MELBOURNE: Australian Open champion Roger Federer is set to continue defying Father Time after announcing he will return to defend his title next year.
The 36-year-old won his 20th Grand Slam title and sixth at Melbourne Park on Sunday with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Croatia’s Marin Cilic, but initially forgot to say whether or not he planned to defend the title.
“Yeah, I’d love to come back. I know I forgot to say that after the match,” Federer said the day after his memorable victory. “But I hope I come back again next year.”
Federer equalled the record of six Australian Open men’s titles, held by Novak Djokovic and Roy Emerson, and emulated Ken Rosewall’s feat of claiming three Grand Slam titles after the age of 35.
His longevity has in part been put down to the careful management of his playing schedule.
Despite being fully fit, he skipped the entire claycourt season last year to concentrate on Wimbledon, a decision that paid off with his eighth title at the famous grasscourt tournament.
He reiterated that he would continue to manage his schedule tightly and despite being within sight of the world’s top ranking, a decision on whether or not his next tournament would be in Dubai in late February had yet to be made.
“We were in talks with them (Dubai organizers) but when the (Australian Open) tournament started, I just said ‘look, if it’s OK, I’d like to decide after the tournament’,” he said.
“That’s an ideal scenario for me. After the tournament, I’ll know how I feel, did I come out injured or not?
“So now we know what the situation is.
“I also have to decide on the claycourt season so all these things are kind of interlinked.
“But it’s possible I’ll play something, but it’s also possible that maybe I just don’t play anything (for a while).”
Federer said he would make the decision about his schedule after
spending some time with family at home in Switzerland, where he hoped the fact he had won the Australian Open title again would finally sink in.
“This year seems more surreal, I
can’t believe I was able to defend my title after all these years, that I could do it again,” he said.
“To reach number 20, number six here, it’s just a lot trying to take it in.
“Last year was a lot more straightforward, just disbelief that I won and there I was waking up with the trophy.
“But, I don’t know, this year feels more surreal. I can’t believe that I was able to defend my title, that after all these years I could do it again.
“It’s super special, one of the great moments in my career, and maybe this one is going to take longer to sink in.”
Roger Federer wants more Australian Open titles
Roger Federer wants more Australian Open titles
Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder in rout of Cavaliers
- Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-point haul led the way, with center Chet Holmgren providing offensive support with 28 points and Luguentz Dort adding 18 points
Los Angeles: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to winning ways with a 136-104 pummeling of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Two days after suffering an upset defeat by Miami on Saturday, the NBA champions ensured there would be no repeat against Cleveland as the league marked the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday with a packed slate of fixtures.
Apart from a brief spell at the start of the first quarter, Oklahoma City led throughout, building up a double-digit lead before accelerating away with a 45-point fourth quarter.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-point haul led the way, with center Chet Holmgren providing offensive support with 28 points and Luguentz Dort adding 18 points.
Isaiah Joe chipped in with 16 points from the bench while Aaron Wiggins finished with 12 as five Thunder players recorded double figures en route to a victory that sees Oklahoma City improve to 36-8 at the top of the Western Conference.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 19 points while four Cavs players — Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and De’Andre Hunter — all finished with 16 points apiece.
In Monday’s other early game, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 21 points helped the Milwaukee Bucks hold off a late rally in a 112-110 road win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Milwaukee opened a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter but a stubborn Atlanta line-up chipped away at that advantage and grabbed a slender one-point lead with just over a minute remaining before the Bucks reasserted themselves to dig out victory.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Atlanta’s scoring with 32 points off the bench including seven three-pointers, with Jalen Johnson finishing with 28 points for the home side.
