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Roger Federer: recapping 2017 AusOpen, can he defend his title?

By Harry Floyd

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 16: Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates victory in his Singles match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during day five of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 16: Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates victory in his Singles match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during day five of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /
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Roger Federer is the defending champion at the Australian Open. The Swiss great looks to repeat his fantastic performance next month.

Roger Federer kicked of his 2017 ATP World Tour with a Grand Slam title.

Now, the Swiss great is the world No. 2 in men’s singles tennis and is poised to have another breakout year. That could all begin at Melbourne Park next month. Last year, Federer went on an unprecedented run that was capped off with a finals victory over Rafael Nadal.

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Throughout his 2017 Australian Open run, Federer defeated the likes of Tomas Berdych, Kei Nishikori, and Stan Wawrinka among others. Meeting now world No. 1 Nadal in the finals, Federer dug deep and outlasted his friend and rival.

Roger Federer has 5 Australian Open titles to his name.

Just behind Nadal in the rankings, Federer enters the 2018 ATP World Tour capable of jumping back into the top spot. Strong performances in his early tournaments, including at Melbourne Park, could setup the Swiss great to be the best player in men’s singles tennis yet again.

Federer went undefeated against Nadal throughout 2017. While the two swapped Grand Slam singles titles, it was Federer who would best the Spanish superstar in all of their matches. Still though, both players are experiencing a resurgence in their careers. While several top players are returning from injury and many young players are seeing breakouts, Federer and Nadal remain the players to beat at the 2018 Australian Open.

Next: Top 10: Men's Singles Tennis

The edge has to goto Roger Federer at Melbourne Park. His dominance over Nadal as of late combined with his sheer overall brilliance throughout 2017 make him the favorite at the Grand Slam. There is no sign of his game letting up anytime soon. Another player fans will be watching at the Australian Open is former wold No. 1 Andy Murray. He, like others, is returning from injury and is hoping to regain some traction in the men’s singles rankings. Murray is a five-time finalist at the major tournament but is yet to win the title. Novak Djokovic will also be someone to watch as he is a six-time winner at Melbourne Park. Stay tuned to see if Federer can defeat the field and defend his title next month.

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