Rewatching on BBC highlights; I still don't know how Roger managed to come back in that fifth set after getting down an early break. He'd never done that before v Rafa. I think I've watched every one of their matches bar 2 (their first meeting and the last one in Basel final). Rafa has caused Roger so much pain in finals; especially Grand Slam finals: Wimbledon 2008 and AO 2009 were the worst. So, this is by far the sweetest victory Roger has had over Rafa, not just the way he did it, but also to go 1 further clear in the Grand Slam tally. Rafa fans would never have let Federer's fans hear the end of it had Rafa won today and been only 2 behind.Truly great from Roger. I thought Rafa looked a bit shell shocked at the presentation that he'd let that one out off his control.
But having said that Roger and Rafa really do transcend sport IMO, even for peeps who don't like tennis will tune in and watch these two. Novak is up there with these two, but just isn't as popular, but he has something neither have and will probably never have and that is holding all four slams at the same time (as close to a calendar year Gramd Slam there will be in the modern game). He also has a winning record over both and beaten them both at all four of the slams.
Murray is like marmite IMO - people either love him or hate him, but he's had to live in the shadow of Roger, Rafa and Novak, but still managed to carve his little niche in their era.