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Factfile of Australian Open men's finalist Federer
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Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates after winning Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in the men's final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 28, 2007. (Xinhua Photo/Lui Siu Wai) |
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MELBOURNE, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- World No. 1 and top seed Roger Federer won his third Australian Open men's singles title after beating the 10th seed Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets in the final here Sunday.
The win of 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-4 meant that Federer won the Australian Open title without dropping a set in seven matches.
He became the first man to do so in a grand slam tournament since Sweden's Bjorn Borg at the French Open in 1980.
This is also the Switzerland's world No. 1's 10th grand slam title.
The win has placed Federer equal fifth alongside American Bill Tilden on the list of all-time major champions.
Only living legends Pete Sampras, with 14, Roy Emerson (12), Rod Laver (11) and Bjorn Borg (11) remain above the Swiss world No. 1.
Gonzalez broke Federer's serve in the 9th game of the opening set and was serving for the set at 5-4.
The Chilean had two set points but he failed to convert them while Federer himself wasted four set points in the 12th game before the set went to a tiebreaker which the TV commentators said is rare to the world number one.
But the top seed raced to 5-0 in the tiebreak before closing the set out after 65 minutes with an explosive off-forehand winner.
Federer broke Gonzalez the seventh game of the second set and the seventh game of the third set which is almost a copy of the second.
For 26-year-old Gonzalez, he will climb four places to a career-high No. 5 in the world ranking which will be released Monday.
Despite the loss in the final, Gonzalez created Chilean history and a career-high achievement over the past fortnight.
He had not made it beyond the quarterfinal of a grand slam before this tournament and never past the fourth round at the Australian Open.
At this year's Australian Open, Gonzalez beat world's second best player Rafael Nadal in the quarters after defeating the home country's only men's singles hope and former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.
He also ousted the fifth seed James Blake and the 12th seed Tommy Haas.
Related:
Williams wins third Australian Open title
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Serena Williams of the US hugs her trophy during the awarding ceremony of the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Jan 27, 2007. Williams won the title by beating Maria Sharapova of Russia 2-0 (6-1, 6-2). (Xinhua Photo/Lui Siu Wai)
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MELBOURNE, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Unseeded American Serena Williams crushed top seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the final at Rod Laver Arena to win her third Australian Open women's singles title here on Saturday.
Black, Huber win Australian Open women's doubles champions
HARARE, Jan. 27 (Xinhua)-- Top Zimbabwean female tennis player Cara Black and her South African partner Liezel Huber won the 2007 Australian Open women's doubles champions on Friday.
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