Roger Federer on Sunday successfully defended his Australian Open crown to land his sixth title in Melbourne and collect a landmark 20th Grand Slam of his career with a five-set victory against Marin Cilic. Federer was pushed all the way by Cilic but came through a dramatic contest 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 3-6 6-1 in three hours and three minutes.
With the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena due to extreme heat, it was Federer who made a faultless start, while it quickly turning into a nightmare for Cilic after he dumped a smash into the bottom of the net to lose serve in the opening game before falling 4-0 down.
Federer moves four clear again of Rafael Nadal in terms of overall titles and is only three behind Serena Williams and four adrift of all-time record holder Margaret Court.
Speaking after the match, Federer said 'I’m so happy, it’s unbelievable. It’s a long day waiting for the finals. It’s easier in the afternoon. I’m happy it’s over now but the fairytale continues for me after the great year I had last year, it’s incredible. We had a wonderful time in Australia, we arrived last year,' added Federer, referring to his December departure from Europe.
Cilic also congratulated Federer after the encounter.
'Big congratulations to Roger and his team, it’s amazing what you do year after year. It was an amazing journey for me to come to the final. I had a slight chance at the beginning of the fifth but Roger played a great set,' he added.
