Roger Federer grabs ultimate Grand Slam history in Melbourne after..

Reaching a Major semi-final may have to do something with form, a good draw or some kind of luck in the pivotal moments that would keep you on the title course, moving two wins from tennis glory. Rare players have been able to dominate at a single Major and stay on a high-level year after year to add their names among the legends of the event, with only five players in the Open era who have reached at least ten semi-finals in Melbourne, Paris, London or New York.

Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors are the only to achieve that at multiple Majors, with the American having 11 Wimbledon semi-finals on his tally and no less than 14 at home in New York, a previous record together with Roger Federer’s 14 at the Australian Open and 13 at Wimbledon.

Nadal has played in 12 Roland Garros semi-finals to claim as many titles but the focus here is on Connors and Federer who had shared the record until this week, with the great Swiss becoming the first player with 15 Major semi-finals at the same event after reaching the last four at Melbourne Park.

Competing at Melbourne Park for the record-breaking 21st time, Federer grabs the place in the 15th semi-final and became the player with most victories at one Major event, despite not being able to chase the title. The second-oldest Australian Open semi-finalist in the Open era stopped the clock again, delivering commanding victories over Steve Johnson and Filip Krajinovic to kick off the tournament in the strongest possible way and overpowering John Millman in the fifth-set match tie break from 8-4 down to find himself in the fourth round.

There, Roger came from a set down to beat Marton Fucsovics and set the quarter-final clash against Tennys Sandgren that became one of the most memorable victories for the Swiss after he saved no less than seven match points in the fourth set, prevailing in the fifth to advance into the semis and set the record that will take some beating from Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

The Serb defeated Roger in the battle for the final in straight sets, with Federer giving his everything despite a groin injury suffered against Sandgren two days earlier, finishing his journey in the last four and experiencing another great campaign in Australia ahead of some well-deserved rest and the ATP 500 event in Dubai.