FedEx reaches Cloud Seven

World No 1. Roger Federer overcame an early scare to beat Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday, winning the Australian Open for the...

World No 1. Roger Federer overcame an early scare to beat Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday, winning the Australian Open for the second time and capturing his seventh Grand Slam title.

The Swiss reeled off 11 straight games to end the unseeded Cypriot8217;s magical odyssey and reach another landmark on his own relentless march to tennis immortality. Federer became the first man to win three consecutive Grand Slams title since American Pete Sampras 12 years ago and the third man to win his first seven Grand Slam finals.

Only the claycourt French Open continues to elude him as it did Sampras.

Federer, a model of on-court composure, clawed his way back from losing the first set and trailing 2-0 in the second.

But he was unable to contain his emotions when he received the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup from Australian Rod Laver, the last player to hold all four major titles simultaneously.

8220;I guess it8217;s all coming out now,8221; said Federer, with tears streaming down his cheeks. 8220;I8217;ve had some hard speeches but this one is really tough.8221; In a television interview later, Federer said the magnitude of his latest achievement had been overwhelming. 8220;It is really too much for me8230;I was very emotional.

8220;Winning Slams is not easy to do. It is a dream come true for me every time I win one.8221;

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Baghdatis had captured the imagination of tennis fans the world over with his fairytale run to the championship match, but the ever-smiling Cypriot was unable to keep pace with Federer once the top seed raised his game. 8220;It8217;s like a dream and I8217;ve just woken up at the end,8221; Baghdatis said. 8220;It8217;s been two weeks here that has been fantastic. I8217;m in the final, I played the final and I lost. It8217;s just amazing.8221;

The 20-year-old made a confident start in his first Grand Slam final, breaking Federer8217;s serve in the fifth game, then again in the 11th game after handing back the initial break. He skipped to a 2-0 lead in the second set as an unusually error-prone Federer struggled to find his rhythm. Once he did, however, the match was as good as over.

Federer got back on level terms as mistakes started to creep into his opponent8217;s game, winning the second set off an unforced error, and he stormed through the third set in 24 minutes. An early break in the fourth set gave Federer a 3-0 lead and although Baghdatis held serve to end an 11-game losing streak, his body was showing signs of caving in before his spirit.

The former junior world No 1, now ranked 54th in the world, had beaten Andy Roddick, Ivan Ljubicic and David Nalbandian to reach the final. But the effort had taken its toll and he started to cramp up midway through the fourth set. He received treatment to his left calf muscle and although he continued, Federer close out victory in two hours 46 minutes.