It's No.1 vs. No.2, mate

After an otherwise completely insipid, sometimes downright disappointing series of preliminaries, the Aussie Open this year has finally brought about the confrontation we actually paid for - Nadal vs. Federer. No.1 vs. No.2.

(Side note: strange how "2" and Fedex seem so utterly mismatched, but there you have it. Besides, Rafa really earned it.)

I was severely disappointed when Djokovic was forced to forfeit his quarter-final match with Andy Roddick on account of ill health. A Djokovic-Federer match might have been predictable, but at least it would have been entertaining. Still, Roddick put up a fight in the last two sets, but didn't stand a chance against Federer's lethal combination of sixteen aces, zero double-faults and four breaks. Fed won 6-2, 7-5, 7-5.

Nadal, on the other hand, didn't have it quite so easy. He had to endure a five-and-a-quarter-hour long battle against his fellow countryman, Fernando Verdasco (rank 14), before he could move into the finals. Verdasco was powerful, but made far too many errors, salvaging himself only every now and again at the net, and the No.1 seeded Nadal prevailed with some rather brilliant forehands and a tremendous, highly memorable passing shot that drew a standing ovation from the crowd. Final score - 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (1-7), 6-4.

I'm not one for predictions, but if Nadal's fortunes are far too dependant on errors on the part of his opponent, the upcoming final is anyone's guess. Fedex seems to have regained his lustre - he can break as well as he can ace through a game, and has more experience winning on a hardcourt than Nadal.

Either way, the ball begins at midnight.