#my first thought when making him was ‘what is every Noah fan’s greatest fear’

[horse-plinko]

Why can't anti Noah be evil? Regular Noah wasn't (technically) evil... 👀 I'm just saying.

#makeantinoahevilplease #mysoulneedsit

While it would be really cool the whole thing abt anti Noah is that he is just genuinely sickeningly sweet, he is just like that

BUT I am not against the idea, I’ve drawn it like once and I do plan on drawing it more, it’s not anti Noah behavior in my eyes but villain Noah is also my favorite Noah trope so it’s inevitable

[seven-oomen]

If You Are Going Through Hell, Keep Going

These are the words that Marin Morrell – Druid, Emissary, Guidance Counselor – says to Stiles Stilinski in “Battlefield” (02x11) And I think they suit his character just perfectly, because Stiles has been going through Hell all his life.

The Teen Wolf Fandom don’t talk nearly enough about Stiles’ traumas, so I’ll try my best to do it myself *I won’t even remotely touch on the Void Stiles, Dark Stiles, Donovan and the Nogitsune trauma though, because it’s extremely complex and deserves its own Meta*

It’s Canon that Noah was an alcoholic (as Rafael pointed out to Stiles in 03x11 Alpha Pact), that he neglected and lashed out at his own child (Stiles’ memory in 02x09 Party Guessed), and that Stiles was verbally, emotionally, and physically abused by his mentally ill mother, Claudia, throughout his childhood (there’s a whole magnificently acted, heart wrenching scene about it with flashbacks and all in 05x06 Required Reading.) It’s Canon that Stiles had to take care of himself and of his father before AND after Claudia’s death. And it’s Canon that Stiles – who was only an eight years old child at the time – was at the hospital with his mother when she died, nobody else:

[Teen Wolf Season 3 Episode 11, Alpha Pact]

CHRIS: You knew… I remember meeting you once, before you were Sheriff. You questioned me about a body. You knew something was up. You just weren’t ready to believe it.

NOAH: You’re right. There was a night eight years ago… the night my wife died. I was at the end of a shift, and a call came in. There had been a pile-up, and a young woman… she was a teenager, actually. She was trapped under an overturned car. We had to wait for the paramedics. We were never getting her out, but I was able to hold her hand. She knew she was gonna die. But I just kept telling her “No, no, listen. The paramedics are on their way.” And then I remember her hand suddenly gripped mine so tightly that I literally thought she was gonna break the bones. And she looked me in the eyes, and she said “If you wanna be with her, go now.” And I knew she was talking about my wife… But then that other part of my brain — the part that looks for clues, for fingerprints, for logical connections… that part told me that there is no way that this girl could possibly know about Claudia. And so I stayed. I stayed until the paramedics pulled her out. Until her heart stopped beating and they declared her dead.

NOAH: When I finally got to the hospital, I saw Stiles sitting in the waiting room with his head in his hands… He was with Claudia when she died.

NOAH: But I wasn’t. I wasn’t with her because I didn’t believe… I just did not believe.

It’s also Canon that Derek Hale is a rape victim and that the hunters slaughtered Derek, Cora and Peter’s entire pack/family (including humans and children.) And it’s Canon that Stiles immediately sides with the Hales and openly confronts Chris about what Kate had done to the Hales in 01x12, Code Breaker:

CHRIS: Let me ask you a question, Stiles. Have you ever seen a rabid dog?

STILES: No. I could put it on my to-do list, if you just let me go.

CHRIS: Well, I have. And the only thing I’ve ever been able to compare it to is seeing a friend of mine turn on a full moon. Do you wanna know what happened?

STILES: Not really. No offense to your storytelling skills.

CHRIS: He tried to kill me, and I was forced to put a bullet in his head. The whole while that he lay there dying, he was still trying to claw his way toward me, still trying to kill me, like it was the most important thing he could do with his last breath. Can you imagine that?

STILES: No. And it sounds like you need to be a little bit more select—

CHRIS: Did Scott try to kill you on the full moon? Did you have to lock him up?

STILES: Yeah, I did. I had to handcuff him to a radiator. Why? Would you prefer I locked him in the basement and burned the whole house down around him?

CHRIS: I hate to dispel a popular rumor, Stiles, but we never did that.

STILES: Oh, right. Derek said you guys had a code. I guess no one ever breaks it.

CHRIS: Never!

STILES: What if someone does?

CHRIS: Someone like who?

STILES: Your sister.

Unlike self-proclaimed hero and ruler of Beacon Hills Scott McCall, who immediately sides with the Argents and tells Derek Hale that his family deserved to be burnt alive by the hunters in front of his comatose uncle………..

-----

I feel like there is a lot to unpack on Stiles’s trauma. And I will go over these moments one by one, why they’re damaging, what I think the context of the scene is supposed to represent ft how people might take it. And what my personal thoughts are regarding Stiles’s trauma.

First of, I would like to say that the following words are my take on this. I am a 29 year old trans man of caucasian descend who is an domestic violence and abuse survivor. I am diagnosed with ADHD since 12 and diagnosed with CPTSD since this year. I understand trauma and I understand what it does to people. But I am not a professional. I am a fan, who’s responding to the submission of another, anonymous, fan.

You are completely free to have your own takes on this matter and your own headcanons. That’s what fandom is for.

That said, I would love to have a discussion if you can have it peacefully.

Stiles is a character who was (Unwillingly) neglected, emotionally traumatized and both emotionally and verbally abused by both of his parents. There is even evidence of physical abuse by his mother.

I think it does need to be said, that neither of his parents intended for this to happen. What happened in the Stilinski family was by and large a very traumatic event for everyone involved.

Noah is an alcoholic, as Stiles also confirms in the episode that Noah never really stopped drinking. His alcoholism is a result of his own traumas and possible ND mind and an unhealthy coping mechanism.

As a result of this, Noah most likely was verbally and emotionally abusive during his drunken tirades.

I personally think that before Claudia was diagnosed and got sick Stiles had a good childhood. His parents tried their best to be good parents for him and laid a good foundation for him. This is evidenced in the bond Stiles seems to have with his father in general. He’s not afraid of his father, he’s nervous about consequences. But he never gives off a vibe to me that truly says; I fear this man and I have to stay in line to stay alive.

Unlike Isaac and his father.

This also tells me, that unlike Elias Stilinski, Noah never lashed out physically at Stiles. He was trying to break a cycle of abuse but more than likely still fell victim to it himself when he could no longer cope with trauma and his neurodivergency and started drinking.

That doesn’t mean that he’s not guilty of abusing his own son. We know Noah can be neglectful and dismissive towards Stiles (even though he tries his best not to be) and has a tendency to low key insult Stiles from time to time. Whether or not he truly means to or not is up for debate, I personally think he doesn’t mean to do it, but Stiles is clearly heartbroken every time Noah accidentally lashes out. 

As evidenced by sentences: “I’ve never believed a word he said since he was born.” “Thank you, son I should have had.” (To Scott)

Stiles already has a deep founded fear that he’s not enough, that he killed his own mother, that he’s not believed by the people around him, and that people don’t want to take him seriously.

This is clear in every interaction he has with the people around him.

Which also brings me to what happened in 2x09. Now based on the context clues of that scene, I actually don’t believe Stiles saw a play-by-play memory. But rather, Stiles saw his greatest fear play out in a hallucination. 

Why do I believe that?

Because in the same scene, Allison has a hallucination about becoming her own worst nightmare (a huntress like Kate) and Scott sees a hallucination of Allison and Jackson making out. (Aka, losing Allison.) 

