ROGER FEDERER KING OF TENNIS HOLDS OFF MARIN CILIC FOR 20TH GRAND SLAM TITLE • SIXTH @ THE KIA AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Written by: on 28th January 2018
Tennis Australian Open 2018
ROGER FEDERER KING OF TENNIS HOLDS OFF MARIN CILIC FOR 20TH GRAND SLAM TITLE • SIXTH @ THE KIA AUSTRALIAN OPEN

epa06481018 Winner Roger Federer of Switzerland holds his trophy after winning the men's final match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2018. EPA-EFE/JULIAN SMITH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT  |

Winner Roger Federer of Switzerland holds his trophy after winning the men’s final match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2018. EPA-EFE/JULIAN SMITH

 

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five…not 17, not 18, not 19…. No, Roger Federer now owns 20 career Grand Slam titles.

 

Roger Federer of Switzerland in action against Marin Cilic of Croatia during their men’s final match on day fourteen of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2018. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Federer extended his count to a full score–that’s 20, of course–by beating Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the Australian Open final on Sunday night. The 36-year-old recovered from a brief fourth-set hiccup to triumph after three hours and three minutes of play.

 

For a while it looked like this one would not even go four sets. Federer had trounced Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in the 2017 Wimbledon and more of the same appeared to be in the cards when a confident Swiss surged to a 4-0 lead at the expense of a struggling Cilic on Sunday. After a mere 24 minutes, the first set was over.

 

This time, however, Cilic was not beset by foot blisters and Federer was not quite as unflappable as he was on the lawn of London. The Croat managed to make their second head-to-head final in the span of three slams a much more competitive contest, starting in the second set. Both men saved multiple break points en route to a tiebreaker, which Cilic took seven points to five mainly thanks to forehand winners that gave him mini-breaks at 2-3 and 5-4.

 

Federer won the third almost as fast as he took the first, breaking for 4-2 and coasting the rest of the way. It appeared to be all but over when the world No. 2 earned another scalp of the Cilic serve right away in the fourth and got a look at another break chance at 3-1 for what would have given him a double-break advantage. From completely out of nowhere, however, Cilic string together five games in a row to steal the set and improbably force a decider.

 

But Federer was at his best with his back against the wall, just as he was last year when he won three five-set matches on the way to the Australian Open title. He fought off two break points in the opening game of the fifth against Cilic and that proved to be the underdog’s last gasp. Federer held for 1-0 and was off to the races, picking up breaks for 2-0 and 5-1.

 

It ended in similar fashion to the 2017 final against Rafael Nadal–on a challenge. When Federer’s out-wide serve at 40-0 was confirmed to be in, it was over.

 

“It’s amazing what you guys do year after year,” Cilic told Federer and his team, the combination of which has produced three titles in the last five slams. “It was an amazing journey for me to come here to the final. It could have been the best two weeks of my life. I had a slight chance at the beginning of the fifth set, but Roger played a great fifth set.”

 

“No idea,” Federer said when asked how much longer he can keep playing at this level. “Honest, I don’t know. I have no idea. I’ve won three slams now in 12 months. I can’t believe it myself. I just got to keep a good schedule, stay hungry, then maybe good things can happen.

 

“I’m so happy. It’s unbelievable. Of course, winning is just an absolute dream come true. The fairytale continues. After the great year i had last year, it’s incredible.”

 

Yes. Yes it is.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

 

Winner Roger Federer (R) of Switzerland and runner up Marin Cilic of Croatia react during the awarding ceremony of the men’s final match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2018. EPA-EFE/TRACEY NEARMY

 

Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.