كتب : Reem Abulleil
The Swiss world number one kicked off with a shaky start as he conceded two breaks in the first set and recovered only one of them allowing Baghdatis to take a stunning 1-0 set lead.
The 20-year-old Cypriot raced to a 2-0 lead in the second set before Federer unleashed his power and turned around the match to capture the set as well as the following two, to triumph with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 victory and a third consecutive Grand Slam trophy.
Federer, who burst into tears of relief as he uttered his first words after his victory, admitted he was nervous before his encounter with Baghdatis especially with the huge crowd supporting the Cypriot who carried out a phenomenal run in Melbourne.
“When I won, I was so relieved that I got it through,” Federer was quoted as saying by the tournament’s official website.
“I felt very nervous going into the match again. I was incredibly nervous, actually,” the 24-year-old star said frankly.
“I think the whole fact of being such a huge favorite. And if I lose, (it would be a) huge upset since I don't know when. Him (Baghdatis) having so much, you know, positive and good press, having the whole fans with him.”
Federer, who shook off his nerves in sublime fashion in the second set, attributed his below-par performance in the first set to his opponent’s excellent form.
“I was struggling on my serve. He was returning well, you know, hardly missing any returns. I was really trying to make that kick serve go in.”
“But credit to him, he really played good in the beginning and didn't really allow me to play.”
Federer, who has now won each of Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open at least twice, said he looks forward to competing at Roland Garros, the only Grand Slam title that has eluded him so far.