他與他的天敵，在一向屬於他的澳洲網球公開賽上重逢。
他有一個偉大的夢想要達成：拿到第14座大滿貫公開賽冠軍獎盃，正式與網球史上傳奇人物山普拉斯齊名。
但是天敵近幾年進入了一種萬夫匹敵的狀況，以絕佳的體能、球技、鬥志，橫掃世界各大賽，甚至從他手上奪走了世界排名第一的寶座，打斷了他連續237週排名世界第一的最長紀錄。
去年他退居世界第二時，曾釋懷的說，終於可以不必再被所有人關注著是否要必勝，也許暫時當第二名是個喘息的機會。
今天，他與天敵，在一向屬於他的澳洲網球公開賽上重逢，世界上所有的球迷都在看。
經過五盤驚人的奮戰，球球張力十足，22歲的天敵終於還是打敗了他，他忍不住流下了眼淚。
3年前在同一個球場上，他風光拿下冠軍，白髮蒼蒼的網球傳奇人物Laver，親自拿著獎盃頒給他，他當場哽咽得無法說話，只能向前擁抱這位他從小的偶像，感謝這份美麗的傳承。
今天，25歲的他，曾被尊稱為「地表上最強的球王」，看似陷入了瓶頸，原本即將到手的傳奇紀錄，一眨眼就在眼前離去。
他說："God, it's killing me."
在過去幾年的觀賽經驗中，我在他身上看見不可思議的才華智慧，冷靜的高級心理素質，以及下了球場後滿臉的羞澀與真誠。我衷心認為，作為一位運動員，他已經在運動史上留下了無可磨減的足跡—除了那舉手投足的優雅協調球技、多元全方位的戰策智慧、打破各種歷史的風光紀錄，最重要的，還是他由內而發的那股王者風範，懾人沈穩，氣宇翩然。
親愛的Roger Federer，作為一位必將傳世的英雄，眼前的難關是幫助你成為當代傳奇的考驗。你必須擁抱所有的勝利與失敗，親吻帶刺的曲折與戲劇性，熬過那些痛苦迷眩的夜晚，然後，通過試驗與探險的道路，迎接轉折的到來。
你終將，必獲新生，重返此趟人生旅程的命運之途。我如是相信。
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轉載自<BBC Sports>(http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A46795206?s_fromedit=1&s_type=15&s_sport=tennis)
Why Roger needs Rafa
If Roger Federer does go on to become the greatest player of all time, he will have a lot to thank Rafael Nadal for.
"God, it's killing me," admitted the emotional world number two after his dramatic five-set defeat in Sunday's Australian Open final.
But while the losses are painful, victories in what is already one of sport's greatest rivalries are priceless.
Nadal has certainly slowed Federer's seemingly unstoppable progress towards Pete Sampras's mark of 14 Grand Slam titles, but he has made the value of any future major wins so much greater.
When a 25-year-old Federer beat Fernando Gonzalez to win his 10th major title in Australia two years ago, there seemed little prospect of him falling short of Sampras.
True, Federer had lost to Nadal in the previous year's French Open final and the Spaniard looked set to make camp in Paris for years to come, but few would have foreseen his ability to transfer that form to hard courts and even grass.
Before the summer of 2007, Federer had beaten the likes of Roddick, Safin, Hewitt, Philippoussis, Baghdatis and Gonzalez in Grand Slam finals?good players all, some very good, but none of those players could be called great, even though they have five Grand Slam titles between them.
Sampras, on the other hand, had Andre Agassi. He beat his fellow American in four Grand Slam finals and lost in another, as well as defeating Boris Becker in a Wimbledon final and losing to Stefan Edberg at the 1992 US Open. Those three alone managed 20 major wins.
For Federer, the last two years have been harder going as he has lost to Nadal at the French Open, Wimbledon and now the Australian Open.
Victories over Djokovic and Murray in successive US Open finals have kept the Grand Slam counter ticking over for the Swiss, but if he is to get through the magic 14 barrier and beyond he will surely have to end his recent barren run against Nadal in the major finals.
Indeed, with six Grand Slam titles to his name on all three surfaces, the 22-year-old Nadal might be a better bet to outdo Sampras.
We should not forget that there are others who could make a case for the greatest tag. After all, Agassi managed what none of his contemporaries could by completing the set of Wimbledon, US, French and Australian Open titles - and Rod Laver won 11 majors which included two calendar Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969, either side of his amateur exile.
It was Laver who handed the trophy to Nadal on Sunday and his achievement is surely something even the two current superstars of the sport will struggle to ever match.
But Federer will get more chances to match Sampras, with a possible rematch against Nadal at Wimbledon this summer something to savour on a freezing February day in London.
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