20 Grand Slams! Roger Federer beats Marin Cilic to win 6th Australian Open title

Melbourne: Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer cruised to his sixth Australian Open title triumph after a thrilling win in an epic five-set final against Croatia Marin Cilic.

The final scoreline after the match read 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, which took place here on a Super Sunday.

Federer as a result won his 20th Grand Slam title, with this being the sixth Australian Open triumph for the World No 2.

This was the first time since the Wimbledon final last year that they were meeting.

In the Wimbledon final, too, Roger Federer had triumphed, beating Cilic in straight sets, with the score reading 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.

Back where his career resurgence began last year with an unexpected run to the title following a six-month injury layoff, Federer had an almost perfect title defense until he reached the second set of the final.

After going through four years without winning a major, Federer has now won three of the last five.

The 36-year-old Federer started with an intensity that stunned Cilic, getting service breaks in the first and third games and forcing his Croatian rival to go for a new racket after just 12 points.

Federer only conceded two points on his serve in the opening set, which lasted just 24 minutes and was played under a closed roof on Rod Laver Arena because of the heat outside.

But Cilic rallied in the second, getting his big forehand working and, after missing a set point on Federer's serve in the 10th game, leveled the match in the tiebreaker.

Federer won the third set in 29 minutes and was up a break in the fourth but momentum swung fully again, with Cilic going on a roll to level the match.