Nadal wins epic semi to set up Australian Open final vs Federer

It was an emotional victory for the 30-year-old Spaniard, who is through to his first Grand Slam final since 2014 and the first against his old sparring partner, Federer, since the 2011 French Open. In total they have played each other 34 times, with Nadal leading their head-to-head 23-11, with a winning record of 6-2 in Grand Slam finals.

It is a final that few would have predicted a fortnight ago, with Federer ranked only 17th after missing six months due to injury and Nadal struggling to find form after a series of injury-plagued seasons.

But Nadal has shown that he's close to being back to his best, with impressive victories over Alexander Zverev, Gael Monfils and Milos Raonic, the No. 3 seed in Melbourne. The in-form Dimitrov proved to be his toughest test of the tournament so far, pushing Nadal all the way in an exhilarating five-hour contest.

After surviving a lengthy opening game, in which he faced two break points, Nadal raced to a 4-1 advantage and held on to take the first set. The Bulgarian upped his game and despite squandering four set points in the 10th game of the second set, he attacked again in the 12th to take the set at the fifth time of asking. The third set went to a tie-break after both players failed to capitalise on their breaks and Nadal's mini-break on the first point proved decisive. With more mental strength than he has shown previously, combined with some scintillating tennis, Dimitrov hit 19 winners to force a tie-break and subsequently level the match at two sets apiece. In a high-quality fifth set, Nadal fended off two break points in the eighth game and then proceeded to break the Bulgarian with a backhand winner down the line to serve for the match at 5-4. Dimitrov thwarted the Spaniard on the first two match points, but it was third time lucky for Nadal who dropped to his knees in celebration as Dimitrov's shot landed long.

"I never dreamed to be back in the final of the Australian Open," said Nadal after the match. "I feel very lucky, and very, very happy. [...] It is a very special thing for both of us to be playing again in a major final. Neither of us probably thought we would be here again," he added.

The women's final on Saturday also has a hint of the flashback about it: it will be a Williams family affair, with Serena taking on Venus for the first time since 2003 at the Australian Open, and for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon in 2009.