AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2007: Federer Gets To 10

Roger Federer wins 10th major title

R. Federer (SUI)[1] d. F. Gonzalez (CHI)[10] 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4

Once again Roger Federer of Switzerland showed how he is on track to be crowned the greatest tennis player of all time by winning his 3rd Australian Open title yesterday over Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, the first player to win a major title without losing a set since Bjorn Borg. He now has won 3 major titles in a row, and can complete the Roger Slam if he wins the 2007 French Open at Roland Garros. He is now 10-1 in major finals, and has won seven of the last 9 major championships that have been played since January 2005. In a few weeks he will surpass Jimmy Connors record for most consecutive weeks at #1 (160).

Mad Professah predicted Federer's win yesterday, although I did think that Gonzalez would win a set. In the end, Gonzalez had 31 winners to 28 unforced errors (+3), much more modest numbers than the garish statistics from his three previous matches. Federer had 45 winners to 19 unforced errors (+26) and faced two set points (in the tenth game of the first set). It actually turns out that Gonzalez had won the first set when one of his deep baseline shots at 40-15 was called out and he failed to question the call on the advise of unpire Sandra De Jenkins who signalled she believed the shot was long as well. Shot spot showed viewers at home the shot was in. Afterlosing that point and the next one, Gonzalez eventually lost the game and Federer made it to the tiebreak, where he raced out to a 5-0 lead and a few points later the first set was over. I went to sleep at that point, confident that Federer would win his 10th consecutive match over Gonzalez, as well as earn his 10th major title.