On this day: Roger Federer won the 2004 Australian Open to become World No. 1 for the first time
On 1 February 2004, Roger Federer defeated Marat Safin in the final of the 2004 Australian Open to lift his first Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. Courtesy of the victory, the Swiss soared to No. 1 in the ATP rankings -- a position he would not relinquish for the next 237 weeks.
Federer was ranked World No. 2 at the time and was seeded second in the tournament. In his first three matches, the Swiss defeated two qualifiers and one wildcard -- all in straight sets. The first real test for the 20-time Grand Slam champion came in the fourth round against 15th seed and former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.
Despite losing the first set, the current World No. 30 bounced back in the next three to win the contest 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-4. The victory saw him reach the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park for the first time in his career.
February 1, 2004: Roger Federer beats Marat Safin to win his maiden Australian Open and become world No. 1 for the first time! https://t.co/Aq4VEpK7sE
Federer's opponent in the last-eight fixture was David Nalbandian. At the time of their meeting, the Argentinian held a 5-1 lead in their head-to-head. However, he was no match for the second seed this time around, who reached the semifinals with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win.
In the penultimate hurdle, the Swiss squared off against another former World No. 1, Juan Carlos Ferrero. The Spaniard proved to be no match for the marauding Federer, who ended up winning 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.
In the other semifinal, Safin disposed of defending champion Andre Agassi in a nail-biting five-set thriller to set up a fifth meeting with the former World No. 1. Unseeded in the tournament, the Russian had also taken out No. 1 seed Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals.
But a third consecutive upset was thwarted by the 20-time Grand Slam champion. Federer sealed the title with a clinical 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-2 win. Having lost in the quarterfinals the previous year, the additional 1,640 ranking points were enough to lift the Swiss to the pinnacle of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career.
This was his second Grand Slam title after the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, and his first on hardcourts. Federer and Safin met in the semifinals at Melbourne Park the following year, with the tie going in favor of the Russian. Safin would go on to win the tournament for his second and final Grand Slam. Federer, on the other hand, came back to win the Melbourne Major five more times.
Roger Federer's 237-week stay as World No. 1 is unparalleled in men's tennis
The momentum that Roger Federer gained from that Australian Open triumph propelled him to win 10 of the next 15 Majors. In addition to victories at the 2005 Wimbledon and US Open, he lifted three Grand Slam titles in each of the 2004, 2006 and 2007 seasons -- Roland Garros being the exception in all three years.
The 2004 French Open was won by Gaston Gaudio, while 2005 saw the emergence of Rafael Nadal. The 21-time Grand Slam champion conquered the clay courts of Paris for the first time in 2005 and did not let go for the next three years.
When: February 2, 2004
Who: @RogerFederer
What: Roger’s first time at World No. 1
The Swiss stayed remained No.1 for 237 consecutive weeks which is the longest in history. 👏 https://t.co/6bWFDVGhj5
Federer remained No. 1 for a record 237 weeks until August 2008, when he finally surrendered the position to Nadal for the first time ever. The Spaniard's victory at Wimbledon in 2008, including trumping the Swiss himself in the final, was enough to initiate a change of guard.
Before the former World No. 1 came along, the record for most consecutive weeks atop the ATP rankings was held by Ivan Lendl with a 160-week stay between 1974 and 1977. The current World No. 1, Novak Djokovic, has a 76-week streak as the top ranked men's player.
Also Checkout : Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer Head to Head Stats