January 30, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 29, 1426

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MELBOURNE, Jan 29: Roger Federer won his seventh Grand Slam final and his second Australian Open title with a commanding four-set victory over unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis here Sunday.

The Swiss world number one overcame dropping the opening set against the rising 54th-ranked star to claim a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 victory in 2hr 46min to remain unbeaten in all the Grand Slam finals he has contested since his first success at 2003 Wimbledon.

Federer became the first player to win three successive Grand Slams since Pete Sampras won at the 1994 Australian Open. The Swiss went into this year’s Open having won last year’s Wimbledon and US Open.

He now joins other tennis greats John McEnroe, John Newcombe and Mats Wilander with seven major titles and is closing in on all-time leader Sampras with 14.

It was the 24-year-old’s 35th title and his fourth win over 20-year-old Baghdatis, who beat three top-10 players to reach his first Grand Slam final and only second tour final overall.

Federer pocketed 900,000 US dollars for his Australian victory, swelling his career prizemoney to 21,274,573 US dollars.

Baghdatis was bidding to become the first unseeded player to win the Australian Open since 212-ranked Australian Mark Edmondson won here in 1976 and his ranking has now climbed to 26.

Federer’s serve was broken twice as Baghdatis quickly settled in the opening set.

A shanked forehand long gave Baghdatis the first break in the fifth game but he broke straight back with three errors from the young Cypriot.

Federer came under pressure again in the 11th game with two more break points against him on the back of forehand mistakes and he was broken when he over-hit a forehand.

Baghdatis served out for the first set calmly, getting to 40-15, and taking it on his first set point with a Federer backhand returned into the net.

Federer came under immediate pressure in the opening game of the second set, finding the net off a Baghdatis net cord.

The Swiss top seed was having trouble against the pressing Cypriot and played a casual half-volley to bring up break point on his next service game but he hung on.

The set was heading to a tiebreaker and Baghdatis was 40-0 up on serve but Federer worked his way to set point on a netted forehand.

French umpire Pascal Maria overruled the linesman to call a Baghdatis forehand volley out to hand the second set to Federer to level the final. Replays showed the ball was out.

Baghdatis appeared to tire and the errors began to flow in the third set with Federer getting three service breaks, string together a sequence of eight straight games to take control of the final.

Federer put the foot on the pedal in the fourth set and broke Baghdatis’ serve a seventh time in the second game and stretched his winning streak to 11 games, before the Cypriot held serve after a break point against him.

Baghdatis went down on the court clutching his cramping left calf muscle but continued tp fight as Federer relentlessly put on the squeeze towards taking the title.

The end came quickly when Baghdatis was two match points down on serve and netted a backhand on the first.

Results:

Mixed doubles (final): Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)/Martina Hingis (SUI) bt Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Elena Likhovtseva (RUS x6) 6-3, 6-3

Boy’s singles (final): Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA) bt Nick Lindahl (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Girl’s singles (final): Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x4) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x1) 1-6, 6-2, 6-3

Boy’s doubles (final): Blazej Koniusz (POL)/Grzegorz Panfil (POL) bt Kellen Damico (USA)/Nathaniel Schnugg (USA x6) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3

Girl’s doubles (final): Sharon Fichman (CAN)/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x4) bt Aliza Cornet (FRA)/Corinna Dentoni (ITA x8) 6-2, 6-2.—AFP