Re-living Federer's 6 title triumphs at the Australian Open

Roger Federer has been a regular fixture at the Australian Open since his debut at the tournament in 2000. Apart from Wimbledon, the Australian Open is the only other Grand Slam tournament Federer has never missed during the course of his illustrious career.

The 'Happy Slam' is one of three tournaments, the others being Wimbledon and the US Open, where the Swiss maestro has played over 100 matches. It is also one of 7 tournaments where Federer has triumphed on 6 or more occasions - a tally which includes Halle (10), Basel (10), Wimbledon (8), Dubai (8), Cincinnati (7) and ATP Finals (6).

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Federer's 97 match wins at the Australian Open is over 29 more than the next best tally of wins at the tournament (Novak Djokovic - 68). The Australian Open holds a special place for Federer as his first title there in 2004 made him the world's top-ranked player for the very first time - a position he would hold for a record period of 237 uninterrupted weeks.

Let us re-live all the occasions when Federer was the last man standing in the first Grand Slam tournament on the tennis calendar.

#1 2004: Beats Marat Safin 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2

Federer (right) captures his 2nd Grand Slam title at the 2004 Australian Open

A semifinal victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero coupled with Marat Safin's win over reigning No. 1 Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals meant that Federer was assured of becoming the new World No. 1 regardless of the outcome in his 2004 Australian Open final with Safin.

Safin had taken a circuitous route to his third Grand Slam final, requiring respective five-set wins over Americans Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals and Andre Agassi in the semifinals. Federer, in his second Grand Slam final since his Major breakthrough at 2003 Wimbledon was the fresher of the two finalists, having spent 8 fewer hours on court compared to Safin.

In a competitive opening set, Safin grabbed the first break but Federer broke right back. Following another exchange of breaks between the pair, the Russian had to save two set points serving at 5-6 before Federer upped the ante to take the opener in the ensuing tiebreak.

The heaviness in Safin's legs from his toil during the fortnight became apparent after the opening set. The Russian was second best for large swathes in the remainder of the match. It became a matter of when and not if the newest World No. 1 would celebrate his ascent to the numero uno position by winning his second Grand Slam title in as many attempts.

Federer ensured just that by completing a 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-2 win to become the 22nd different player to win the Australian Open.

#2 2006: Beats Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2

Federer (right) celebrates his 2nd Australian Open title in 2006

Fresh off one of the most dominant seasons in the Open Era, Federer arrived at the 2006 Australian Open after going 81-4 in 2005.

After breezing through the first three rounds without dropping a set, Federer looked on course for another straight-sets win in the fourth round when he led Tommy Haas by two sets. But Haas fought back to force a fifth, before Federer regrouped to take the win in five.

Federer would drop a set apiece in his quarterfinal win over Nikolay Davydenko and in the semifinal against Nicolas Keifer, to return to the Australian Open final for the second time in three years.

Marcos Baghdatis was the surprise finalist that year, having beaten three top-10 players en route to his maiden Major final. In the title match against the top-ranked Federer, Baghdatis looked on course for a famous win after taking the first set 7-5 and twice going within a point of a 3-0 lead in the second.

Just as the Cypriot began to think about the title though, Federer came storming back into the contest. The Swiss maestro won 7 of the next 10 games to restore parity at one set all, and then went into overdrive in the next two sets.

Baghdatis won only two games in the remainder of the match as Federer streaked across the finish line to extend his perfect record in Grand Slam finals to a record-extending 7-0.

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#3 2007: Beats Fernando Gonzalez 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4

Federer lifts his third Australian Open title in 2007

Federer whizzed through the first four rounds of the 2007 Australian Open without dropping a set. He did the same in the quarterfinals and semifinals against Tommy Robredo and Andy Roddick respectively, to arrive in his third Australian Open final in four years.

In the process, Federer equalled Jack Crawford's 73-year-record of reaching 7 consecutive Major title matches.

The other finalist was Chilean Fernando Gonzalez. He had beaten reigning Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the quarterfinals and taken out Tommy Haas for the loss of just five games in the semis to reach his maiden Grand Slam final.

It was a cagey opening set by Federer's staggering standards, and the Swiss' potent groundstrokes lacked the usual venom. Gonzalez pounced on a loose Federer game at 4-4 to arrive at two set points on serve in the next game, only for the defending champion to break back at the first time of asking.

Federer squandered four set points on the Gonzalez serve at 5-6 before taking the opener on a tiebreak.

A single break of serve sufficed for Federer in each of the next two sets as the Swiss maestro became the first player to win three consecutive Major titles on multiple occasions, and extended his match-win streak to 36.

In the process, Federer became the first player since Bjorn Borg (1980 Roland Garros) to win a Grand Slam title without dropping a set, and the first to do so at the Australian Open since Ken Rosewall in 1971.

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Federer's third title at the Australian Open marked his first successful title defence at the tournament. Andre Agassi (2000-01) was the last of 8 players to successfully defend their Australian Open title before Federer joined the exclusive group.