I think the scene both has fabrications and truths in it. The truth is that more than likely, Stiles saw his father getting drunk at his mother’s funeral and lashing out at people around him in his drunken stupor. (Which on one hand, one can understand if you take the pain and trauma into account, but it’s not a healthy or an okay thing to do, obviously. This is definitely where Noah fell apart.)

I also like to think one of the other adults put a stop to Noah’s behavior before he could get out of hand. But we never really see her funeral play out, so that is speculation.

The fabrication is the scene that follows. We know that Claudia was the one that actually said the words to Stiles. “You’re killing me, he’s killing me.” 

And that Noah was the voice of reason in that scene. “No, he’s not. You’re sick, let’s go back inside.” (Or something along those lines. I can’t remember the exact words.)

What I think is more than likely is that Stiles’s greatest fear is that his father actually believes he killed his mother. As that is what his mother said to him before she died.  And so that’s what he hallucinated under the influence of the wolfsbane.

Stiles’s greatest fear is losing both of his parents, no matter in what way that is. He also fears that he failed as a son, and failed to take care of his father. All of this is fueled by losing his mother and watching her die at a very young age.

And that is where Stiles’s trauma truly lies. He watched his mother die (at the age of 10) slowly while she lost her mind to a terrible illness. 

His father couldn’t handle losing his wife and not being able to help her and the previous traumas he endured in his own childhood. And Stiles had to step up to take care of him. That changes a child and leaves a mark. A mark that Stiles can’t shake.

We know Noah neglected Stiles by not being able to care for him as he should have, we know Noah tends to think Stiles has wild conspiracy theories and tends not to believe him.

Which traumatized Stiles even though Noah didn’t intend for that to happen. That doesn’t mean that Stiles’s trauma isn’t real though. It’s very real. This is also the reason why he immediately chooses Derek’s side in 1x12.

For Stiles, not being believed is a daily reality and he doesn’t want anyone else to go through that as well. Which is why he chooses Derek’s side. Because Stiles, due to his own trauma, is hard-wired to believe the victim and tends to defend them.

Now I think a lot of people take a lot of Stiles’s scenes literal because they identify with what’s happening on screen. Because Stiles isn’t being believed by the other characters, the audience tends to take his perspective at face value. Even in situations where it’s made clear that Stiles, like other characters, is hallucinating at the time.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I do think it’s something to consider.

Tagging a few people who might want to add a thought or two to this.

@mostly-vo1d @artemisa97 @msmischief101

[enbywrestlingfan]

NJPW Wrestling Primer (Updated for 2017)

A while back I did a primer post to help introduce people to the wrestlers of NJPW, but it's become out of date over time as things have changed since then, since wrestling always changes. So this is an updated version from mid-April 2017.

Kazuchika Okada - The greatest wrestler on the planet today, and one who is in the middle of possibly the best title reign of all time, which has featured numerous 4.5 and 4.75 star matches, as well as two 5 star and even a 6 star match. He originally made his legacy in NJPW with a now iconic rivalary with Hiroshi Tanahashi, but since has become a true ace for the company. He is the leader of the CHAOS faction and possibly Gedos son. Though, the position of ace wasn't meant for Okada, it was meant for..

Tetsuya Naito - Naito was supposed to be the new top face of NJPW, but the fans rejected him. So during a US tour, instead of returing to Japan like most, he took a little soul searching journey down to Mexico, and met a man named La Sombra (you might know him as Andrade Cien Almas from WWE NXT) and his Los Ingobernables stable. This inspired a change of attitude in Naito, who returned to NJPW, and turned his back on the fans who rejected him, becoming one of the best characters and heels in wrestling in the process. He leads the Los Ingobernables stable, has had 5 star matches with Kenny Omega, Micheal Elgin (and imo with Tanahashi at WK11), and is just a master of working a crowd. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Title, and threw it in the air like a piece of trash. It was amazing.

Kenny Omega - Currently in NJPW, there are three men who could be considered the ace. Okada, Naito and Kenny Omega. Omega is probably the most popular wrestler in NJPW outside of Japan, due to him being Canadian. He's the leader of Bullet Club, and is one of the greatest wrestlers on the planet today. Theres simply nothing Kenny Omega can't do. But he has two modes: if he keeps his shirt on in a match, expect more comedy, but if the shirts off you're in for the match of the night because thats when he gives 100%. Last year he became the first gaijin to win the G1 Climax Tournament, and went on to have a 6 star classic match with Okada in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom. Since losing, he's been searching for the answer of "why can't I win big matches", and his current goal is to walk into the upcoming NJPW shows in America as champion, no matter what.

Hiroshi Tanahashi - The former ace of NJPW. He's the man who pulled NJPW out of the dark ages. A wildly popular rockstar of a man, who is still one of the best big match workers in all of wrestling, even now that he's slowing down. He's had classic matches with just about every big name on the NJPW roster, and I don't think you can count him out just yet. He's currently a member of the weird Taguchi Japan stable, and doing lots of 6 man tag matches, but I can't help but feel he'll be chasing singles gold again soon.

Katsuyori Shibata - Shibata is an interesting case. He debuted alongside Tanahashi and Nakamura and with them he was part of the chosen future of the company. But when things got rough for NJPW, he jumped ship to go do MMA fights instead. With his 4-10-1 record, it is often considered pretty bad for him, but when he came back to wrestling, he seemed more legitimate than ever and wants to fight his way to the top instead of being handed the title. He's the anti-hero face that everyone wants in wrestling, a true badass who will fight until the very end... which he might have in his recent main event with Okada. Due to a combonation of dehydration due a longer match than he's used to, and a dangerous shoot headbutt spot, he had to get surgery on his head following the match and might never wrestle again, but if his music hits again, the pop will likely be thunderous.

Minoru Suzuki -  48 fights, 29 wins & 19 losses. That is the MMA record of former King of Pancrase Minoru Suzuki. He's the leader of Suzuki-Gun, and someone who would break your arm off and laugh at your suffering. He's the best bastard heel on the planet, a legitimate badass, and he scares me. He's held both the AJPW Triple Crown Championship, and NOAH's GHC Heavyweight Championship, and only needs the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to be one of few men to hold all three of Japans top belts, and even at 48 years old, age might not be enough to stop him. He's an ageless badass.

Tomohiro Ishii - Ishii is one of the most underrated men in NJPW, as he can be slotted in as a top guy at any time and he'll put on a fantastic match. Just an incredible worker when motivated in a singles match, but usually does tag work with other members of CHAOS, usually Toru Yano. But there are moments of brilliance in all of his matches.

Those are the major players in the company in my eyes but here’s some fun minor characters:

Ryusuke Taguchi - The funky weapon, who likes to throw his ass into peoples faces to win matches. When motivated he's one of the most dangerous junior heavyweights on the roster, but he'd rather just have fun. He leads Taguchi Japan, which is a stable of random members of the roster who for some reason united under the flag of The Funky Weapon. It's awesome just trust me.

Bad Luck Fale - A huge, slow beast of a man. Currently the longest running member of Bullet Club, being the first person to join Prince Devitt's (WWE's Finn Balor) new stable back in 2013. He's a constant force that is protected in singles action and that makes him dangerous. In tournaments he's a spoiler. Don't bet against Fale, he's kill your brackets and your dreams. He's gotten singles wins over most big names in current NJPW, and is a hard guy to predict. Fear the Underboss of Bullet Club.

Tama Tonga - A future breakout star for NJPW, since his awesome performance in the G1 Climax last year, Tonga has just been getting better and better with each match. He's got a unique in ring style where he uses his speed to confuse an opponent before striking. Always fun to watch, and I see singles success in his future, as well as more tag success with his brother:

Tanga Loa - Camacho. Does anyone remember Camacho? Teamed with Hunico in WWE? No? Well he’s in Japan now with his brother and they’re pretty great. He's a brawler, and that's about it. It works in tag matches but don't expect much from a singles match with him.

