Another Milestone For Roger Federer As He Reaches Australian Open Fourth Round

Roger Federer has won the Australian Open on four occasions

Roger Federer became the first man in history to win 300 grand slam matches as the Swiss beat Grigor Dimitrov to reach the Australian Open fourth round.

Press Association report continues:

Dimitrov was once dubbed Federer's apprentice for his talent and elegant style of play but it was the 34-year-old who proved himself the master on Rod Laver Arena, winning 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4.

Federer was far from his free-flowing best and even looked flustered when Dimitrov clinched the second set but an early break in the third quickly turned the tide.

It was one-way traffic thereafter as Federer sealed victory in two hours and 40 minutes to set up a fourth-round meeting with Belgium's David Goffin.

"Today didn't come automatically, I had to push myself, remind myself what to do," Federer said.

"These are the great matches to win, I tell you that, because you're not going to feel 100 per cent great every single time when you go out there.

"But it's important to win those matches maybe where you felt a little off almost sometimes."

Federer and Dimitrov are good friends off the court and a video quickly circulated on the internet of the pair before the match, relaxing together as they waited to go on.

They were watching Maria Sharapova playing American Lauren Davis and one rally particularly excited Federer, who yelled and leapt out of his seat.

"We know each other quite well and we were pretty chilled going into the match," Federer said.

"Sometimes you don't look much at the other guy but with Grigor it's different, like with other guys on tour. There are many guys I would speak to before a match. That was the situation today.

"I'm happy it still exists. We're not that far down the road where it's so professional where you can't even look at the guy before you walk on court."

Federer's 300 grand slam wins include 17 major successes, while he has reached 27 finals and 38 semi-finals. This year's Australian Open is his 65th consecutive appearance at a major tournament.

"It's very exciting, I must tell you," Federer said.

"Like when I reached 1,000 (career wins) last year, it was a big deal for me. It's not something I ever aimed for or looked for, but when it happens, it's very special.

"You look deeper into it, I guess, where it's all happened and how, so it's very nice. I'm very happy."

Another Federer Milestone: Win No. 300 At A Grand Slam

AP reports that the countless records and accolades accumulated over a long and illustrious career don't in any way diminish Roger Federer's satisfaction when he sets yet another benchmark.

Federer became the first man to win 300 Grand Slam singles matches when he beat Grigor Dimitrov, a player formerly dubbed "baby Fed" for the likeness of their styles, in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday.

The 34-year-old Federer already tops many "most of" lists in men's tennis — from the number of major titles won (17) to the number of consecutive Grand Slam tournaments contested (65). Yet he still gets a thrill from the numbers.

"It's very exciting, I must tell you," Federer told the crowd following his 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Dimitrov.

He compared the latest milestone to his 1,000th win in tour-level matches, which he sealed 12 months ago in Brisbane. "It was a big deal for me."

Federer is now 67 wins ahead of No. 2 and long-retired Jimmy Connors in terms of Grand Slam singles wins, so the mark is safe for a while.

"It's not something I ever aimed for but when it happens, it's very special," he said. "You look deeper into it, where it's all happened and how. So it's very nice."

Federer's next aim is to break a Grand Slam title drought that dates back to Wimbledon 2012. He reached two major finals in 2015, losing them both to Novak Djokovic, who has replaced him as the most dominant man in the draw. He could meet Djokovic in the semifinals.