Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal – Fans dig deep into their pockets to watch epic final between two greats

Melbourne: The Australian Open men's singles final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was one of the most anticipated summit clashes in the history of sports.

While fans across the world tuned to their TV sets to watch the high-voltage encounter, those who could afford to watch it live were ready to shell out huge sums of money for a life-time experience.

According to a report in The New York Times, Australian Open offered N.B.A.-style on-court seating for the first time this year. But that came at a heavy price - at an whooping 25,000 Australian dollars (Rs 12, 80, 420), or $18,900, for the men’s final.

While the official tickets were set to be between $400 and $700, considering that both Federer and Nadal made it to the final, resale websites saw tickets going for prices as high as $17,250 on Saturday night.

The hype around the final was such that just minutes before the final, sellers were asking as much as $12,000 for a single admission, reports Daily Mail.

After missing out on action for six months due to a knee injury, Federer proved yet again why he is still the best, with a commendable fightback to stun Rafa in five sets.

Prior to the final, Nadal had a 3-0 lead over the Swiss at the Australian Open.