Ricochet - The human incarnation of flippt shit. He busts out 630 sentons like they're nothing, it's incredible. But beyond that he's just a fantastic and well rounded wrestler.

Will Ospreay - The best high flyer in wrestling but needs to slow the fuck down before he kills his knees. He's only 23, and already one of the best in the world, and only gets better as he expands his style.

Jushin Thunder Liger - Iconic legend of juniors wrestling, character was based off an anime which is much less known than Liger himself, still wrestles but has slowed down a bit. He's 52 years old and can still outwrestle most juniors on the roster.

Tiger Mask W - Not Kota Ibushi

Kota Ibushu - A freelancer who turned down a full time WWE contract to do weird shit in Japan, used to team with Kenny Omega as The Golden Lovers but they broke up and have soap opera level drama AND JUST NEED TO MAKE UP ALREADY. He's also not Tiger Mask W.

Togi Makabe - Bruiser Brody 2.0

Ropongi Vice - Trent Barreta (yes, that Trent from WWE) and Rocky Romero just wanna have a good time in Ropongi, but have to wrestle too but are very good at it. Rocky is one of the best tag wrestlers around, and Barreta is becoming one of the best too.

Sanada - A member of Los Ingobernables De Japon. I can't help but feel like NJPW has big plans for him. He debutted helping Naito win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and has had big singles matches with both Tanahashi and Okada, but has never held singles gold. (only member of L.I.J to not get a singles title) He's an incredibly agile, handsome, and skilled wrestler, expect big things from him in the future.

Evil - A member of Los Ingobernables De Japon, is Evil and has lasers.

Hiromu Takahashi - The Joker mixed with Kefka mixed with a Pro Wrestler, he will kill himself so long as he kills his opponent at the same time. Has a fetish where he needs to lick everything he touches.

BUSHI - Evil Luchador who spits mist in peoples eyes and has really fucking cool masks.

Yujiro Takahashi - The Godfather but Japanese, the only Japanese member of Bullet Club, formerly teamed with Tetsuya Naito as No Limit

Micheal Elgin - The worlds strongest Canadian, likely lives in a gym.

Satoshi Kojima - Heir to the lariat, will take your head off with it, loves bread (seriously follow this guy on Twitter, his broken english tweets are as wholesome as his lariats are stiff)

David Finlay Jr. - Son of Fit Finlay, getting very good

Tomaki Honma - Gravely voiced fan favorite who usually loses but is always fun, he uses his head a weapon, started his career in Big Japan Wrestling where he was the first person to use light tubes in a deathmatch, and is currently on the shelf with a very major neck injury and might never wrestle again.

Toru Yano - A comedy relief wrestler who just wants you to buy his DVD and will keep beating your faves with upset victories until you do

Yuji Nagata - Some would say Nagata is the former ace of NJPW during the dark years, but no one really wants to take that title. But he's a fantastic worker even in his old age, one of the last of his generation of NJPW.

Hirooki Goto - A man who could challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship a thousand more times and still choke every single time, but always have a good match in the process. Seriously, this guy loses 80% of big matches he's in. He's a stiff worker and it's great, but get your head in the game Goto, you can win matches, I know you can!

Kushida - Have you ever watched Back the the Future and thought, ‘this is great but I wish Marty McFly was a wrestler’. Kushida. That’s Kushida.

and just so many more and I could go on forever. There are so many great wrestlers in NJPW, and you really don’t need to know the commentary to enjoy it.

[aion-rsa]

Is The Marvel Villain Problem Solved by the Disney/Fox Deal?

https://ift.tt/2v0S6N3

Bring on the bad guys! Villains like Dr. Doom and Magneto are just what the doctor ordered for the MCU.

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Mike Cecchini

Marvel

Jul 29, 2018

X-Men

Avengers: Infinity War

Fantastic Four

After 20 movies, scratch that...20 wildly successful movies, Marvel Studios, for all of their crowd-pleasing accomplishments, has managed to deliver us exactly three truly memorable villains (Tom Hiddleston's Loki, Michael Keaton's Vulture, and Josh Brolin's Thanos, in case you had to ask). To use some Marvel-speak, we’re right on the cusp of “Phase Four,” and four is one higher than the number of genuinely worthwhile villains they’ve managed to put on the big screen in the last nine years (they've fared better on Netflix with Wilson Fisk, Kilgrave, Mariah Dillard, and Billy Russo, but we're talking about the movies here). 

And while Marvel has struggled to deliver threatening villains since 2008, in that same period of time (and in far fewer movies) Warner Bros. gave us Heath Ledger's immortal Joker performance in The Dark Knight. Even a secondary baddie like Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow carried more weight than most of the punching bags Marvel has delivered. Tom Hardy's Bane not only broke Batman but crafted a nightmarish vision for a Gotham City that looked uncomfortably like New York. Hell, for all their struggles, the DCEU managed to give us Michael Shannon's brilliant General Zod in Man of Steel. So what's Marvel missing?

The Marvel formula is reasonably simple, and it's made even the less impressive films at least thoroughly entertaining. You make your hero, flawed though he or she may be, as enjoyable as possible to watch on screen, you keep the stakes big and loud if not demonstrably high, and you break the tension at every opportunity with some wit. It works. But audiences have caught on to this storytelling sleight-of-hand and realize that there has rarely been a moment where we really thought the villain would come out on top in a battle, let alone a war. The closest we've come is Thanos, with the godlike, reality-warping powers afforded him by the Infinity Stones, and the bonkers cliffhanger ending of Avengers: Infinity War.

There's little doubt that Tom Hiddleston's Loki was the most indispensable bad guy in the MCU. But Loki is very much a god of mischief, not a god of real evil, and with the exception of a few moments in The Avengers, it's far too easy to root for him while he's busy charming everyone in sight. On the other hand, no sane person really wanted to see the Joker, Bane, or Ra's al Ghul succeed in the Dark Knight trilogy.

The best that Iron Man had to offer, the Mandarin, had to be subverted (brilliantly or otherwise, depending on who you ask) in order to steer away from some of the more uncomfortably racist implications of the character for his appearance in Iron Man 3. Was Ben Kingsley's Mandarin memorable? Certainly. Is he a villain truly worthy of the third installment of a massive superhero movie franchise? Probably not.

But when the potential of an all-time great villain like the Red Skull (and a potentially perfect bit of casting in the case of Hugo Weaving) is squandered, something just ain’t right. Anyone remember much of what Johann Schmidt got up to in Captain America: The First Avenger other than get turned into a rainbow at the end? No? Me neither. On the other hand, outside of an exceedingly charming Robert Redford, Captain America: The Winter Soldier lacked one true villain for us to hang our hatred on, instead playing a long game with a redemption arc for the title villain. Nor was Heinrich Zemo ever sufficiently explored in Captain America: Civil War.

There’s an argument to be made that characters like Iron Man and Thor don’t have the most potent jerks in their closets to begin with, so it’s understandable that they’d have to face a parade of soldier villains in the course of their respective franchises. The problem is that, until recently, a sizable chunk of Marvel's best villains simply weren't available for use at Marvel Studios. That, of course, has changed with Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, which finally opens up the doors for the rosters of the X-Men and Fantastic Four to join the ranks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And while the Fantastic Four are a perfect tonal match for the MCU, and the X-Men may present more of a challenge, there's already no shortage of bankable heroes already in play (even accounting for a number of key contracts expiring after Avengers 4). But the Fox deal brings two characters far more important than the collective sum of their parts, and these two characters alone could reinvigorate Marvel movies for the next decade.

