crawford 6-2 6-3 4-6 3-6 9-7
1935 Crawford bt Fred Perry (Britain) 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
1934 Perry (Britain) bt Crawford 6-3 7-5 6-1
1933 Crawford bt Keith Gledhill 2-6 7-5 6-3 6-2
1932 Crawford bt Harry Hopman 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-1
1931 Crawford bt Hopman 6-2 6-2 2-6 6-1
1930 Edgar Moon bt Hopman 6-3 6-1 6-3
1929 John Gregory (Britain) bt Richard Schlesinger 6-2 6-2
5-7 7-5
1928 Jean Borotra (France) bt R.Cummings 6-4 6-1 4-6 5-7 6-3
1927 Gerald Patterson bt John Hawkes 3-6 6-4 3-6 18-16 6-3
1926 Hawkes bt Jim Willard 6-1 6-3 6-1
1925 James Anderson bt Gerald Patterson 11-9 2-6 6-2 6-3
1924 Anderson bt Richard Schlesinger 6-3 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3
1923 Pat O'Hara Wood bt C. St.John 6-1 6-1 6-3
1922 Anderson bt Gerald Patterson 6-0 3-6 3-6 6-3 6-2
1921 Rhys Gemmell bt A.Hedeman 7-5 6-1 6-4
1920 O'Hara Wood bt Ron Thomas 6-3 6-4 6-8 6-1 6-3
1919 Algernon Kingscote (Britain) bt E.Pockley 6-4 6-0 6-3
1916-8 No competition
1915 Gordon Lowe (Britain) bt Horace Rice 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-4
1914 Arthur O'Hara Wood bt Patterson 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-1
1913 Ernie Parker bt Harry Parker 2-6 6-1 6-3 6-2
1912 James Parke (Britain) bt A.Beamish 3-6 6-2 1-6 6-1 7-5
1911 Norman Brookes bt Horace Rice 6-1 6-2 6-3
1910 Rodney Heath bt Rice 6-4 6-3 6-2
1909 Tony Wilding (New Zealand) bt E. Parker 6-1 7-5 6-2
1908 Fred Alexander (U.S.) bt Alfred Dunlop 3-6 3-6 6-0 6-2 6-3
1907 Horace Rice bt H.Parker 6-3 6-4 6-4
1906 Wilding bt H. Parker 6-0 6-4 6-4
1905 Heath bt Arthur Curtis 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4
