It will be a rematch of one of last year’s most memorable Wimbledon moments when Roger Federer and Marin Cilic meet again on Sunday at the All-England Club, this time with a Grand Slam title at stake.
In a 2016 quarterfinal contest, Cilic led Federer two sets to love only to see the Swiss storm back for a 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3 victory. That extended Federer’s head-to-head series lead to 6-1 and they have not faced each other since. If the former world No. 1’s 2016 Wimbledon comeback was impressive, Cilic’s lone win over him was nothing short of remarkable. In the 2014 U.S. Open semis, the Croat was just about unplayable in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 romp that led to his first major triumph two days later.
Both men have been close to if not at their absolute best throughout this fortnight, to the extent that they are clearly the cream of the crop on grass right now–at least given the physical problems of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
For the third time in his career, Federer is through to a Wimbledon final without dropping a single set. The 35-year-old erased Alexandr Dolgopolov (via second-set retirement), Dusan Lajovic, Mischa Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic, and Tomas Berdych to reach his 11th Wimbledon final overall. He is 30-2 this season with titles at the Australian Open, Indian Wells Masters, Miami Masters, and the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.
Given his own current form and his draw (with Murray ailing and Rafael Nadal having struggled mightily at the All-England Club dating back to 2012), Cilic was always a serious contender to be the top-half finalist. That turned out to be exactly the case, starting with convincing blowouts of Philipp Kohlschreiber, Florian Mayer, Steve Johnson, and Roberto Bautista Agut before tougher victories over Gilles Muller (five sets) and Sam Querrey (four). The sixth-ranked Croat is 22-5 since beginning the year with an alarmingly poor 7-8 record.
“It’s a nice change,” Federer said when asked about facing someone other than Murray, Nadal, or Djokovic in a major title match. “But it doesn’t make things easier, in my opinion.”
Cilic went up against Kei Nishikori in his only previous slam final and dominated 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. It goes without saying that a date with a red-hot 18-time Grand Slam champion will be a much tougher proposition.
“I believe this is his home court, (the) place where he feels the best and knows that he can play the best game,” Cilic said of Federer. “Obviously I’m going to look back 12 months ago…. I was one point away from winning a match over here against him. Definitely I believe in my own abilities to get through and to win it.
“But I still know that it’s a big mountain to climb. Roger is playing maybe one of his best tennis of his career at the moment; having a great season. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”
Cilic at his peak is one of the few players who can trouble Federer right now, and the underdog can do it even on grass. His serve, when it is firing on all cylinders like it did three years ago in New York, is one of the most dangerous in the sport. Cilic can also take time away from Federer because he hits so big off both wings from the back of the court.
That being said, Federer has been just about flawless this fortnight. These are the seven-time Wimbledon champion’s unforced error totals in his six previous matches: seven, 15, seven, 10, nine, and 19. Cilic got away with some breakdowns off his backhand side against Querrey, but he will not be able to get away with any of that on Sunday–not against Roger Federer in a Grand Slam final.
Although this will almost certainly be Federer’s most difficult test of the tournament, it continues to look like nothing will stand in his way of another Wimbledon triumph.
Pick: Federer in 4
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who ya got?
FED in 3 sets. # 19 is Federer’s
Fed in four
R.F in 4 , I am sure we will see thrilling match with tie breaks !!!!!!
I hope no tb. I want something similar with AO 2017 final, but Roger to close it in the 4th as he so many times could have done it in his career, instead of going to 5.
This is a very difficult match for Roger.
Yeah agree with you VR, hello. It’ll be a difficult match for Fed.
Fed had a cold and I saw him rubbing his nose during his matches, I wonder has he fully recovered by now. I think that might explain why he looked a bit tired in the third set against Berdy, as he had to run a lot during the match.
I think if Cilic can control his nerve and plays to his full potential, it’ll be very difficult to contain him. I think the match may go four or five sets, as Cilic is absolutely capable of getting a set at least.
I do not know whether a 35yo man recovering from a cold is able to play his best to contain an opponent who’s a good few years younger, fitter (at least without a cold) and who’s also playing some inspired tennis and in very good form.
Fed is still the favorite of course but he has to be really focused and plays consistently well to win this one.
Lucky, you say this as if the author of the article claims otherwise. It will sure be a difficult match. Cilic is one of the top 3 grass players in the world at the moment. He has his chance. Not only is he hitting hard and serving great, he also has a solid baseline game and good diversity. He definitely has his chances.