I am, of course, talking about Doctor Doom and Magneto.

Doom is arguably the greatest villain in all of comics (with apologies to the Joker). A key inspiration for Darth Vader, and long acknowledged as the driving force of villainy in the Marvel Universe from back when Thanos was just a vision in Jim Starlin's psychedelic explorations, Doom is exactly what has been missing from the MCU. A shadowy dictator with boundless scientific knowledge, a literal nation of his own to command, and an axe to grind. Think of all the technological wonders we've seen Tony Stark unleash on screen. Now imagine all of that and more being wielded by an Eastern European dictator with none of Tony's conscience.

All of the Fantastic Four movies have been deeply flawed, but the sin they all have in common is how grievously they failed the character of Victor Von Doom. My only regret is that Benedict Cumberbatch is already tied to the role of Stephen Strange, because it's difficult to imagine anyone embodying this role to more imperious perfection. Well, maybe Michael Fassbender, which brings me to our next baddie.

When you make your comic book villain Mt. Rushmore, Magneto gets a prominent place, right next to Doctor Doom and the Joker. Marvel is going to have some explaining to do about where mutants have been this entire time. If they want to explain why the world hates and fears mutants, and perhaps why most mutants prefer to keep themselves secret, then it's crucial that Magneto be the first mutant we meet in the MCU. Not only is the master of magnetism one of the most powerful mutants alive, his motivations and sense of purpose would be wholly unique to the mostly one-dimensional baddies Marvel heroes have been gleefully steamrolling. Of course, unlike Doom, who has no cinematic baggage to speak of, Magneto has a legacy of brilliant actors who have defined him. Finding someone who can fill the purple cape of Ian McKellen or Michael Fassbender will be a challenge

Neither of these are one-and-done villains, but nor are they the kinds of video game final bosses we've come to expect in most superhero movies. These are villains who carry so much weight that it's no coincidence that Fox once considered a Magneto solo movie (which eventually morphed into X-Men: First Class) or that Legion showrunner Noah Hawley has been developing a Dr. Doom movie for the studio (the status of this in the wake of the Disney buyout is currently unknown). In fact, the smartest thing Marvel can do to not only help combat superhero movie fatigue but do their best villains right and show fans they're committed to upping the threat level in future movies, is give both Doom and Magneto their own movies, and let that set the tone for their respective heroes' inclusion in the MCU. Warner Bros. is already making noises about giving baddies like Joker, Deathstroke, and Black Adam solo movies, so Disney should get ahead of this trend while they can. 

While both Magneto and Doctor Doom deserve the spotlight treatment as soon as humanly possible, and it would seem the Thanos drip-feed approach is dead after Infinity War, there's one other baddie who comes to the table with the Fox deal who will require a similar assemblage of heroes to combat him when the time comes.

A giant cosmic being who literally drains the life-essence from planets and who has created a handful of marketable cosmic herals for himself? Yes, we'll be happy to meet Galactus briefly in a future Guardians of the Galaxy movie before everyone has to unite to take him on in Marvel's Fantastic Four III or whatever. And this time, you can bet your comic book collection he won't be a purple cloud.

In any case, before we all start falling over ourselves to try and cast the next Wolverine or Professor X, or start salivating at the prospect of a Brad Bird helmed Fantastic Four movie, Marvel Studios should use these key players from their latest acquisition to shore up the one glaring hole the MCU has. But after Tom Hiddleston set the standard, they'd better find some top-drawer talent to embody Doom and Magneto, pronto.

Bring on the bad guys.

(main image art by John Byrne)

from Books https://ift.tt/2B3mDf7

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Roger Federer defeats Rafael Nadal in five-set epic to win Australian Open final

Federer wins 18th slam after five-set battle

He led 1-0 and then 2-1 but was pegged back twice

Rafa broke first in final set and fans feared the worse

"Tennis is a tough sport and we don't have draws but if I could have shared it today with Rafa I would have taken a draw"

Greatest men's player of all time cries after 18th title

The Flashback Slam got the finish it deserved. Deep in the fifth set, Roger Federer’s 18th Slam title hung on a Hawk-Eye challenge. It felt like the whole of Melbourne was ­praying for the computer to rule in Federer’s favour, and when the image came up – showing his forehand landing smack on the line – the roars startled the seagulls out of the rafters.

Federer was equally carried away by this unexpected 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 triumph – the late-career Slam he has been seeking since his last Wimbledon title in 2012. Normally so poised and commanding, he looked shocked when the victory was confirmed, and even slightly goofy. A schoolboy again, waving to his family in the stands. Then he fell to one knee, and the tears broke through. We haven’t seen him weep like that since he lost to Rafael Nadal here in the 2009 final.

Federer v Nadal final pics

In 2017, Federer was crying tears of joy. He had arrived in Melbourne with the vague ambition of reaching the fourth round, or maybe the quarter-final. No pundit picked him for a title, after the six months he took away from the game last year, but from the moment he beat ­Tomas Berdych on the first Friday, the Fed Express began to roll.

Admittedly, the departure of the two top seeds – Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic – helped to open up the draw, but Federer’s path was a challenging one nevertheless. Sunday’s final was his third five-setter of the fortnight – a heavy schedule for any player, let alone a 35-year-old with a dodgy adductor muscle. Especially when it ended in a 3hr 37min showdown with Nadal, the man who had stymied him so many times in the past.

Legend: Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates his victory against Spain's Rafael Nadal Credit: Getty Images 

Federer was up against history, precedent and a five-year age gap. But he had one thing on his side – that wizard’s wand of a racket, which delivers strokes no-one else can play. Throughout Sunday’s final, Federer was on the front foot, beating a regular path to the net.

In football terms, this was the sort of match where one team is constantly bearing down on goal, while the other floods their own penalty area, hoping to tough out the 90 minutes and steal a winner on the break. Nadal began in subdued fashion, receiving serve from many metres behind the baseline and trying to soak up Federer’s blitzkrieg rather than launching regular attacks of his own.

The most decorated players in Open-era tennis

The problem for Nadal was that this year’s faster courts favoured risk-takers, and Federer was gambling on almost every ball. Nadal was showing the after-effects of the 4hr 56min semi-final against Grigor Dimitrov, which finished late on Friday. “That was a long battle, both mentally and physically” said ­Nadal’s coaching assistant, Carlos Moya. “I think he didn’t recover as well as we needed.” Nadal added that he had been missing “a little bit of speed today compared to the last day in my legs probably”.

How, then, did Roger and Rafa find themselves in such a hard-fought scrap? It should not have been that close, given Federer’s overall superiority. But when you play on the edge of human capabilities, as he did on Sunday, there will be periods when the ball rejects your commands.

Credit: AP

One such spell came early in the second set, when he somehow lost four successive games in a rush of shanked groundstrokes and botched volleys. Another arrived at the start of the fourth set, when a single wild forehand seemed to sabotage his timing for the 10 minutes it took Nadal to move 4-1 ahead.

Nadal was holding firm, like a poker player with a weak hand but a strong nerve. Then, when we moved into the decider, he found a burst of adrenaline. The old pulverising forehand finally came to the party, helping him break in the opening game and move out to a 3-1 lead.

Respect: Rafs congratulates Roger Credit: AP

At that moment, the energy of the crowd – who delivered a series of standing ovations – seemed to lift Federer. He broke back in the fifth game, then started to motor with the help of the rally of the match – a 26-shot exchange that ended with a classic Federer forehand up the line. As with so many shots we saw on Sunday, he made contact with that one only a few inches after the bounce.

