Federer beats Nadal in epic Aussie final to win 18th major

So here was Roger Federer, down a break in the fifth set in a Grand Slam final. Across the net was his nemesis, Rafael Nadal, the left-handed Spaniard he hadn't been able to beat in a major final in almost a decade.

The 35-year-old father of four was back in his first tour-level tournament after six months off letting his injured left knee recover, and he hadn't won any of the big four events in tennis since Wimbledon 2012. Nadal was returning from injury, too, and somehow the pair had renewed the Roger-Rafa rivalry in a throwback Australian Open final that transcended sport.

23: Serena Williams sets major record with win over Venus

Serena Williams held up a Grand Slam winner's trophy for the 23rd time, celebrating her unrivalled place in history, and received a congratulatory letter and a pair of custom-made shoes from Michael Jordan, the name most synonymous with No. 23.

Venus Williams got to watch from close range again, and shed tears more of joy than regret after being beaten in a major final for the seventh time by her record-breaking younger sister.

Djokovic names his 2016 goal the Djoker Slam

Novak Djokovic has a new goal for the year. He calls it the Djoker Slam.

The No. 1-ranked player has one thing missing from his fast-growing collection of 11 Grand Slam trophies.

"The French Open. It's the one I never won," Djokovic said early Monday, after winning his record sixth Australian Open, but already casting an eye toward Paris. "I'll try to put myself in a position to get that trophy."

Hingis, Mirza win Australian Open doubles title

Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza maintained their perfect record in Grand Slam doubles finals, beating the Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-6 (1), 6-3 at the Australian Open on Friday to extend their winning streak to 36 matches on the way to a third major title.

Hingis, a three-time singles champion at Melbourne Park, and Mirza dominated the first-set tiebreaker preceded by eight service breaks, four by each team.

The Latest: Djokovic wins 1st set vs Federer at Aussie Open

The Latest from the Australian Open on Thursday (all times local):

8:05 p.m.

Novak Djokovic has easily won the first set 6-1 in his semifinal against Roger Federer on Rod Laver Arena.

The top-ranked and defending champion Djokovic started strongly, holding his opening service game to love, then breaking No. 3-ranked Federer's service in the second game to take a 2-0 lead after four minutes. He won the first set in 22 minutes.