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Federer maintains reign with commanding win

MELBOURNE- Roger Federer showed he has no intention of relinquishing his iron grip at the top of men’s tennis, winning his fourth Australian Open, 16th Grand Slam and securing the top ranking for a 268th week.

The Swiss all-time great was the man for the occasion, repulsing Andy Murray’s bid for British tennis history in a commanding 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13/11) triumph over the Scottish fifth seed in the final.

His victory ensures that the 28-year-old kicks off the new season firmly ensconced at the top after winning Wimbledon and the French Open last year.

“I’m on an incredible trip and I’ll see where it ends,” said Federer.

“I’m being pushed along by the new generation and they have made me a better player.”

It was Murray’s second Grand Slam loss to Federer following his defeat to him in the 2008 US Open final and continued Britain’s frustrating chase for a first male Grand Slam winner since Fred Perry last won 74 years ago.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal limped out of the tournament and slid from number two to fourth in the rankings after his third set retirement in his quarter-final with Murray.

The six-time Grand Slam champion returned to Spain to discover he would be out of the game for at least four weeks with a hamstring-related injury and will miss the ABN Amro tournament in Rotterdam that starts on February 8.

“I’m not pleased about missing the Rotterdam tournament. I would have liked to win the title after coming very close last year,” Nadal said.

The disappointing exit again raises doubts about his long-term viability after injuries last year blighted the Spaniard’s Grand Slam season.

Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic had a bitter-sweet tournament, rising to a career-high world number two despite health problems again plaguing him in a Grand Slam.

Djokovic wilted to a five-set defeat to Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in their quarter-final after being weakened by a stomach upset during the match.

The 2008 Australian champion has a patchy record of Grand Slam retirements, pulling out four times since 2005.

US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro was dumped out in a titanic five-setter to Marin Cilic in the fourth round.

It was sweet revenge for the 14^th seeded Croat, who lost to the Argentinian at the same stage in last year’s tournament.

Russian sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko promised much after his previous two wins over Federer but fell to the eventual champion in four sets after leading 6-2, 3-1 in their quarter-final.

Davydenko is a four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist and a six-time quarter-finalist, but has yet to reach a final.

“Again, again, again, like the same that has happened last time in Grand Slam,” Davydenko said. “I have a chance and I didn’t realise it and I lost.”

American Andy Roddick extended his frustrating drought in Grand Slams after he was beaten by Cilic in a five-set quarter-final.

The seventh seed fought back gamely after being two sets down with a shoulder nerve problem but the four-time semi-finalist was unable to add to his sole Grand Slam success at the 2003 US Open.

Tsonga, who lost to Djokovic here in the final two years ago, was blown away by Federer 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in a lopsided Open semi-final.

The Frenchman admitted he was tired after backing up from consecutive five-set matches against Spaniard Nicolas Almagro and Djokovic.

Cilic occupied more time on court than any other player and his semi-final against Murray proved a match too far.

The Croat had spent more than 18 hours on court and it caught up with him as he wilted after taking the first set to crash out in four sets.