Melbourne , January 29:

Roger Federer won his seventh Grand Slam final and his second Australian Open title with a commanding four-set victory over unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis on Sunday.

World No 1 fought back from dropping the opening set against the charismatic 54th-ranked star to claim a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 victory in 2hr 46min. It means he remains unbeaten in all the Grand Slam finals he has contested since his first success at 2003 Wimbledon.

Federer became the first player to win three successive Grand Slams since Pete Sampras won at the 1994 Australian Open. The Swiss went into this year’s Open having won last year’s Wimbledon and US Open.

He now joins other tennis greats John McEnroe, John Newcombe and Mats Wilander with seven major titles and is closing in on all-time leader Sampras with 14.

Federer was lost for words at the presentation and sobbed soon after receiving the trophy from his idol Rod Laver. It was Federer’s 35th title and his fourth win over 20-year-old Baghdatis.

Federer won $900,000 for his Australian victory, swelling his career prizemoney to $21.2 million.

Baghdatis was bidding to become the first unseeded player to win the title since 212-ranked Australian Mark Edmondson won here in 1976. His ranking has now climbed to 26. It looked like an upset could be on the books in the first set with Federer’s serve broken twice as Baghdatis quickly settled.

A forehand long gave Baghdatis the first break in the fifth game but broke straight back with three errors from the Cypriot.

Federer came under pressure again in the 11th game with two more break points against him on the back of forehand mistakes and he was broken when he over-hit a forehand. Baghdatis served out for the first set calmly.

Federer came under immediate pressure in the opening game of the second set, finding the net off a Baghdatis net cord.

The top seed was having trouble against the pressing Cypriot and played a casual half-volley to bring up break point on his next service game but he hung on.

The set was heading to a tiebreaker and Baghdatis was 40-0 up on serve but Federer worked his way to set point on a netted forehand.

Baghdatis then appeared to tire and the errors began to flow in the third set with Federer stringing together a sequence of eight straight games to take control.

Past winners

2005 - Marat Safin (RUS)

2004 - Roger Federer (SUI)

2003 - Andre Agassi (USA)

2002 - Thomas Johansson (SWE)

2001 - Andre Agassi (USA)

2000 - Andre Agassi (USA)

1999 - Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS)

1998 - Petr Korda (CZE)

1997 - Pete Sampras (USA)

1996 - Boris Becker (GER)

1995 - Andre Agassi (USA)

1994 - Pete Sampras (USA)

1993 - Jim Courier (USA)

1992 - Jim Courier (USA)

1991 - Boris Becker (GER)

1990 - Ivan Lendl (CZE)

1989 - Ivan Lendl (CZE)

1988 - Mats Wilander (SWE)

1987 - Stefan Edberg (SWE)

1986 - no competition

1985 - Stefan Edberg (SWE)

1984 - Mats Wilander (SWE)

1983 - Mats Wilander (SWE)

1982 - Johan Kriek (RSA)

1981 - Johan Kriek (RSA)

1980 - Brian Teacher (USA)