“I told myself to play free,” he said afterwards. “That’s what we discussed with Ivan [Ljubicic] and Severin [Luthi] before the match. You play the ball, you don’t play the opponent. Be free in your head, be free in your shots, go for it. The brave will be rewarded here. I didn’t want to go down seeing forehands rain down on me from Rafa.”

Stretched to the limit: and eventually even the iron man from Menorca broke Credit: Getty

Yet there was disquiet among some observers, notably Pat Cash in the BBC radio commentary box, about a medical time-out called by Federer just before the fourth set. “Legal cheating,” was Cash’s description. It was only the ninth time Federer had requested a medical time-out in his 1,332 matches on the tour. But two of those incidents have now come back-to-back, after he did exactly the same thing in his semi-final against Stan Wawrinka. “No opinion about that,” said Nadal on Sunday night. “I don’t know what’s ­going on.”

Roger hugs his wife Credit: Eurosport

Federer tried to clarify the situation. “My leg has been hurting me since the [Noah] Rubin match [in the second round],” he said. “Today I felt my quad midway through the second set already, and the groin started to hurt midway through the third set. I just told myself, ‘The rules are there so that you can use them.’ I think we shouldn’t be abusing the system but I’ve led the way for 20 years. So I don’t know what he [Cash] is talking about.”

Credit: Eurosport

12:38PM

Roger Federer quotes

Thank you Rafa. He said so many lovely things.

I don't think that we could have thought when we were at his academy that we would be here in a final. 

Tennis is a tough sport and we don't have draws but if I could have shared it today with Rafa I would have taken a draw.

I work hard but then so do lots of other people, there are some legends in this game.

I have had a difficult last six months and I did not know if I was going to make it here so thank you guys. Thank you.

Keep playing Rafa, please. Tennis needs you. Thank you for everything you do.

Thanks to the fans for making us fight harder, to keep trying one more time. You guys make it special. I have been coming for almost 20 years and I have always enjoyed it and now my family does top. Thanks.

Hope to see you next year. I cannot be more happy.

"tennis doesn't have draws, but if it did, I'd have been happy sharing this trophy with Rafa." Federer is truly great, grand and gracious.

— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) January 29, 2017

12:35PM

Here comes Roger Federer

Gets the trophy from Rod Laver and they hug. What a lovely moment.

Credit: Eurosport

12:31PM

Rafael gets his trophy

Congratulations to Roger and all his team. Amazing how well he is playing after such  a long time on the tour. I am very happy for him.

And a great month for me, I spent a whole month in Australia and had a great time. Great country, fantastic people. Everywhere I have played the atmosphere and sport has been incredible.

Some injuries, not new that for me [laughs], I worked very hard. Great match. He had a bit more than me. I am just going to keep trying, but I feel I am back at a very high level. I will keep fighting.

This is a beautiful trophy (gestures to his runners up plate) but not as nice as that one!

Many thanks to all the sports fans. See you next year. Thanks to everyone.

Rafa Nadal Credit: Eurosport

12:27PM

Hopefully we will get to the bit we actually wanted to see

Rod Laver will present the trophies. Rafa, of course, first.

Shhhhhhhh!!! It's Roger Federer

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) January 29, 2017

12:26PM

They let some suit from GM Motors do a speech

General Motors. NOT GENERAL TENNIS THOUGH IS IT.

Oh and now a Tennis Australia wonk to say thanks to Emirates airlines and Jacob's Creek Lady Petrol. What a buzzkill. NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU COBBERS

Blah blah sponsors blah

  12:23PM

Who will present?

Yep, it is that man.  Rod Laver. An idol of Roger's. This will mean a great deal.

Rod Laver Credit: Eurosport

12:18PM

Roger Federer defeats Rafael Nadal three sets to two

 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Fantastic. Reaction follows.

Tears of a champ Credit: Eurosport

12:13PM

game in running

But this is a fantastic return from Nadal. No answer to it. 0-15.

A very long rally next point, Fed gambles on a backhand. Unfurls it.... long! 0-30

Roger with a much-needed ace. 15-30

Magnificent return from Nadal, putting Roger under huge pressure, high ball.... Nadal very, very close to the net as he volleys the winner. 15-40. Oh Roger. He has seen this movie before.

Ace from Federer. 30-40.

But now he needs the second serve. I fear the worse for Roger in these longer rallies. But he gambles on a forehand, close to his body, shoulder high, wonderful technique to get up and over that. Winner! 40-40

Unreturnable serve A-40

Roger has match point

Serves. Called out. Roger challenges. Successfully. Gets his first serve back. This first serve out too. Challenges. Unsuccessfully. Loses the point. 40-40

Bangs down a mighty serve. A-40

Roger has second match point

Serves. Nadal returns. into the centre of the court. Roger has time. He picks his spot. Hits very close to the line. in? out? They need Hawk Eye. Would you believe it?

THE BALL IS GOOD! ROGER FEDERER WINS THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

12:09PM

Roger Federer serves for the match

with new balls

12:09PM

Nadal 3 Federer* 5 (*denotes next server) two sets each   

Now then! Is this the moment? Nadal, serving. It's 0-30. What can the great Swiss produce? What can the great Spaniard do? Well, not this. He's hit a double fault! Oh Rafa. He has drained the ball into the net, first signs of tiredness or pressure? 

0-40. Three break points. Brutal power from Rafa on the serve, sends Roger out wide, RN hammers home the winner.

Sheer cojones from Rafa to keep producing his best work. It's 30-40. Two break points saved.

But chances now? A second serve. And not a great one. But Roger has mis-hit it. Out. Third break point saved.

It's deuce. Rafa misses with the first serve down the tee. And now we have the rally of the match. Fantastic tennis, and emblematic of these two great players throughout their careers. Rafa thumping out forehand after forehand, brutal and relentless, like a man chopping wood. Roger with his backhand, precision and footwork. He moves Rafa around, he opens an opportunity. He produces the scalpel down the line and it's his point. Another BP.

Nadal with a serve of focused rage. Deuce.

Roger wins the next point too, though. Fist pump. The players trading blows.

Nadal goes for the serve out wide. it is a good serve, but a brilliant return. Roger gets a great angle back across the court, Rafa gets to it, but drills his drie into the net post. Game Federer. A break

11:59AM

Nadal* 3 Federer 4 (*denotes next server) two sets each   

Oh, what Roger Federer would give for a cheap hold now. And he gets one! Wins the service game to love, sealing the deal with an ace. Yaaas Roger!

The warrior: Nadal trailed in sets twice Credit: EPA

11:57AM

Nadal 3 Federer* 3 (*denotes next server) two sets each   

The longest rally of the match (only 18 shots, which tells you the aggressive tempo Fed has played, almost trying to make this an indoor game) comes to an end as Roger creams a backhand winner.  Wins the next point as well. 0-30. What has Nadal got? Well, a net cord, for starters. Second service. But heavy work from Nadal wins that point. Wide serve, close to unreturnable, simple kill. 30-30. But now Nadal hits long! Does he? Hawk Eye review. Yep long. That is 30-40.

Is this it for Roger? The crowd roar him on. Big moment. 4/13 BPs for him. 4/15 for Rafa....

Make that 4/14. Nadal gave him no chance with the serve. 40-40. Should/would have wrapped this up but got a net cord.

Second deuce. GLORIOUS crosscourt backhand from Roger Federer, he unloaded on that and it was far from a sitter.

That's A-40 and gives Federer his sixth break point.....

Nadal has hit a groundstroke wide! Federer breaks back

11:50AM

Nadal* 3 Federer 2 (*denotes next server) two sets each  

Nadal races to the net, dinks a volley down the line. But that's about as good as it gets for him, Federer wraps this game up without too much alarm.

He has created chances on the Nadal serve but has not been able to convert.