#4 2010: Beats Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11)

Federer lifts his 4th Australian Open title in 2010

After losing a heartbreaking five-set final to Rafael Nadal in 2009 which reduced Federer to tears at the post match presentation, there would only be tears of the happier hue for the Swiss maestro a year later.

Federer dropped a set apiece against Igor Andreev in the first round and Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals before beating Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the loss of just seven games in the semis to reach his 5th title match at the Australian Open.

In the final against Andy Murray, Federer broke for an early 2-0 lead in the opener before the Scot got back on serve. Federer then pounced on Murray's low first serve percentage to break for a 5-3 lead, and promptly served out a one-set advantage.

Murray struggled to contain the brilliant shot-making from Federer in the second and narrowly avoided falling behind a double break before the Swiss maestro took a commanding two-set lead.

Murray broke for a 4-2 lead in the third but remained hesitant to come to the net or mix up his play, especially on the big points, as the Swiss maestro broke back. Federer saw two championship points in the third set tiebreak come and go but Murray himself was profligate on four set points, one of which was a routine backhand down the line which the Scot netted.

An emotional Murray said at the trophy presentation: "I can cry like Roger, it's a shame I can't play like him." Indeed, very few players can hang around with Federer when the Swiss maestro is at his imperious best. But on the day, Federer's brilliance was also due in some part to Murray's tactical inflexibility and the Scot's reluctance to throw caution to the wind.

With his 4th Australian Open title, Federer drew level with Andre Agassi for most titles at the tournament in the Open Era. He also opened up a 10-Slam gap over his closest active challenger Nadal (6) atop the all-time Grand Slam title leaderboard.

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#5 2017: Beats Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Federer takes home his 5th Australian Open title in 2017

Following the longest significant injury layoff in his illustrious career, World No. 17 Roger Federer exceeded expectations by reeling off respective five set wins over Kei Nishikori in the fourth round and Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals. It was his first Australian Open final in 7 years, since his latest title triumph at the tournament in 2010.

The Swiss maestro's quest to end a four and a half year Major drought faced a formidable hurdle in the form of Rafael Nadal. Ahead of the pair's first Grand Slam final meeting, Federer was winless against his arch-nemesis in Grand Slam matches since the 2007 Wimbledon final - a run which encompassed semifinal losses at the Australian Open in 2012 and 2014 and a five-set final defeat in 2009.

Despite the odds stacked against him, Federer made a characteristically brisk start by taking the opener 6-4. But Nadal responded by taking a 4-0 lead in the second en route to restoring parity at a set apiece.

Federer escaped three break points in the opening game of the third and that proved crucial. Two breaks of the Nadal serve enabled the Swiss maestro take a two sets to one lead.

The return of one of the Open Era's grandest rivalries to the Grand Slam stage lived up to its billing as both players produced rallies and groundstrokes of jaw dropping brilliance. A fifth set ensued where Nadal took a 3-1 lead, and at that point he looked set to continue his Major domination over Federer.

But Federer on the day had other ideas. Refusing to go down without a fight, Federer converted his sixth break point of the set to break back for 3-3, and then took a decisive 5-3 lead two games later. Despite seeing Nadal save two championship points, the Swiss maestro sealed his 18th Grand Slam title with a forehand which was called in by Hawkeye.

In the process, Federer lifted his 5th Australian Open title and became the first player ever to win 5 titles at three different Grand Slam tournaments.

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#6 2018: Beats Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

Federer celebrates his 6th Australian Open triumph in 2018

Having closed the 2017 season with a rich haul of 7 titles which included 2 Grand Slam titles, Federer arrived at the 2018 Australian Open in prime form.

The then 19-time Major winner did not drop a set in his opening six matches as he arrived in his seventh Australian Open final. The only other time Federer did so at the tournament in 2007, the Swiss maestro became only the second player in the Open Era to win the Australian Open without dropping a set.

Standing between Federer and a 20th Grand Slam title was Marin Cilic. The Croatian had taken out the top-seeded Nadal in a five-set quarterfinal before beating first-time Grand Slam semifinalist Kyle Edmund in straight sets to reach his first final at the tournament.

Federer took the opener in under half an hour, profiting from a slow start from Cilic. In a competitive second set, Federer escaped break points before laying a siege on the Croatian's serve. Cilic, however, hung tough to force a tiebreak which he edged 7-5 to ensure that Federer would not become the first player to win multiple Australian Open titles without dropping a set.

Federer regained his ascendancy in the third, breaking Cilic for 4-2 and serving out a two sets to one lead. The finish line appeared well and truly in sight when Federer broke early in the fourth and had opportunities to go up a double break.

When Cilic held serve and broke back, it only looked like delaying the inevitable. But to his credit, the Croatian reeled off five games on the trot to force a decider which very few saw coming.

Struggling to contain Cilic's newfound momentum, Federer was relieved to save break points early in the fifth. And the hold proved pivotal as the Swiss maestro took six of the next seven games to join Novak Djokovic (6) as the players with the most titles at the Australian Open.

Federer, in the process, became the oldest player to successfully defend a Grand Slam title since a 37-year-old Ken Rosewall did so at the same tournament back in 1972.

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