Afternoon all, and welcome to Rafael Nadal (3) v Roger Federer (2)!

So, thanks for your company - enjoy your weekend!

So there we go: Federer against Djokovic again. Lucky us!

Federer says he's exhausted and it was tough at the end because Nadal hit so many great shots to stay alive. He says the big moments went in his favour, and that match "was a joy to play in". He says Djokovic played well in his semi and is "supreme". He hopes to "pish him to the brink and hopefully beat him, but he's not number 1 by chance"; he concludes by asserting that he's very, very excited to say the least".

I can't get my head around these two, I really can't - the standard of those last two games, with everything on the line, from old men! We will never see anything like these ever again; drink them in!

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Here we go! Federer sticks one on the line and Nadal challenges ... loses. But then Nadal sends a backhand slices sharking over the tape and Federer nets! But oh my gosh, what a forehand he delivers next, from the middle of the court, somehow digging out an angle that loops to Nadal's backhand corner for a winner. 30-15. Federer then goes long - a challenge offers nae reprieve - and the pressure ratchets up another megaton. A serve down the middle, though, looks sure to put him a point away, but Nadal gets it back and Federer doesn't nail his putaway then frames an overhead into the net! Break back pioint, and that's what you get when you make your opponent play one more ball! Next, an 11-shot rally - I'm shaking, who knows what these are feeling 0 but Federer finds a first serve and two SUBLIME volleys to raise match point number three! he finds his first serve which puts him on control of the rally and they're both knocking the cover off it, but then out of nowhere, Nadal opens the court and that forehand ends the point with its 24th stroke! So Federer does what we'd all do in that situation and serves an ace onto the back line of the box ... only for Nadal to pass him on the backhand! This matchup is the greatest in the history of sport! What the dredge oiut of each other is frankly ludicrous, and here comes Federer again, another serve down the T and a forehand clump to shove it home. Match point number five! A serve goes down the middle but is long, but then when he lands the second, Nadal tries to wrongfoot and goes long himself! ROGER FEDERER WILL PLAY NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN THE MEN'S FINAL! WHAT A MATCH THAT WAS, WHAT A PAIR OF ABSOLUTE CHAMPIONS THOSE ABSOLUTE CHAMPIONS ARE! WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO BE ALIVE IN THEIR LIFETIMES!

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Federer is going for it here, and why not. He produces a lovely return onto the baseline at 30-15, but Nadal forces it back with equal genius before caning a topspin backhand - one-handed! - winner a shot later. Naturally, Nadal then serve-volleys for the first time in the match, netting, before Federer earns deuce with a forehand drilled down the line! Nadal then lands a serve on the line - Federer challenges, but it's good - but a monstrous return followed by a clean-up forehand, feet adjusted following a net-cord, brings us back to deuce. And have a look! A forehand return is too good, and Federer has match point! He has played so well today! Ahahahahaha! Nadal serves immensely down the T, and Federer can barely impart string! Clearly, he backs it up with an ace, but Federer isn't having him get away, crushing a backhand winner! Today, the weakness has been a strength, and another one elicits a netted riposte! Match point number two! Ahahahaha! Nadal hammers a serve out wide that's far too good to return! I'm overusing the exclamation mark here, but you've got to! Because what a rally comes next, Federer sent to hither and yon before a gibongous backhand sets up the drop! Next an ace, and Nadal, who's now saved two match points, has demanded Federer serve for it! The way he's been playing, he should take that off the set, but pressure does funny things...

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Federer looks pretty strong here, I must say - he's still the better player and looks more l;ikely to break again than be broken. I did not expect to be saying this in set four, but it turns out Roger Federer is quite good at tennis and can navigate his way around a grass court. He rushes to 30-0 but Nadal pegs him back ... naturally, Federer cleanses a service winner down the middle! A wide return later, and Federer is four points away! "I haven't seen him focused like this in a long time," says Boris in commentary.

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Ph my days what a shot Federer plays for 30-all. Nadal plays a drop that draws him to the net, wide inside the line, and he somehow works out a kind of stutter-step jump into a backhand, clouted flat across the net for a winner - I've not a clue how physics allow that to go over! The immutable law of Federer! But Nadal then finds two nifty serves to ramp up the pressure on yerman.

