Roger Federer's most impressive Australian Open wins
The 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has kicked off his 20th Australian Open campaign against Denis Istomin on Monday, scoring the 95th win in Melbourne. Back in 2000, Roger had made a debut at Melbourne Park with the third round appearance, establishing himself as one of the most successful players of the first Major of the season in the last two decades and writing some of the brightest pages of his tennis journey in the land of a down under. The six-time Australian Open winner is seeking his seventh title and the third in a row after conquering Melbourne in 2017 and 2018, also becoming the third player with 20 consecutive years with at least one Grand Slam triumph.
Melbourne Park has been the battleground for some of the toughest matches Roger has played throughout his career and also some of the most one-sided wins on the biggest tennis stage. In six out of 95 wins, Roger has won at least 65% of the overall points and we will take a closer look at every one of those triumphs achieved between 2004-2016. Fifteen years ago, Roger won his first Australian Open crown, losing just two sets against David Nalbandian and Lleyton Hewitt and playing on a very high level in all seven matches to lift the first trophy in Melbourne.
In the first three rounds, Federer had to play against the rivals from outside the top-100 and he entered the last 16 with a commanding 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Todd Reid in an hour and 14 minutes. Roger suffered one break of serve but that was hardly noticed after his dominant run on the return, stealing 60% of the points in Reid's games and breaking him six times from 14 opportunities created. Interestingly, Roger was the first to suffer a break, sending a forehand long in game five to fall behind before pulling the break back in the very next game to level the score at 3-3.
The momentum was on his side now and he earned another break in game eight, sealing the set with a service winner a few minutes later in less than 30 minutes. Federer needed some 20 minutes to wrap up set number two with a bagel and the match was over after just seven games in set number three, winning 16 of the last 17 games to march towards the last 16. Three years later, Roger demolished Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 in one of the most one-sided semi-finals of the Open era, with the match lasting just 83 minutes! The booming server was left unarmed, losing 55% of the points in his games and allowing Roger to break him seven times from as many chances and continue his quest towards the third Australian Open title.
The Swiss counted to more than 40 winners and left the American on ten, having the upper hand in both the shortest points and longer rallies to lose just six games and deliver one of the most massive defeats in Andy's career, especially on the hard court. Federer earned a break in the opening game of the match and he never looked back, holding at love in game ten to win the opener 6-4. Roddick never found his rhythm or the way to impose his serve and earn some easy points that would give him some confidence. That certainly didn't happen in set number two when Roger served a bagel and it was all over after just eight games in set number three after a forehand cross court winner from Roger who couldn't be more happier about the way he performed in this match.
Nine years later, Federer kicked off 2016 Australian Open campaign with another impressive display, this time against Nikoloz Basilashvili whom he beat 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 in 72 minutes. The Georgian did break Roger once but that was far from enough for a more favorable result, getting broke five times in a row at one point and not matching the pace of a great rival. In the opening round of the 2008 Australian Open, Federer won 67% of the overall points against Diego Hartfield to topple the Argentine 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 in 72 minutes, saving two break points on serve and stealing Diego's serve seven times to roars past the rival and book the place in the second round. Just two days later, Roger dismissed Fabrice Santoro 6-1, 6-2, 6-0, delivering almost identical numbers as in the previous match to secure the place in round three in no time at all.
The 35-year-old Santoro played the record-breaking 62nd Grand Slam tournament but he stood no chance against the superior opponent, winning just 14 points on the return and giving the serve away seven times from 14 chances Federer created. This Swiss made more unforced errors, although he quickly erased that deficit with more than 50 winners he blasted to keep the points on his racquet and enter this list after a stellar performance in the third set. We saved the best for last and the most impressive Australian Open win of Roger Federer had unquestionably come against Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-final of 2009.
Instead of a tight encounter between players ranked inside the top-six, Federer competed on another level in comparison to his rival from Argentina, scoring a 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 victory in 80 minutes to move two wins from equaling Sampras' 14 Grand Slam titles. The Swiss claimed 70% of the overall points, dropping nine points on serve to stay away from break points and winning 60% of the return points that secured seven breaks for him and the last 13 games of the match! The opening four games lasted 20 minutes and Roger found the way to break for a 3-1 lead, serving well and taking the opener with a hold in game nine after 35 minutes.
The Swiss broke at the start of the second set at love with a beautiful half-volley winner and he never looked back, properly defending his backhand and moving 3-0 up after a backhand error from Juan Martin. Another rock solid backhand sent Roger 5-0 in front and the set was in his hands after just 61 minutes thanks to four winners in the following game. A backhand winner secured a break at love for Roger at the start of the third set, breaking again in game three to move closer and closer to the finish line. Roger gained a 5-0 advantage with a forehand cross court winner, claiming the win with another forehand winner a few minutes later to sprint into the last four.
Roger Federer's most impressive Australian Open wins:
2004 R3 vs Todd Reid 6-3 6-0 6-1 [65-35] 2007 SF vs Andy Roddick 6-4 6-0 6-2 [65-35] 2016 R1 vs Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-2 6-1 6-2 [65-35] 2008 R1 vs Diego Hartfield 6-0 6-3 6-0 [67-33] 2008 R2 vs Fabrice Santoro 6-1 6-2 6-0 [67-33] 2009 QF vs Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-0 6-0 [70-30]
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2DcCJ94
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