Federer bags 16th Grand Slam with Oz Open win

Roger Federer has beaten Andy Murray 6-3,6-4,7-6 (11) for his fourth Australian Open title,extending the British men’s drought in Grand Slam singles championships into a 74th year.

Murray was riding the hopes of a British public,most of whom have only read about the last British man to win a singles title in a Grand Slam – Fred Perry in 1936. Federer won the lengthy third-set tiebreaker on his third match point after fending off five set points for Murray. He clinched the match in 2 hours,41 minutes when Murray netted a backhand.

The last time Murray and Federer met in a Grand Slam final was the 2008 U.S. Open,where Federer won 6-2,7-5,6-2. That was Murray’s first and only previous opportunity to end the British men’s dry spell in majors.

It was Federer’s 22nd Grand Slam final,where he’s won a record 16. Federer has appeared in 18 of the past 19 Grand Slam finals.