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At 15-all, a long rally that Nadal dominates, Federer feart to go for the lines. That's what matey was saying earlier, but at 15-30 Federer gets his first first serve of the game and does the business. Another one follows, and another, and Federer is two holds away! He's playing the big points magnificently here!

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Nadal holds to 15, sealing the game with an improbably forehand loped from the baseline into Federer's forehand corner. Federer may well get tight as victory looms, but he's serving so well it might not matter. If Nadal can get into the rallies, trouble, but there's every chance that doesn't happen.

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It's absolutely staggering that these two have the skill and will to keep putting themselves through this - the standard of fitness is bizarre, the mental strength unfathomable, the shot-making both brutal and ethereal. Federer consolidates with a love hold, ending with an ace; he's untouchable at the moment, all the more incredible when you recall that he lost the second set 6-1.

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Federer puts it on Nadal here, whacking returns early and deep to get 0-30! But have a look! Federer is bang in the next rally when Nadal clatters a forehand into the net-cord, but with such power that it clambers over! He is very, very sorry. Not as sorry as when he drops short with a forehand though, which sits up for Federer to circumnavigate his backhand and punish a winner! Two break points, and given how Federer's served for most of today, two almost match points! He saves the first, but Federer lands a return punkt on the line, it deadens the bounce, and his retort goes long! Federer need "only" hold serve to make the final! He is absolutely buzzing out there!

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Mirka Federer has spent 6023 hours of her life clapping, wearing through 904 pairs of palms. Anyway, at 40-15, Federer suddenly has a minor situation when Nadal gets ludicrously low to whipcrack a forehand. But Federer then finds a winner of his own - the standard is so high. How can any of the pretenders even get near this?

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Pressure on Nadal as he serves now; one bad game and he could be toast. And he begins with a double, then at 15-all goes long with a backhand! Nadal, though, quite likes tennis and quite likes competing, raising game point with a monster of a second serve, then a glorious, sensational forehand from low down, spun into the opposite corner from which Federer cracks a quality backhand down the line! He is so good; this is so good!

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A big serve sets Federer away and a return which flies high and long puts him within two points of the set. He then highlights his superiority by taking the better of a baseline rally before passing Nadal when he comes in, then Nadal nets a forehand! That was easy!

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Federer is right in the ascendancy here, getting to 0-30 again. But Nadal finds two belting serves, the second sliced right out wide, then Federer goes long on the return and long with a forehand. Federer will have to serve for the set; will he be made to regret those missed opportunities?

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It takes 19 shots, the ball coming in and out of shade, for Federer to earn his 15-0; it sets up the game, which he rushes through to 15, playing far shorter points.

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Are we repeating set two? This is suddenly very odd, because Federer gets to 0-30 and then 15-40; Nadal saves the first break point with a service winner, then the second with a colossal serve and two beefy forehands. He quickly closes out the game.

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This is a really excellent match now; the first set both men were settling and the second was one-sided, but now we're ensconced in something proper. So Nadal plays two great points for 0-30, but can't return an outswinging second serve ... before Federer sends down his first double of the match! He will be steaming if he wastes that break right after getting it, but Nadal has two goes at making that so! The first ends fairly quickly, but the second is a different story, Nadal's forehand dictating the rally, and he makes a mistake and goes long! But a decent return forces Federer to net ... only for Federer to find a one-two, serve-forehand combination, then consolidate! Drama!

Meanwhile, a tennis coach pal of mine noted thusly on Twitter:

"Federer, as always when he gets tight, starts playing safer and safer. When he gets chance to attack he goes too central. He won the 1st set breaker by going closer to the lines. He’ll need to. This won’t get it done."

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Federer's back alright, a glorious step-in backhand - on the run and down the line - giving him 30-all. And what he only does next, flicking Nadal's forehand down the line back cross-court for a winner! Break point! Have a look! Federer gets himself into the point, then Nadal comes in and plays a weak drop-volley, allowing Federer to break with a volley of his own!