What are the odds of two players clashing for the 45th time, with the head-to-head record at 22-22? Well whatever they are, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have beat the odds before today’s epic Australian Open semifinal clash. This has been the ultimate rivalry of the last few years, and sadly for Federer fans, Djokovic has closed the gap between them.

However, Federer has proven time and again that class is permanent. Despite being written off every time he loses against a lower-ranked opponent, he has shown that those were mere blips in the career of a man who has won 17 Grand Slams.