There were more than a few surprises en route to the Wimbledon title match, but Sunday’s finale at the All-England Club features a marquee matchup between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Djokovic is bidding for his second Wimbledon winner’s trophy, while Federer is looking to extend his record to 18 Grand Slam triumphs.
Before this fortnight even started, some said the 2014 installment of Wimbledon would be Federer’s last best chance to win an 18th major title. While that assertion may have been up for debate two weeks ago, it’s hard to argue that now. After all, Federer is one win away from more glory at the All-England Club and his opponent in Sunday’s final is not named Rafael Nadal.
Still, though, it is a formidable adversary. Novak Djokovic is a respectable 16-18 lifetime against Federer and the Serb has won four of their last six meetings dating back to the fall of 2012. They have faced each three times this season; Federer prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Dubai, Djokovic won a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) Indian Wells thriller, and Federer beat a hobbled Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo. This is just their second showdown on grass; Federer scored a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the 2012 Wimbledon semifinals.
So far at this particular event, Federer has been the superior player. The 32-year-old Swiss has taken out Paolo Lorenzi, Gilles Muller, Santiago Giraldo, Tommy Robredo, Stanislas Wawrinka, and Milos Raonic while dropping only one set to Wawrinka in the process. Federer is coming off an especially impressive 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 beatdown of Raonic in Friday’s semifinals. The former world No. 1 is now 40-7 for his 2014 campaign.
Djokovic has not quite had things on cruise-control to Federer’s extent. The top seed defeated Andrey Golubev, Radek Stepanek (in a fourth-set tiebreaker), Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Marin Cilic (in five sets) and Grigor Dimitrov (in a fourth-set tiebreaker) to book his place in the championship match. Djokovic trailed Dimitrov 6-3 in the fourth-set ‘breaker, but he ultimately saved four set points before getting the job done and avoiding a decider. Djokovic has a borderline dominant 36-4 record to his credit this year.
Over the years, however, it is obviously Federer who has enjoyed far superior grass-court results. The 17-time Grand Slam champion is 73-8 for his career at Wimbledon and he has captured the title seven times. Djokovic is a pale-by-comparison 44-8. He won it all in 2011 but he had been to only two previous finals prior to this occasion.
“His level has been very high, I have to say,” Djokovic said of Federer. “I’ve been watching him in a few matches. I mean, with his immense experience of winning this title so many times and, of course, from being so dominant in men’s tennis for over a decade, that helps in the approach of the Grand Slam final.”
“I think for me it’s really important to stay aggressive against him, and especially here at Wimbledon it’s simpler how we need to play against each other,” Federer noted. “It’s not like on a slow court where you can maybe maneuver the other guy around so much. I think on grass it’s a bit more straightforward and we’re both aware of that.”
Such straightforwardness would favor Federer, who generally wants to keep points short against Djokovic and win with first-strike tennis. That is an endeavor more easily accomplished on grass than on any other surface. Federer has a Pete Sampras-like ability to serve his biggest and best at the most important such as on break points, and there is no reason to think anything will be different this time around. The No. 4 seed can call on that get-out-of-jail-free card almost at will. His experience in this setting and relative dominance on grass should see Federer through to yet another Wimbledon title.
Pick: Federer in 4
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I think everybody is picking Fed to win as far as writers/editors go but arent the bookies favoring Nole? surely the bookies know something..lol..Or have they too jumped ship like they did in RG over to Rafs side in the final
bookies = the public
But they put their money on the line right rather than just giving forecasts.
Writers/editors not = public
Please read more carefully.
#HopeThisHelps
Fed in 4 or Novak in 5..I am playing it safe. I doubt will beat Novak if it goes to 5
Fed has to get it done in 4 sets!
Would love it to go to 5. It will be fun to see both terribly nervy in the 5th 🙂
Nole is a better player of fifth sets and he is physically stronger so yes, Federer must get it done in 3 or 4 sets. But it won’t be easy to wear federer down on grass even if it goes to 5
My call is federer in 4 sets
Will it not be fun if it goes to 5? We Rafa fans will be the only ones watching it without nerves 🙂
vamosrafa, I agree with you that Novak is a better player of 5-setter at this stage of their career, and it’s obvious that’s the reason Sanju wants this match to go to 5 sets 🙂
As I dislike Novak with a passion, I want Federer to win it in 3 sets, 4 sets at most, even if it meant Federer would get his #18.
Any chance Fed hangs his racquet if he wins this like Pete did after winning Us 2002 after a gap of 2 years?
I feel Steffi and Roger have some parallels. She too quit in 99 after winning RG and reaching final of Wimby after a gap of 2 years of no Vlam winV (97,98)
I meant slam wins above :-)..Typo
no way fed’s quitting Sanju, no way
He will some day right. He has to time it right. He wont play on forever
lol…of course he will someday..but not now I think
I feel he will quit soon within a year
God its Wimby final and the thread is so silent :-). No Rafa, no messages 🙂
@Sanju
I can see where you are coming at. A 5 setter would be the best the neutrals will hope for. But it will be nerve wrecking for the fans of both the players.
I don’t think I will be able to sit calmly till the match ends!
Just think of Rafa fans during AO 2012, FO 2013 semi, Wimby 08,07, AO 2009 🙂
I am all rooting for long 5 setter 🙂 with the best player on the day winning
Common Fed!
Has Federer sewn 18 on his jacket already in Gold ? 🙂
BTW its 8/18/80 for Fed ..8 all over and he said 8 is his fav number
8 Wimby
18 slams
80 singles titles
Nerves get the better of Nole again. 2 set points and cold not serve it out on his serve
Novak played better in set 1 and lost it because of horrible serving when he had set points
Do i want Roger to get slam #18 or do I want Nole to get the #1 ranking? This is the opposite of #sophieschoice
Nole getting No 1 ranking is ok. Anywys Rafa has to lose it within one of his next 3 tourneys, he cant defend Toronto, Cincy, UsO all together, Rafa can always get the No 1 back later twards later part of season
Yes!
No 1 ranking will most likely go to Nole sometime this summer. Rafa can’t gain any pts before fall.
Ajde Nole.
True about the no. 1 ranking. Guess I also want Broom Closet BB gone.
Game on ;-)..1 set all
Tony ‏@tjc05 ·13 mins
Wait, so Jelena is at the house, but if it looks like he is going to win she is going to go the stadium? That is the worst idea ever…..
My my this final is really brillint quality..excellent shot making
surprisingly Djoko up 2 sets to 1
I thought Novak was mentally strong in that third set tb. Also, there were a few bad shots from Fed. That’s all it takes in a close match. I think this has been a high quality match, good stuff from both guys. I felt that Fed needed to do it in four. Now he will have to come back from two sets to one down.
Djoker is helping up fully..lol
Massive choke by Djoker..Cold not verve at 5 3 up,lost championship point..
Wonder if he will recover from this
Novak Djokovic is a serial choker…..chokovic!!!!!
If Novak loses this final again…..not sure this will bode well for the rest of his season! Even if he regains no.1, having regained it without winning a GSlam will just be unfortunate!