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At first sight, the headline on the front page of the local Melbourne paper seemed faintly daft. “Roger Federer is on the brink of tennis immortality today,” it read, “as he fights for his 20th major title.” What, you mean he isn’t there already?
But numbers have real meaning in sport, and it turns out that they are important to Federer as well. Perhaps the most surprising thing about his five-set victory over Marin Cilic was how emotional he was afterwards, more emotional than we have ever seen him after a win. After a choked-up acceptance speech that ended with tears streaming down his face, he explained that the 20-slam barrier had been weighing on his mind all day.
“During the match I constantly thought about the fact that I could reach 20,” Federer told the Swiss TV station SRF. “I was nervous the whole day, I thought about what would happen if I lose, if I win. That's why I broke down during the speech.”
Those nerves may explain why this was not one of the greatest Federer performances, despite a wonderful start in which he ran away with the first four games in just 12 minutes. He was showing no mercy at this stage, not even to the man he shared cocktails with in November, when he and Cilic found themselves holidaying on the same luxury island in the Maldives.
Curiously, though, Federer’s game flickered up and down all evening like a weak mobile signal. When he was nailing his first serves – something he only managed to do in the oddly numbered sets of his 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory – he was almost unplayable, because he was winning 80 per cent of those points. But when his rhythm fell away – and he made only nine of 25 first serves in the fourth set – he found himself stretched uncomfortably around the court, as the tenacious Cilic imposed his extra height, reach and strength.
Surya Sumirat , CNN Indonesia | Minggu, 28/01/2018 19:01 WIB
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia -- Petenis asal Swiss, Roger Federer, menjadi juara grand slam Australia Terbuka 2018. Di final yang digelar di Rod Laver Arena, Minggu (28/1), Federer mengalahkan petenis Kroasia Marin Cilic, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Set pertama tampak mudah bagi Federer untuk meraih kemenangan pertama dalam laga itu dengan mengalahkan Cilic, 6-2.
Namun, tidak pada set kedua. Cilic memberikan kejutan kepada Federer melalui tiebreak. Cilic menjadi yang pertama meraih poin atas Federer pada turnamen ini dengan kemenangan 7-5. Pada set ketiga, Federer dengan mudah memenangkan poin pertama dengan memberikan pengembalian pendek. Federer juga dengan cepat mendapatkan tiga set poin dan menutup laga dengan kemenangan 6-3. Kemenangan itu pun seperti pertanda, bahwa petenis Swiss ini bakal meraih gelar juara grand slam yang ke-20.
Marin Cilic menjadi petenis pertama yang meraih kemenangan set atas Roger Federer di Australia Terbuka 2018. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
Ketika nama Federer diap dimasukkan ke dalam trofi, Cilic kembali membuat kejutan pada set keempat dengan kemenangan 6-3. Cilic meraih poin pertama di set itu dengan pukulan volinya, hingga akhirnya pukulan Federer terlalu melebar, dan pertandingan dilanjutkan ke set kelima. Pengalaman Federer pun berbicara di set kelima. Petenis 36 tahun itu seperti tidak kesulitan untuk mengukuhkan gelar juaranya di Australia Terbuka 2018 dengan kemenangan 6-1.
Roger Federer melaju ke final setelah mengalahkan petenis Korea Selatan, Chung Hyeon di semifinal. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
Kemenangan ini menjadi yang keenam bagi Federer sejak kali pertama meraihnya pada 2004 silam. Sekaligus menjadi geral juara grand slam yang ke-20 sepanjang kariernya. Wimbledon merupakan grand dlam yang terbanyak diraih Federer dengan tujuh gelar juara. Disusul Australia Terbuka (6), Amerika Serikat Terbuka (5), dan terakhir Perancis Terbuka (1).
Dengan menjadi juara Australia Terbuka dua kali beruntun, Federer menyamai pencapaian Roy Emerson dan Novak Djokovic. (sry)