Nadal not missing in important moments. #storyofthematch#storyoftherivalry#storyofhiscareer

— Svenja Mastroberardi (@svenja_mastro) January 29, 2017

11:45AM

Nadal 3 Federer* 1 (*denotes next server) two sets each  

Fed needs the break sooner rather than later. and at 30-15, he plays a couple of big. expressive, expansive shots. Lovely crosscourt winner! It's 30-30. Nadal looks physically pained.

Another vintage Fed backhand lands. It's a break point for Roger, 40-A.

But the Spaniard lays down a brutal forehand across the court, raising his aggression levels when the situation demanded it. Fed now hits too long and Nadal has a golden chance to get out of this tricky service game.

That unpleasant body serve does the trick once again. Game Rafa.

11:37AM

Nadal* 2 Federer 1 (*denotes next server) two sets each 

A tight line review goes Roger's way, and now he produces the archetypal serve-volley point. Serve out wide, in to the net, picks the ball up off his toes for the volley winner. A love-hold for Fed keeps him in touch.

One more time? Roger Federer stretches for a shot in his Aus Open Final against Nadal Credit: Reuters

11:35AM

Nadal 2 Federer* 0 (*denotes next server) two sets each 

Roger with some of the old flourish here as he slots a backhand down the line and another one whipped across court. The crowd erupts. Federer suddenly back at the races, it's 15-40 and Nadal has two break points to deal with.

Huge moment, perhaps, as Fed scampers to a half-court ball and, surprisingly, lashes the ball backhand into the net. Strongly fancied him to bury that. That's 30-40, then a mis-hit return from Roger off the body serve. Nadal threads the needle to hit the winner down the line and it is back to deuce.

A net cord does Roger a huge solid! It dribbles over onto Rafa's side and dies on the spot. 40-A.

But Nadal redoubles his efforts and holds.

11:29AM

one thing at a time

"Rafa wins, it's 15-17, literally game on for most slams ever. If Roger wins, it's 18-14. I don't know if that gets made up" -- Andy Roddick pic.twitter.com/V4eCYAxHbF

— Michael Beattie (@michaeljbeattie) January 29, 2017

11:27AM

Nadal* 1 Federer 0 (*denotes next server) two sets each

Mats Wilander thinks that Nadal is emboldened by the Fed time out. "Obviously Roger had to take it, but it sends a signal to your opponent." Sure enough, Nadal puts big pressure on the Federer serve and soon has him on the ropes at 15-40. Roger plays a big point to take it 30-40 but then hits a forehand well wide, Federer looking a little subdued in that game. Rafael Nadal breaks serve

11:25AM

The great man re-emerges

It's a one-set shootout and it is Federer to serve.

11:21AM

Roger has gone off court for a medical time out

Rafael sits.

Pat Cash re: Roger Federer's timeout on BBC: “It’s cheating and it’s being allowed. It’s legal cheating but it’s still not right.”

— James Willoughby (@jwilloughby26) January 29, 2017

11:16AM

Nadal wins the fourth set 6-3

No chance for Roger in that. Clinical, powerful, no nonsense.

As many hoped and many were expecting, we will go to a fifth set

11:14AM

Nadal* 5 Federer 3 (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1   

Worrying sign Roger here at 30-30, Nadal dishes up a rare soft one, Federer puts a simple winner well wide. He's made, I think, 47 unforced errors against Nadal's 19. 50 winners to 22 also paint a clear picture of who is playing the more expansive game.

Anyway, he holds his serve but Nadal will serve with new balls for the set.

11:10AM

Nadal 5 Federer* 2 (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1  

Nadal puts his foot down, thumping serves, no real chances for Rog in this set and it's soon game to love.

11:08AM

Nadal* 4 Federer 2 (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1  

Federer in trouble in this set, serving at 1-4 down. This seems to somehow free him up. Two aces. Flashes of imperiousness there. And of looseness as well, a dismal overhead. 30-40 down. Federer operating in a wider band now between excellence and some sloppy stuff. Two more aces get him out of trouble. Strange game.

11:03AM

Nadal 4 Federer* 1 (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1 

Man alive what a shot that was from Rafael Nadal! Unbelievable. Roger plays what he surely thought was a winner, forehand that goes into the corner and onwards. From way wide out on the court, Nadal somehow produces a low cross court passing shot on the forehand. Game.

Credit: Eurosport

Federer applauds on his racket.

Credit: Eurosport

10:54AM

Nadal* 3 Federer 1 (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1 

But this game is the upsetter! Roger suddenly drops his level, concentration perhaps, a couple of loose shots. Nadal pounces. Two loose forehands, a backhand volley in to the net and before you know it, the never-give-up Spanish hero has cracked this set wide open.

All right, can't resist. Federer has never been up two sets to one on Nadal and lost.

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) January 29, 2017

Zip it, Chris. 

10:52AM

Nadal 2 Federer* 1 (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1

And that pattern continues here in the third,

10:49AM

Nadal* 1 Federer 1  (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1

The Swiss in his turn with a pretty stress free service game.

10:48AM

Nadal 1 Federer* 0 (*denotes next server). Roger leads 2-1

Nadal to serve, start of the fourth, and he has produced a fine game with little fuss.

10:45AM

Fourth set incoming

Eurosport are running a ticker across the bottom of the screen about how Sky might be no platforming them - I will write about this in a bit.

To the main event

10:42AM

Greg

Ridiculous Good tennis!How well is Fed taking the ball on the rise.Will we look back at those 3 aces on BP at start of 3rd as key for Fed?

— Greg Rusedski (@GregRusedski1) January 29, 2017

10:36AM

Roger Federer wins the third set 6-1. Leads two sets to one.

Perhaps inevitably, Fed drops his level after that double break. his recent service games have been commanding. not this one. He fiddles his way through, it's 40-40. But he dusts himself down, he manages to hold, and that is the game. Roger Federer wins the third set 6-1.

10:34AM

Nadal 1 Federer* 5 (* denotes next server) one set all   

A couple in the crowd have just got engaged. "What a story, to do it during Federer-Nadal," says the commentator. "The guy can't have had it planned for very long, can he?" says Mats Wiladner.

Nadal looking rattled. It's 30-30. A glorious backhand return from Federer. Nadal is broken again!

10:24AM

Nadal* 1 Federer 4 (* denotes next server) one set all  

Federer needs quick points, if he is going to win, he wants as short a match as possible. Before Nadal's head-to-head record plays on his mind and his 35-year-old body is put through the mill.

What does this look like? Well, he is looking to attack early in points in tactical terms, and he is literally taking the balls early, trying to get after every ball.

It works well in this service game, which he wins to love.

10:21AM

Nadal 1 Federer* 3 (* denotes next server) one set all  

Federer's tactics are working! He is hurrying Nadal, literally taking the ball early, and even volleying where he need not. The cumulative effect is of relentless pressure on the Spanish great. A volley makes it 15-40 on Nadal's serve. he saves that first BP. But here is the second. The crowd roar. Strong serve out wide from the A court, no realistic chance of returning that. It's deuce. Glorious crosscourt forehand from RF, it beats Nadal, whose weight I think was going in the other direction. 

It's deuce. Nadal dark and stormy, ferocious forehand, huge intensity from him. That beats Roger on the cross court and now he moves in menacingly behind his serve to bash a volley home and get himself out of jail. Three break points saved.

Credit: Eurosport

Briggsy: "Now dark overhead and the seagulls settling on the rafters. Always danger of badly timed poo on the court or feather floating down, a la the 2013 final.

Remember somebody saying that Ivan Lendl had prepared Andy for every scenario, but hadn't covered the mating patterns of the local birdlife."

