Federer’s record (57 wins at the Aussie Open)

Xavier Malisse and Roger Federer met for the first time in a Davis Cup rubber in 1999. It was a quarterfinal tie, which Belgium won over Switzerland thanks to Malisse, who outplayed Federer in four sets. They both were prospective teenagers then, one year older Malisse had two ATP finals under his belt, Federer had to wait another couple of months to play his first final…
11 years later, actually everything separates these two, but the most considerably their current position in the ATP ranking (Federer – 2nd, Malisse – 45th) and the number of Grand Slam titles (Federer – 16, Malisse hasn’t even played a final). In the meantime Federer beat Malisse seven straight times and notched another win today, the easiest one in the history of their meetings (6-3, 6-3, 6-1). The Swiss established a new record for the most matches won at the Australian Open, surpassing his childhood idol Stefan Edberg. “It’s very nice, but he still stays my idol,” says Federer, who has won 57 matches in Melbourne to Edberg’s 56. Here is a list of players who won the most matches in the history of each Grand Slam tournament (stand for 21.01.2011):

Australian Open: 57 – Roger Federer (2000-2011)
Roland Garros: 56 – Guillermo Vilas (1972-1988)
Wimbledon: 84 – Jimmy Connors (1972-1991)
US Open: 98 – Jimmy Connors (1971-1992)

Federer’s 57 wins in Melbourne:

2000: Chang 6-4 6-4 7-6(5); Kroslak 7-6(1) 6-2 6-3; 2001: Di Pasquale 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-5; Escude 6-1 6-4 6-4; 2002: Chang 6-4 6-4 6-3; Savolt 6-2 7-5 6-4; Schuettler 7-6(6) 7-6(5) 6-4; 2003: Saretta 7-6(4) 7-5 6-3; Burgsmuller 6-3 6-0 6-3; Vinciguerra 6-3 6-4 6-2; 2004: Bogomolov Jr.    6-3 6-4 6-0; Morrison  6-2 6-3 6-4; Reid  6-3 6-0 6-1; Hewitt  4-6 6-3 6-0 6-4; Nalbandian  7-5 6-4 5-7 6-3; Ferrero  6-4 6-1 6-4; Safin  7-6(3) 6-4 6-2; 2005: Santoro  6-1 6-1 6-2; Suzuki  6-3 6-4 6-4; Nieminen  6-3 5-2 ret.; Baghdatis  6-2 6-2 7-6(4); Agassi 6-3 6-4 6-4; 2006: Istomin 6-2 6-3 6-2; F.Mayer  6-1 6-4 6-0; Mirnyi  6-3 6-4 6-3; Haas  6-4 6-0 3-6 4-6 6-2; Davydenko    6-4 3-6 7-6(7) 7-6(5); Kiefer  6-3 5-7 6-0 6-2; Baghdatis 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2; 2007: Phau 7-5 6-0 6-4; Bjorkman 6-2 6-3 6-2; Youzhny 6-3 6-3 7-6(5); Djokovic 6-2 7-5 6-3; Robredo 6-3 7-6(2) 7-5; Roddick  6-4 6-0 6-2; Gonzalez  7-6(2) 6-4 6-4; 2008: Hartfield 6-0 6-3 6-0; Santoro 6-1 6-2 6-0; Tipsarevic 6-7(5) 7-6(1) 5-7 6-1 10-8; Berdych 6-4 7-6(7) 6-3; Blake 7-5 7-6(5) 6-4; 2009: Seppi 6-1 7-6(4) 7-5; Korolev 6-2 6-3 6-1; Safin 6-3 6-2 7-6(5); Berdych 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 6-2; Del Potro 6-3 6-0 6-0; Roddick 6-2 7-5 7-5; 2010: Andreev 4-6 6-2 7-6(2) 6-0; Hanescu 6-2 6-3 6-2; Montanes 6-3 6-4 6-4; Hewitt 6-2 6-3 6-4; Davydenko 2-6 6-3 6-0 7-5; Tsonga 6-2 6-3 6-2; Murray 6-3 6-4 7-6(11); 2011: Lacko 6-1 6-1 6-3; Simon 6-2 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3; Malisse 6-3 6-3 6-1