Ladies and Gentlemen, the King has returned!

Roger Federer clinches his 18th Grand Slam title. He won over long-term rival Rafael Nadal in the ninth grand slam final the two tennis legends have contested. The match was billed as the biggest final ever played in the sport.

After a fittingly nail-biting 5 settler, its a 5th Australian Open title for Roger Federer

6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the King has returned.#Federer clinches his 18th Grand Slam title def. Nadal 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/KyJklc7vge

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017

Here are the highlights of the amazing match:

Maestro on the move…

Clean machine #Federer takes command of the 1st set 6-4 v #Nadal. #AusOpen #Fedal pic.twitter.com/svRO3CD7oY — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017

Cool as a cucumber…@rogerfederer #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Ik4ZVUf785 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017

Bull on the loose…

Those eye-watering groundstrokes come out to play as #Nadal charges through the 2nd set 6-3. #AusOpen #FedererNadal pic.twitter.com/xgDmZdHwKh — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017

Leander Paes tweeted out of awe for the players:

Such high intensity tennis, this is the stuff that Champions are made of.. every point matters #FedererNadal #AusOpen — Leander Paes (@Leander) January 29, 2017

#Federer takes the third set. #AusOpen #FedererNadal pic.twitter.com/eDCcWGSjon — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017

Would it even be a #FedererNadal clash if it didn’t go to 5? Things are about to go into overdrive as Rafa takes the 4th 6-3. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/2rEqvuJf0j

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017

This is the second major final that ​Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig have lost

Sania-Dodig were thoroughly outplayed in the final and the higher seeded pair just couldn’t counter the precise game from across the net. There were far too many unforced errors from both the Indian and Croat and the Spears and Cabal didn’t let them get away with it.

The duo of Sania and Dodig was off to a terrible start as they lost opening four games in the first set, conceding 0-4 lead to their unseeded opponents Spears and Cabal. However, they fought back to win the fifth and seventh games. But that was not enough as Sania-Dodig lost the first set 2-6.

The much-experienced Sania and Dodig didn’t give up as the Indo-Croatian pair bounced back to win the first three games to take a crucial 3-0 lead in the second set. But the US-Colombian pair’s never-say-die attitude came to the fore as they staged a remarkable fightback to make it 4-4 in the second set.

The Spears-Cabal duo finally broke Sania-Dodig serve in the ninth game to take a decisive 5-4 lead and then held their nerve and serve to seal the coveted championship. Abigail Spears and Juan Sebastian Cabal, on the other hand, looked sharp and didn’t let the pressure of the moment get to them. The unseeded duo, who haven’t dropped a set throughout the tournament, and are deserving champs.

The duo Abigail Spears & Juans Cabal emerge as Winners of Australian Open Mixed Doubles

Sania Mirza set up a face-off with Rohan Bopanna in the mixed doubles quarter-finals after she and Ivan Dodig defeated Alexander Peya and Zheng Saisai 2-6, 6-3, 10-6.

Earlier in the day, Rohan Bopanna and Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski mounted a great fight back to win against Poland’s Lukasz Kubot and Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan to win 6-4, 5-7, 10-3.

The quarter-final pits the two Indians who represented the country in mixed doubles at the 2016 Olympics. At the Rio Games, Sania-Bopanna lost the bronze medal play-off tie.

The Indo-Croatian pair were outplayed in the opening set as Peya-Zheng began the proceedings aggressively.

But the second seeded Sania-Dodig used all their experience to turn the tide and broke their opponents at a crucial time in the second set to win it 7-5.

In the deciding third set tie-break, Sania-Dodig imposed themselves on the match, hit several winners, including backhand and forehand volleys, to snuff out the opposition in an hour and four minutes.

Second seeded Sania and Croatian Dodig entered the second round after beating Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Croatian Mate Pavic 7-5, 6-4.

