Roger Federer believes rival Rafael Nadal will not be unduly affected by his mammoth effort against Fernando Verdasco.

The two Spanish left-handers slugged it out for a record-breaking five hours and 14 minutes before the world number one claimed a five-set win to set up the final every tennis fan was hoping for.

"I don't think Rafa will struggle too much to get over this kind of a match," said Federer, who had a comfortable win against Andy Roddick in his semi on Thursday night.

"He's had an easy tournament so far. This was the tough one. I'm sure he's going to get over it."

You would not expect Federer to have any sympathy for the man who usurped him as world number one and made off with his Wimbledon crown when the pair last met in a truly exhilarating match in London last year.

A now fit and healthy Federer is back and ready to stake his claim in tennis history in Melbourne.

A win tomorrow will give the 27-year-old 14 grand slam titles and will set him alongside American legend Pete Sampras on the all-time list of major winners.

It is a milestone - along with the number of consecutive weeks he spent as number one - that Federer rates above all else.

"It's an unbelievable opportunity for me, of course, not being number one anymore, trying to beat the number one in the world and getting the 14th grand slam," he enthused.

"This is where I won the grand slam to become number one in the world back in 2004, so I've always had a special liaison with this tournament.

"The stage is set for a great match. I hope we can live up to them like we did in Wimbledon.

"I think it's going to be a close match. I think he's playing well, so I'm looking forward to a great match and then hopefully equal Pete's record."

Federer has huge admiration for Sampras, who he beat at Wimbledon in 2001 at the start of his career - the only time the pair ever played each other outside of exhibition matches.

Those exhibition matches in Asia and at Madison Square Garden in New York allowed Federer to spend plenty of time with his former idol but the matter of the record was never really discussed.

"I didn't ask him how many he thought I was going to win, you know. This is not stuff you ask Pete," Federer said.

"But it was, just for me, a great honour to be around Pete for like a week, day in and day out, playing him and practising with him and doing press conferences with him. I had a great time.

"Just being around Pete, such a champion, it was a nice feeling. We just spoke in general a lot, and I think I was more interested in the person than his records really."

When Sampras set the record with victory at the 2002 US Open, few believed it would ever be broken.

But nobody had counted on Federer who has accumulated five Wimbledon, five US Open and three Australian titles to date.

"I think when Pete did it in '02 everyone was saying how kind of lofty an achievement it was. I don't know if we thought we would see it any time soon," said Roddick, who lost to Sampras in the quarter-finals that year.

"Little did we know he (Federer) was going to start it the next year (with his first Wimbledon title) and go after it."

But Nadal somewhat stopped Federer's momentum last year, although it was Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals in Rod Laver Arena who broke his streak of reaching 10 consecutive grand slam finals.

Nadal is looking to become the first Spanish man to win the title at Melbourne Park and should he do so he will become the first player since Andre Agassi to win grand slams on three different surfaces after dominating the French Open for the past four years and finally getting his first win at Wimbledon at the third attempt.

But he is aware the rigours of his win against Verdasco could play a part in the outcome, despite what Federer may think.

"It's always special playing against Federer in any match. To play in another grand slam final is more exciting," said Nadal, who won all four of his matches against the Swiss maestro last year.

"I'm a little bit unlucky in that I don't know how I'm gonna be for the final. But for sure, for me it is amazing to play another final of a grand slam. Here in Australia the first one."