Australian Open 2018: Roger Federer becomes the oldest man to reach the final since 1972
What's the story?
Roger Federer reached his 30th Grand Slam final after winning his semi-final match against South Korean youngster Hyeon Chung in the Australian Open. He thus became the oldest man in the Open Era to play in an Australian Open final since 1972.
In case you didn't know...
Roger Federer, who is aged 36 years reached his seventh Australian Open final this year where he has won five Grand Slam titles.
The heart of the matter
Roger Federer added yet another feather to his cap today as he became the oldest player to reach the Australian Open Grand Slam final since 1972.
Ken Rosewall, the former Australian tennis player, has the distinction of being the oldest player to win a Grand Slam title when he defeated Malcolm Anderson in straight sets at the age of 37 years and 63 days in 1972. Malcolm Anderson would have been the oldest to do so as well, had he won, since he was aged 36 at that time.
Federer won the Wimbledon in 2017 and became the oldest man to win at SW19, beating the earlier record created by Arthur Ashe. Coincidentally, Federer beat Marin Cilic for the title in London and will be up against the same opponent as he defends his Australian Open title.
What's next?
Roger Federer, who is seeded 2nd at the Australian Open, will face off against the 6th seeded Croatian Marin Cilic on Sunday for his 20th Grand Slam title. The match is scheduled to be held at 2:00 pm IST.
Author's take
Federer has been the most decorated player in the Open Era with a tally of 19 Grand Slam titles to his credit through his career. At age 36, he is still going strong which is a testament to his fitness and consistency through the years.