MELBOURNE, Australia -- Roger Federer has won his 20th Grand Slam singles title with a 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Marin Cilic in the Australian Open final.
Back where his career resurgence began last year with an unexpected run to the title following a six-month injury layoff, Federer had an almost perfect title defense until he reached the second set of the final.
After going through four years without winning a major, Federer has now won three of the last five.
The 36-year-old Federer started with an intensity that stunned Cilic, getting service breaks in the first and third games and forcing his Croatian rival to go for a new racket after just 12 points.