10:12AM

Nadal* 0 Federer 3 (* denotes next server) one set all 

And Federer presses home his advantage with a clinical, elegant serve-volley game. Quick is the way for Roger in this match. He has hit ten winners in this set so far, Nadal just one.

If I were a betting man...

Hoping its 5 setter game. I can't get enough of these two. I don't want this game to end. #FedererNadal

— Shivam (@ShivamChatak) January 29, 2017

10:09AM

Nadal 0 Federer* 2 (* denotes next server) one set all 

Shot of the match, no question. Nadal hammers a groundstroke to  a perfect length but Federer whips it off his toes with a passing shot on the half volley. Nadal marooned far behind that baseline. That sets up a break point, Federer wins it and he has broken Nadal.

10:04AM

Nadal* 0 Federer 1 (* denotes next server) one set all

Roger Federer gets to work in the third set. An ace. Soon it's 40-0, but hopes of a much-needed cheap game are temporarily arrested when he gives Nadal a chance at a forehand pass. The man from Menorca needs no second invitation. Drives a winner down the line. Roger now hits a simple-ish groundstroke long, and makes a poor volley into the net. That 40-0 is soon deuce. And when Roger runs around the ball to hit a forehand cross. Into the net. Break point. Big moment.

Roger Federer aces! But loses the next two. Back to deuce after a good serve. But Roger now comes into the net and again drains it into the net. This feels like the key moment in the match, this game. Fed simply has to get out of this. It's 40-A. A wonderful wide serve gives him an ace. Federer drawing on all his huge reserves of heart and character here, Nadal lurking like a panther in the undergrowth.

Federer peels off a heavily spinning backhand and wins the point. A-40. Beautiful backhand now from Federer, Nadal cannot respond. He has held service. Three, I think, aces in that match, some great backhands, Federer had to give his all in that game. It's still only worth one!

9:55AM

Rafael Nadal wins the second set 6-3. One set all.

Rafa serving. Takes his time over the first one. And it pays off. 15-0. Sends Fed out wide now, return comes back, and it's easy pickings to put that into the great wide open spaces. 30-0. Roger cannot really get a toehold on this game, 40-0 before you know it and another wide serve puts Rafa firmly in control of what soon turns out to be the decisive point, Fed hitting long. That's game and the second set to Rafael Nadal.

Simon Briggs: "With any luck we might get them both playing well at same time in set 3, which is probably the match."

9:52AM

Nadal* 5 Federer 3 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4    

And Roger in his turn has won a service game with little ceremony, up on his toes to place a forehand crosscourt that seals the deal. Even still, Rafa now serves for the second set.

9:50AM

Nadal 5 Federer* 2 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4   

Roger never really at the races in this game and Nadal holds with the minimum of fuss.

9:47AM

Nadal* 4 Federer 2 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4   

Double fault from Roger, but he puts it behind him now with a purring cross court forehand that wrong-foots Rafa and he wraps up the game. Still a break down but, if nothing else, he has stopped the mental demons of that four game flat spot.

9:42AM

Nadal 4 Federer* 1 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4  

A lesser man might be tempted to write this second set off as a bad job and regroup, but Federer dusts himself down and raises his game. He wins two quick points and it is 0-30. Albeit that Nadal wins the next two points, Fed not giving it up without a fight in this game. At 30-30, Federer attacks the second serve and slays it with a crosscourt stroke of real elan. Another break point! And Roger has done it, Rafa forced into attempting a low percentage running passing shot, it needed to be a worldie, it wasn't, and the handsome Swiss had all the time in the world to knock it into the empty court, as causal as a man knocking the top of a thistle off with a walking stick, if I may borrow from the classics.

Simon Briggs: "Roger's timing seems to be coming back but that four-game run felt like a classic mental fade, the scarring of a brutal head-to-head record. He complained the other day that he played Rafa too often on clay in the early days. Mind you, if he had taken his mach points in Rome that early time, in 2006, it might not have stacked up on him so quickly"

9:38AM

Nadal* 4 Federer 0 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4  

Suddenly, Roger has that sickening feeling of shifting the gear stick and finding nothing there. This is a horrid service game from him, he has made some unforced errors and before you know it that's a second break for Nadal.

9:32AM

Nadal 3 Federer* 0 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4 

But now it is Rafa's turn to be put through the mill on serve. Roger has answered the call and he shows great creativity, and Djokovic-like elasticity at the net to make it 40-A for the second time in the match. 9/12 points won at the net for Roger. Can he break back? Long rally. He's on top, but Nadal never gives up, like a dog with a postman's trousers. Back to 40-40. Both players hitting their groundstrokes deep, deep, deep. Very few easy points to be had. Roger has put one just long. And Nadal then puts the hammer down with a thumping first serve and he has held his serve.

9:24AM

Nadal* 2 Federer 0 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4 

Bit of a shaky start to this service game, 0-15 and it's the Federer second serve. Nadal moving him around the court, always feels like he is on top here, the sheer force of Nadal pressurising Roger into an error. 

At 15-30, Roger gets the benefit of a net cord. He needed that. His wife sighs in relief! She looks really stressed.

Rafa wins the next point and has a break point. It's electric there now. Roger's first serve sees him through this first mini crisis.

But at 40-40, Rafa thinks he has put Roger away, but Fed produces a wonderful running attempted passing shot... Nadal snuffs out its hopes at the net. Another break point.

Nadal is well on top in this point, he has raised his game in this set, he is putting it up to Roger with a series of crunching forehands and Federer is broken by them.

9:19AM

Nadal 1 Federer* 0 (* denotes next server) Roger took first set 6-4

A long rally at 30-15, Rafa has come out swinging here. He is really putting a hurtin' on those tennis balls now, huge thumping forehands, Roger hanging on with his precise, sliced backhands, looking almost delicate in comparison, but might not elegance wins the day in this game.

Briggs: "Bit sharper from Rafa there, maybe he is getting the stiffness out of his legs. More of the route-one FH to BH stuff too. In his opening 6 matches, Nadal was getting the 2nd ball after the serve on his forehand 64% of the time. Tonight? 23% (h/t Channel 7) But maybe changing."

9:16AM

Reader John Mc Enerney writes

Morning Alan, for years I've been racking my brain to find a cinematic rivalry similar to the RRR(Roger Rafa Rivalry). Finally it came to me while trying to put one of my 18mth old twins back to sleep at 0400, Gregory(Fed)Peck up against Robert(Rafa)Mitchum in Cape Fear. Peck is all style, class & almost perfect up against Mitchum rugged ruthless & sweaty. Fed in 4 or Rafa in 5! Too close to call. Enjoy it. Class coverage as always. John

I like that a lot. Somebody mentioned Ali-Frazier in the build-up. I was thinking maybe more Ali-Foreman, the snakey movement against those thumping blows. But Peck and Mitchum is better still.

9:14AM

Here's David Law

"Importance of first set? Federer has beaten Nadal just twice in 11 matches at Slams. Both times he won the first set."

9:12AM

Roger Federer wins the first set 6-4

Ooh Roger. That lovely backhand working its magic now. Rafa has no answer to this game. Two aces in it. It's game and the first set to the Swiss.

Here is Simon Briggs: "Roger loving the off-backhand return from the deuce court, hitting it into the Rafa BH. Against Grigor, Rafa started out hitting over 80pc forehands behind his serve. By end of match it was down to around 60pc, which was one reason the match got close"

9:09AM

Nadal 4 Federer* 5 (* denotes next server)    

The pressure's on Rafa right now. Roger assays a backhand down the line off his serve, just out but the signs are good. 30-40. But Rafa wraps it up and obliges Federer to serve for the first set.

Simon Briggs: "Apparently the dance beat is from Piknik Elektronik, whatever you make of that!"

