Given all what we've seen at Wimbledon 2017 so far, there is no doubt that both Roger Federer and Marin Cilic earned their place in Sunday's final. Roger hasn't lost a set in the tournament, but he was definitely tested in the semi-finals against Tomas Berdych. Yes, he won again in straight sets, but given the fact that other players didn't even come close to taking sets from Federer, this match was definitely a test.
Roger was pushed to the edge in all sets, and it was only because of his brilliant focus and ability to play the best tennis when necessary that he was able to win a match in straight sets.
On the other hand, Marin Cilic was impressive in the first four rounds of the tournament. It wasn't until his quarter-final match against Gilles Miller that he was truly tested. In the semi-finals, he turned things around against Sam Querrey after losing the first set.
The stakes are high
With a 30-2 match record this season that includes the Australian Open crown and his first two masters tournaments titles, there is no doubt that Federer is once again at his best. On the other hand, we have Marin Cilic with an incredible run reminiscent of the 2014 US Open when he won his maiden Grand slam title.
The stakes are high. Roger Federer will try to win his 8th Wimbledon title which would surpass Pete Sampras and William Renshaw.
His Sunday win would also mean a 19th major title which will cement his place on the top of the list of Grand Slam champions. On the other side of the net will stand Marin Cilic who is just into his second grand slam final and his first at Wimbledon. However, let us not forget the fact that he was victorious last time he played a Grand slam final.
Previous meetings
In head-to-head meetings, Federer leads 6-1. The last of their seven meetings occurred at Wimbledon last year when Federer came out on top in the fifth set, after losing the first two. If we take this match into account, there is no doubt that we can expect a tremendous battle on Sunday. Before that match, there was a win for Marin Cilic, and what a win it was.
The Croat stunned Federer, beating him in straight sets at the US Open semifinals on his path to the title. The rest of their meetings featured some interesting battles such as the one that occurred at the Rogers Cup where Federer came out on top in the third set.
In conclusion, we must say that anything less than a Federer win will definitely be a surprise. However, Cilic proved himself to be a dangerous opponent, especially on the big stage so we can at least expect an interesting battle, and who knows, maybe even another thrilling five-setter.
