No further than tomorrow, another Wimbledon will reach its final scene this time having Roger Federer and Marin Cilic in the spotlights. After nearly two weeks of high-quality, the world is preparing for a last performance on the Central Court. Looking quite solid throughout the tournament, both players have earned their spot in the final.
But, who's gonna be the last man standing when the bell will ring? Some may be inclined to give it to Roger Federer as the Swiss player made it this far without dropping a single set. But, on the other end of the court, will stand Marin Cilic, a quiet yet ferocious tennis player who seeks his second Grand Slam title after winning 2014 Us Open.
Federer outclassed Berdych while Cilic dominated Sam Querrey
Roger Federer sees himself weeks away from turning 36 years of age. But it's no longer a reason for wondering that he has found a whole new level of motivation after those 6 months spent away from the tennis court. Cruising on the grass court at Wimbledon he came close to losing at least a set against Tomas Berdych.
The Czech kept a tight gap between him and Federer and that stubbornness was about to give him the joy of winning at least an act. It wasn't the case as Federer backed his game strongly and finished the job in straight sets even though they were tight 7-6 7-6 6-4.
The second semi final saw Marin Cilic recovering from a set down to top Querrey in four sets.
Although both big players looked strong while serving, Cilic had the upper hand as his level of mobility was superior to that of Querrey. That, and his ability to produce disrupting shots from both wings put him in front. In the end, he conquered Querrey by 7-6(6) 4-6 6-7(3) 5-7.
Cilic seeks his second victory against Federer
In head to head stats, Federer leads Cilic by 6-1. The Croatian's only success over Federer came in that dream semifinal at 2014 US Open. That match saw Cilic outplaying Federer as he won in straight sets against the Swiss star. Their rivalry had a special episode last year at Wimbledon with Federer recovering from two sets down to conquer Cilic.
This time, the stake is even higher with a Grand Slam title up for grabs. Federer has the chance to win the second Major in 2017 after that at the Australian Open while Cilic might wanna change the label he was given after that one-time wonder at US Open.
For Roger Federer, there is a bonus involved as he would get closer to the top of the ranking. With Murray and Djokovic out due to injuries, he and Nadal will be sharing the stage for a while.