US Open: Reliving Roger Federer's 5 consecutive titles at Flushing Meadows

Roger Federer is a record five-time champion at the US Open, along with Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors. The Swiss won his titles at Flushing Meadows on the trot (2004-2008), which is an Open Era record for most consecutive titles at the last Grand Slam of the year.

The US Open is one of Federer's most successful Grand Slam tournaments, where he has triumphed five times, making the Swiss the only player to win 5 or more titles at three different Grand Slams (Wimbledon - 8, Australian Open - 6).

Federer has met 77 different opponents at the US Open, with only Novak Djokovic (3) and Juan Martin del Potro (2) managing multiple wins over the Swiss. Federer has more US Open titles (5) than straight-set defeats (4).

The 20-time Grand Slam champion's 85 match wins at Flushing Meadows is second only to fellow five-time US Open winner Connors' tally of 98.

After a modest 11-4 record in his first four appearances at the tournament, Federer embarked on a stunning 40-match win streak, racking up five successive titles between 2004 and 2008 before being stopped by Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro in five sets in the 2009 title match.

Federer's 40 match win streak at the US Open came to an end in the 2009 final against Del Potro

The next best streaks of consecutive match wins at the US Open are Ivan Lendl's 27 wins between 1985 and 1988, and John McEnroe's 26 victories between 1979 and 1982.

Since Federer's 2008 triumph, no other player has managed to successfully defend his title at the US Open. In this intervening period, six different players (Del Potro, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka) have lifted the title at Flushing Meadows.

As the 2019 US Open gets underway next week, let us relive Federer's five successive title triumphs at the last Grand Slam of the year.

#1 First Title (2004): Beats Hewitt 6-0 7-6(3) 6-0

Federer beats Hewitt to lift his first US Open title in 2004

In his fifth appearance at the US Open in 2004, World No. 1 Roger Federer arrived at his first final at the tournament against 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt. This was after quarterfinal and semifinal wins over Andre Agassi and Tim Henman respectively.

The top seeded Swiss burst off the blocks by taking a bagel opening set against a stunned Hewitt in a mere 18 minutes. It was the first time in the Open Era that the men's singles final at the US Open had witnessed a bagel first set.

Federer snatched an early break in the second to arrive at three set points. A rout was on the cards, but Hewitt broke the Swiss in the ninth game of the set to force a tiebreak.

Federer regrouped and asserted his dominance in the tiebreak which went his way, for the loss of just three points, to take a commanding two-set lead.

History was now against Hewitt as no player had recovered from a two-set deficit in the final to win the US Open title since Pancho Gonzalez beat Ted Schroeder in the 1949 title match.

The Australian wilted in the face of a relentless onslaught from Federer as the Swiss walloped to the finish line with another bagel set to win his first US Open title and third Grand Slam of the year.

This remains the only double-bagel US Open final since the 1884 title match between Richard Sears and Howard Taylor.

In the process, Federer became the first player in the Open Era to win his first four Slam finals and emulated Mats Wilander by becoming the first player in 16 years to win three Grand Slam titles in a year.

#2 Second Title (2005): Beats Agassi 6-3 2-6 7-6(1) 6-1

Federer lifts his second title at the US Open in 2005

In a repeat of the previous year's final, Federer overcame Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals to reach his second US Open final in as many years, where two-time champion (1994 and 1999) Andre Agassi lay waiting.

At 35, the American was the oldest finalist at the US Open since the 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974. In the final against his 24-year-old rival, Agassi looked his age as defending champion Federer romped to a one-set lead.

Agassi was not about to roll over without a fight though, and rode on two breaks of the Federer serve in the second set to even the match at one set apiece.

Riding on his momentum, Agassi broke Federer for a 4-2 lead in the third, only for Federer to immediately break back from 0-30 down in the following game. In the ensuing tiebreak, the Swiss dropped just one point to take a two sets to one lead.

With the finish line in sight, Federer sprinted through the fourth set for the loss of a game, to become the first player in seven years (Patrick Rafter) to successfully defend his US Open title - in the process landing a sixth Grand Slam from as many Major finals.

Federer also extended his record run of wins in tournament finals to 23, and became the first player in the Open Era to win back-to-back Wimbledon and US Open titles in consecutive seasons.

#3 Third Title (2006): Beats Roddick 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1

Federer beats Roddick to win his 3rd US Open title in 2006

For the second consecutive year, Roger Federer was up against an American opponent in the New York final, and for the second time the result would be the same.

In his third consecutive title match at the US Open, Federer faced 2003 champion Andy Roddick. Not for the first time in a Major final, the 8-time Grand Slam champion got off to a brisk start, breaking the Roddick serve thrice to take a one-set lead.

Roddick fought back in the second set which he clinched 6-4. In a pulsating third set where both players had multiple break point opportunities, it was Federer who capitalized in the 12th game, where Roddick lost his serve to love, to take a two-sets-to-one lead.

As Roddick wilted, Federer sprinted through the fourth set to seal a third straight US Open title, becoming the first player since Ivan Lendl (1985-87) to do so. The Swiss also improved to 8-1 in Major finals.

Looking back on the third set Federer opined: "He had a terrible game; I took advantage. From then on, I didn’t look back. I started to feel better, play more freely, and in the end, I played unbelievable.”

#4 Fourth Title (2007): Beats Djokovic 7-6(4) 7-6(2) 6-4

Federer poses with his 4th US Open title in 2007

Three-time defending champion Federer reached his fourth consecutive US Open final by recording straight-sets wins over Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals and Nikolay Davydenko in the semis.

This was the first time in 22 years (since Ivan Lendl) that a player had reached four successive title matches at the US Open.

11-time Grand Slam champion Federer faced a first-time Grand Slam finalist in 20-year-old Novak Djokovic. The Swiss lost serve in the 11th game of the first set and stared down three successive set points on his opponent's serve.

Federer saved them all, and then a further two, as the set proceeded to a tiebreak - which the Swiss clinched to take a one-set lead.

In a near-repeat of the first set, Djokovic had two more set points which he couldn't convert as Federer took the second set on another tiebreak. That gave the Swiss a two-set lead and a stranglehold on the match.

It was Federer's 13th tiebreak win in a Grand Slam final, in 15 attempts.

As Djokovic faded away in the third, Federer strode across the finish line to become the first player in the Open Era to win four successive US Open titles.

#5 Fifth Title (2008): Beats Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2

Federer beats Murray to win his 5th consecutive US Open title in 2008

Four-time defending champion Federer faced first-time Grand Slam finalist Andy Murray in the 2008 title match at Flushing Meadows.

But the first British Grand Slam finalist in 70 years, who had beaten Federer earlier in the season at the Dubai Open, appeared powerless for large swathes in the face of a tennis masterclass from the 12-time Grand Slam champion.

Trailing 2-6 0-2, the match was rapidly disintegrating for Murray. But to his credit, he broke Federer back and had three consecutive looks at the Federer serve in another game before the Swiss survived.

Murray's challenge wilted after dropping a competitive second set 5-7 to fall behind two sets in his first Major final. Federer blitzed through the third set by winning the opening five games, and despite a belated Murray fightback, served out a 6-2 7-5 6-2 win to bag his fifth consecutive US Open title.

Following his five straight titles at Wimbledon, Federer became the first player in the Open Era to win five consecutive titles at successive Grand Slam tournaments.