Not a lot, to be honest. Still, in the Telegraph office there is a constant high-pitched whine - not one of my colleagues, I mean - a faulty alarm or something. Not ideal for first thing on a Sunday.

9:05AM

Nadal* 3 Federer 5 (denotes next server)    

Ooh, Roger fans. Your man is looking very good. He's rattling through this game, he has got Rafa right where he wants him here and he consolidates this break of serve, sealing it with an ace.

9:03AM

Here is Simon Briggs

Crowd getting into this now. I make it eight winners for Roger so far, and only one for Rafa which came by virtue of a cheeky netcord. Rafa not beating up Roger's BH either. Maybe a bit flat after the Grigor epic? Rafa also returning serve from incredibly far back, which feels a bit negative. Great early signs for Roger fans

9:03AM

Nadal 3 Federer* 4 (denotes next server)   

Shot of the match so far from Roger, a leaping backhand smash, to make it 0-15. So graceful.

Lovely backhands down the line from Roger, he's got Rafa under some pressure here, each shot landing right on the baseline. Rafa misses wide! It's 15-30. And this is the point of the match so far! Rafa with his heavy metal forehand, forcing Roger back and wide, but the Swiss hangs in there with his backhand. And he turns the pressure back onto Rafa, who dishes one up. Roger pounces and it is 15-40! Roger on top in this point too, and Nadal had hit it wide. Roger Federer with a break of serve.

that's what a break of serve looks like Credit: Eurosport

8:58AM

Nadal* 3 Federer 3 (denotes next server)   

Roger answers with an acute, dominating service game of his own. Neither of these two greats letting the rival get on top for long yet. Fascinating duel.

8:54AM

Nadal 3 Federer* 2 (denotes next server)  

Sheer blunt force trauma from Rafa here as he produces a trio of points peppered with heavy, thumping forehands. He's blown Roger away in this game, game to love before you know it.

8:52AM

Nadal* 2 Federer 2 (denotes next server)  

Roger's most impressive game yet. Backhand working well, and he has the confidence to come into the net. Takes this game to 15, he has moved Rafa around the court a lot in these points. Not sure you can rely on tiring Nadal out as a strategy, but could that gruelling semi come into play if the match goes deep?

Simon Briggs: "weirdly loud dance music seeping in from somewhere nearby, it must be quite distracting for the players."

8:48AM

Nadal 2 Federer* 1 (denotes next server) 

Talking of that Fed forehand, a lovely whipped winner down the line makes it 0-15. Rafa dealing with a few issues in this game, not the least of which is a double fault that makes it 30-30. On second serve, Roger is on top in this rally but a net cord does Rafa a big favour. Roger's backhand return into the net and that's game, but Federer will be feeling encouraged I fancy.

8:44AM

Nadal* 1 Federer 1 (denotes next server) 

Early signs are that Roger has got his work cut out. Rafa is working him on the first two points here, testing out that backhand, and Roger has put a crosscourt one into the net. At 15-15, second serve, the first hint of a moment. Rafa very (over) aggressive as he attacks down the line, well wide.

Federer starting to impose a little authority with a commanding backhand to set up an emphatic point. But Nadal hanging in this game. It's 40-30. Big wide serve, Rafa gets it back, a minor victory. Game Roger. His forehand looking well.

8:40AM

Nadal 1 Federer* 0 (denotes next server)

Rafa needs second serves for the first two points. Both long rallies. Both won by Rafa after vaguely unforced errors from Roger. He puts a forehand into the net, then hits one long. A late call on that. Roger mutters something. Rafa gets a first serve in, and that's a quick point. 40-0. And he has soon wrapped the game up to love.

8:37AM

The players are ready

It's Rafael Nadal to serve.

8:37AM

The calm before the storm.

The knock-up.

Nadal has won the toss and will serve.

Commentator: "not expecting a great match, but I am expecting a great battle."

8:32AM

Umpire gives the players a few last minute instructions

Feel of the prizefight about this! Roger cool, still, Sphynx-like. Rafa bouncing on his toes, moving and shaping, especially suggestive of a boxer.

8:28AM

Roger comes out first

Huge ovation.

And ditto for Rafa.

Two great champions, two great players, two very good blokes as well IMHO. My personal preference is for Roger but, as Boris Becker says, either would be an extremely popular winner.

8:25AM

Tennis correspondent Simon Briggs

Sun just going down behind the steel ramparts - stadium bathed in unearthly glow. Which seems kind of appropriate.

Credit: Eurosport

8:24AM

Miles Maclagan is in the Gary Neville role  

Good stuff on the Federer movement, and the tactic Rafa uses to hit onto the shoelaces of his opponent.

Also notes that Rafa stands an amazingly long way behind the baseline to receive. 8m!

Credit: Eurosport

8:21AM

Roger speaks

"The comeback has surprised me, if you had asked me six months ago if I would be in a Slam final? The third round win against Berdych has given me a lot of answers."

How have their games changed over the last ten years?  Rafa's serve is more consistent than it was. For me, the bigger racket head means I can swing a bit more freely on the backhand. And I feel I have nothing to lose, which is a new feeling in a Grand Slam.

Credit: Eurosport

Good to see cub reporter Mats Wilander there picking up a day's work. 

8:13AM

Lovely evening there, they're saying 24 degrees on court

Gorgeous summer's evening in Melbourne for #FedererNadalpic.twitter.com/TF3B6DlM1V

— Oliver Brown (@oliverbrown_tel) January 29, 2017

8:11AM

Greg Rudeski

Reckons that having Carlos Moya back on the team, "his childhood mentor", has been a major boost for Rafa. And "that forehand is the best in the game."

8:09AM

Rafael Nadal

"We never thought that we would have this chance again, to be in a final. I am very happy for me, and I am very happy for him."

Credit: Eurosport

8:07AM

Eurosport reporter

Catherine Whitaker says, "I have never seen a man as relaxed as Roger when I saw him just now."

Pat Cash: "Roger may have the slippers on but he might think this is the one he has to win, this would be the one that got away."

Credit: Eurosport

23-11 is the head-to-head.

8:06AM

Have you checked out our tennis podcast?

Boris Becker and John McEnroe have. Not bad guests huh?

John McEnroe believes that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are already the two greatest male tennis players ever to draw breath. Ahead of the final, which will be played on Sunday morning in the UK, McEnroe joined Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) for an interview that we can hear in its entirety here on the Tennis Podcast. 

"They are the two greatest of all-time already, but this gives Roger a change to extend his lead to 18 Slams or Rafa to narrow the gap to just two," said McEnroe. 

So who will win? Boris Becker also comes on the show with BBC Radio 5 Live commentator David Law, and can’t pick between them.

7:54AM

Here's John McEnroe

7:53AM

Tennis correspondent Simon Briggs marks your card

Where the Australian Open final will be won and lost

7:50AM

Here is the rivalry broken down into four stages

By Charlie Eccleshare

After two weeks of gripping tennis, the Australian Open will conclude on Sunday with the dream final of Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal. 

The pair have taken the sport to new heights and over 13 years have lifted the other's game to levels never seen before in the sport. 

Federer has more slams than any male player in the history of the sport with 17, while Nadal is in joint second place with 14. The Spaniard though leads the overall head to head 23-11 and has won nine of the pair's 11 grand slam matches. 

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: The four ages of tennis's greatest rivalry

7:45AM

Talking of that fierce, but respectful, rivalry

Here is our rundown of their greatest battles

7:41AM

Good morning!

A bright and early start in the UK, but what a treat we have in store. Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal, two all-time greats, who have had a wonderful rivalry. It looked like the days of them going head-to-head in a major final had been and gone, but here we are.