Australian Open: Federer shatters records with 20th grand slam title

Roger Federer last night added further lustre to his legend when he claimed a record-equalling sixth Australian Open title.

Roger Federer celebrates his 20th grand slam title at the Australian Open last night. Picture: Getty Images.

Roger Federer last night added further lustre to his legend when he claimed a record-equalling sixth Australian Open title in Melbourne in dramatic circumstances.

The Swiss superstar drew level with Roy Emerson and contemporary Novak Djokovic, who have also won six, edging Marin Cilic 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 3-6 6-1.

Federer looked to be cruising to his 20th grand slam title when he broke his angular rival, who is the first Croatian to play an Australian Open final, early in the fourth set.

At that stage he was yet to drop a service game.

But a clumsy offering in his following attempt at 3-2 sparked a stunning change in momentum, with Cilic reeling off five games in succession to force a decider.

The opening games of the fifth set were particularly tense. Federer staved off break points in the first game and edged ahead 2-0 after another tight game.

When he broke a grand slam drought dating back to 2012 in Melbourne a year ago, Federer reeled in a service break against his great rival Rafael Nadal in the deciding set to prevail.

And when the going toughened against Cilic last night, the 36-year-old was able to find another level of steel in the deciding set. A second break of serve, when a short-sliced backhand forced his rival into a forehand error, effectively assured him victory.

It sees Federer become the first man to reach the milestone of 20 grand slam singles titles.

Margaret Court (24), Serena Williams (23) and Steffi Graf (22) have recorded this achievement in women’s ranks.

Federer was in tears as he spoke during the trophy ceremony, saying that “after the great year I had last year, this is incredible”.

“The fairytale continues for us, for me,” he said.

“It has been a long journey but very worthwhile.”

The Swiss paid tribute to Rod Laver, among others, in the crowd, and said his love affair with playing in the country began when he represented Switzerland during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It is where he met his wife Mirka.

“We had the best time as a family and as a team, so thank you so much for just making it so special,” he said.

“Like Marin said, you guys are unbelievable as a country and as people.”

Cilic acknowledged he needed to continue his momentum at the start of the fifth set but said the older man had proven too tough.

“First of all, congratulations to Roger and his team. It is amazing what you guys do year after year,” he said.

“It was an amazing journey for me to come here to the final. It could have been the best two weeks of my life. But today was a tough match. I had a slight chance at the beginning of the fifth set but Roger played a really great set.

“We started this year amazingly well. We work hard for it and hopefully we are going to reach many grand slam finals and we will be lifting these trophies in the future.”

Federer is the oldest player to reach a grand slam final since Ken Rosewall (39) in New York in 1974 and it is also the second time he has defended the championship in Melbourne. This follows triumphs over Marcos Baghdatis and Fernando Gonzalez in 2006 and 2007.

His only loss in an Australian Open decider came against Nadal in five sets in 2009, a clash that Federer describes as the best final the pair have shared in a grand slam despite the result.

This was not the most sublime final in terms of the artistry of the tennis on display, despite the presence of the victor.

But the grit showed by Cilic when under extreme pressure in the second and fourth sets ensured it was compelling and the level of play was excellent, if efficient.

Because Cilic boasts a brutal game and Federer was on point with his serving until the blip in the fourth set, it meant the majority of points ended in the opening few exchanges.

Emphasising this, Federer won 120 of the 212 points which lasted four shots or fewer. In exchanges longer than this, they were evenly matched at 36-32.

In the women’s final, 100 of the 218 points played between champion Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep lasted beyond four shots.

Federer’s first set was a masterclass in all aspects.

He was outstanding on serve and return but also defended brilliantly against a rival still to settle, with Cilic’s shanked smash to drop his opening service game an alarming sign.

At that stage, there were fears this might be a mismatch in keeping with the Wimbledon whitewash last July when the 2014 US Open champion was unable to perform at his best due to extreme foot blisters.

Seeking to become the first Croatian to win two major titles, Cilic tightened his returning game in the second set and then secured a break of serve against the run of play to level at 3-all in the fourth.

One shot in particular by Federer, a forehand half-volley struck crisply down the line by the champion while moving backwards under extreme pressure, in the third set defied belief.

Prior to the final beginning, the decision by tournament organisers to leave the roof of Rod Laver Arena closed due to extreme heat and humidity caused consternation given organisers opted against doing so during the first week.

The official reason given was the “wet-bulb reading” triggered the heat policy, though this seemed to ignore the temperature, which was listed at 38C, below the accompanying ambient measure.

In the context, though, it is understandable officials used their discretion. After a gruelling final the previous evening against Wozniacki, which was played in similar conditions but with the roof left open, Halep reportedly spent four hours in hospital being treated for dehydration.

A statement noted the decision was made after consulting the Bureau of Meteorology and the tournament’s chief medical officer.

But former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash was among those bewildered by the decision.