Looking back at the last 5 male players to have lifted the Australian Open title

Modified Jan 08, 2020 08:44 GMT

Djokovic (left) and Federer are two of the most prolific winners at the Australian Open

#1 Marat Safin (2005)

Marat Safin is the fifth different player to have triumphed at the Australian Open in the last 15 years of the tournament. The Russian did so by beating local favorite Lleyton Hewitt in the 2005 final, having saved a match point against defending champion Roger Federer in a five-set semifinal win.

In the process of winning his second Grand Slam title, Safin became the first player from his country to win the Australian Open since Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 1999.

It was Hewitt who started the stronger in the 2005 title match, streaking to a one set lead for the loss of just one game. The Australian was within just two sets of becoming the first home-grown winner at the tournament since Mark Edmondson's 1976 triumph.

Despite Safin restoring parity at a set apiece, Hewitt looked to be the one in the ascendancy at 4-1 up in the third. But the Aussie unraveled spectacularly as Safin won seven consecutive games to close out a four-set win.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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