MELBOURNE, Australia — Roger Federer won his sixth Australian Open title and his 20th Grand Slam singles title on Sunday, defeating Marin Cilic, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
The most remarkable part of it was that the championship came as no surprise.
At 36, Federer is the oldest man to win the Australian Open since one of his role models, Ken Rosewall, in 1972. Back then, this event was played on grass in the much more intimate setting of the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, with no retractable roofs in sight.
The roof was, in fact, closed at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night, with the temperature outside around 99 degrees Fahrenheit.