How a 36-year-old Roger Federer rewrote the record books in Melbourne
In short: Roger Federer defied age to secure his 20th major title in a grueling five-set final against Marin Čilić. While the victory set new records, the tournament also witnessed historic runs from unseeded underdogs and marked the final Australian Open appearance for the former world number three, Juan Martin del Potro.
The 201er Australian Open men's singles final was a testament to endurance. Defending his title, Roger Federer faced Croatia's Marin Čilić in a match that swung wildly across five sets. Federer eventually triumphed with a scoreline of 6–2, 6–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1. This victory was particularly significant as it marked Federer's sixth Australian Open trophy, bringing him level with legends Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic, and served as his 20th major singles title.
At the time of his victory, Federer was 36 years, 5 months, and 20 days old. This achievement made him the oldest male winner of a major singles tournament since Ken Rosewall achieved the feat in 1972. While the final featured established stars, the tournament's bracket was defined by unexpected depth. Unseeded players Chung Hyeon and Kyle Edmund both reached the semifinals, a rarity for unseeded players in a major since the 2008 Wimbledon Championships and the first such occurrence at the Australian Open since 1999.
The tournament also marked significant milestones for international tennis. Chung Hyeon's run was historic for South Korea, as he became the first player from his nation to reach both a major quarterfinal and semifinal. Conversely, the event served as a poignant farewell for Juan Martin del Potro, the former world No. 3 and US Open champion, who exited in the third round against Tomáš Berdych. It would be his final appearance at the Australian Open.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2018 Australian Open – Men's singles
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