The unseeded duo of Bopanna and Dabrowski clinched the first set without much fuss but went down in the second before bouncing back in the third set tie-breaker in a match that lasted one hour and 16 minutes.

Siddhant Banthia and Turk Kaya Gore entered the boys men’s doubles quarter-final, beating Zizou Bergs and Yshai Oliel 6-3 7-6(6).

In the girls singles, Mihika Yadav lost 2-6, 1-6 against Japanese Mai Hontama.

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Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic began his quest for a record seventh Australian Open title with an easy win against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco while Rafael Nadal began with a convincing victory over German Florian Mayer.

World No.2 Djokovic won 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in two hours and 20 minutes to advance to the second round.

Duan Yingying gets first ever Australian Open win

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Ninth-seeded Spaniard Nadal defeated his No.49 rival 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and four minutes. Nadal, who won the Australian Open in 2009, erased any bad memories of his first round defeat last year against compatriot Fernando Verdasco.

Nadal will play the next round against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 3-0 after the Russian’s withdrawal due to respiratory problems.

Djokovic will play the second round against the winner of the match between Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin and Croatian Ivan Dodig.

Spain’s David Ferrer beat Australian Omar Jasika in the first round.

Ferrer, 21st seed, defeated World No.290, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 in 86 minutes.

The Spaniard will next face the winner between Russian Danill Medveded and America’s Ernesto Escobedo.

Ferrer, a semi-finalist in 2011 and 2013, is celebrating his 15th appearance at the Australian Open this year.

Earlier on Tuesday, Spanish tennis player Roberto Bautista defeated Guido Pella of Argentina.

The 13th-seeded Spanish player won 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in 84 minutes.

The Spaniard has reached the second round of this tournament twice and recently won the fifth title of his career in Chennai.

Bautista will now play in the second round against Japanese player Yoshihito Nishioka, who defeated Australian Alex Bolt 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.

IANS

China’s Duan Yingying registered her first ever win at the Australian Open on Monday, defeating Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

“I was shaking when I came on court,” Sramkova told Xinhua news agency.

“Before the match I watched the video of her playing, I expected that (it) would be a tough match,” Duan told reporters post-match.

India beat England by three wickets in first ODI

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“I am so happy that I made a breakthrough as this is the first time I won the first round in the Australian Open. It is just a beginning for me, and I think I can go more far.”

Duan took an early break in the first set off an unforced error from the Slovakian qualifier, however Sramkova managed to break back.

Continued unforced errors from the world No 120, 17 in the first set was her undoing.

It’s the first time Duan has won a match at the Australian Open since her first appearance in 2014, continuing her form since the end of 2016 season where she exited Wimbledon and the US Open in the second round.

Duan will next face world No 88, American Varvara Lepchenko in the second round.

IANS

Ends her title drought by beating another Chinese opponent to bag her second Australian open title

When Saina Nehwal entered Sydney Sports Centre on Sunday, she knew it was a long time since she had won a title. Saina’s last tournament win came in India Super Series at Delhi in 2015. Even the last time she played in a final was way back in November 2015, where she lost to Li Xuerui in China.

But going to the Australian Open final, Saina Nehwal looked in ominous touch, having overcome her nagging injuries that have proved to be her undoing in earlier tournaments this year.

In the quarterfinals she got the better of world number two and winner of four titles this year, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon. In the last four, Saina demolished her nemesis China’s Wang Yihan in straight games 21-8, 21-12. She beat Yihan in all department of the game – court movement, deception and power. Over the years these have been the hallmarks of the Chinese game.

Unlike in earlier round matches though, Saina started off slowly in the final against her Chinese opponent Sun Yu – losing the first game 11-21. But she cut down her errors, tightened her net game and hit some powerful smashes to win the next two games 21-14, 21-19.

This was Saina’s maiden title of the season, her second title win in Australian and 10^th Super Series title overall. The win will be a big  a boost for her second consecutive medal prospect at the Rio Games.