I hope Fed comes strong, inspired, mentally cool but at the same time concentrated. He serves great and returns what’s returnable from Cilic. He finds the joy of playing and the right attitude as in Halle final.
Let the best win.
Eugene, I was responding to VR’s post, what’s that got to do with you??
To do with me? Lucky how many times have you replied to a comment just because you want to add something, express your opinion or even argue. I am free to comment, especially that I am doing it without interfering with someone else’s rights.
Eugene, why don’t you pick on others and leave me alone?
What’s with all you Fed worshippers?Can’t you leave me alone to post what I want to post without harassing me? I’ve enough of it with that Mark fella, who’s so rude, don’t you be another one!
I didn’t pick on you luckystar. There’s no need to make a victim out of yourself. Believe me, I would have posted the same reply to anyone here. Nothing personal. You said yesterday you hope Cilic will win, not because you’re looking for the upset, but Cilic is your 2nd favourite player. I don’t think if Fed would meet Querrey or Muller in the final you’d prefer him to win. I think you’d be glad if he lost against anyone at this stage. And that’s fine. That’s too obvious you want him to lose. And that’s fair to some degree. You’re a rafan and want your guy to be the best.
Just because you had a negative experience with someone called Mark, it doesn’t put you in a position to call me a worshipper, since that’s not the case. I am a guy who supports Federer for the player and person he is, while I respect most of the other players on tour and give them credit when they play better and deserve to win. I could always draw the line between supporting him and going overboard. That being said, if on your scale I am a worshipper, you probably are the Queen of Nadal worshippers on this site. I don’t think that’s right. Just the scale is wrong. Needs to be recalibrated.
When Joe Smith or someone else thought that Nadal might have a difficult match against Wawrinka in FO final and you disagreed, he didn’t call you a worshipper did he? I think you are a nice person that loves Nadal very much. That’s excellent. Just treat EVERYONE ACCORDINGLY. Don’t do the mistake of treating every Fed fan the same. Some of them don’t really support anyone and don’t know much about sports. They just enjoy arguing about everything Fed, Nadal, Ronaldo, Serena, brexit etc They are worldwide experts.
Eugene, you made me feel that way, that you’re picking on me! Why you may ask, and that’s because VR was the one who posted the same thing, that it’ll be a difficult match for Fed. I was responding to him, basically agreeing with him. Yet, you just picked on my post and blah, blah, blah, as if giving me a lecture!
Please, stop doing this, I do not need you to lecture me! And you talked as if the Fed worshippers didn’t call me a Nadal worshipper! Please, if you’re here long enough, you would know that they’re not so kind with me!
And please, don’t fall into the same trap as Mark, who assumed that I’m thinking this or that, it’s the Fed worshippers that made others want to support anyone but Fed.
I don’t care about Fed, I just want Cilic to win, whether he’s playing against Fed or Berdy. Don’t think that it’s always about Fed. I also want a competitive final, and that’s why when Querrey gave Cilic a hard time, many of us felt that if Querrey were to be in the final, it would be a one sided affair. I think I won’t even want to watch the final if it’s Querrey who made it there.
I am very sure Federer is going to steamroll Cilic the same way Sampras did against Goran:
Head To Head Matches – Chat About The Roger Federer vs Marin Cilic Head To Head
Year Name Round Surface Winning Player Losing Player Score
2017 Wimbledon F Grass Marin Cilic Roger Federer Upcoming
2016 Wimbledon QF Grass Roger Federer Marin Cilic 6-7(4) 4-6 6-3 7-6(9) 6-3
2014 US Open SF Hard Marin Cilic Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 6-4
2014 Canadian Masters R16 Hard Roger Federer Marin Cilic 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4
2012 Shanghai Masters QF Hard Roger Federer Marin Cilic 6-3 6-4
2011 US Open R32 Hard Roger Federer Marin Cilic 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2
2011 Monte Carlo Masters R16 Clay Roger Federer Marin Cilic 6-4 6-3
2008 Paris Masters R16 Hard Roger Federer Marin Cilic 6-3 6-4
At most one tiebreak.
I am expecting a 6-2;6-1;6-0 demolition or at most 7-5;6-2;6-1 (or 6-0 demolition like Venus today)
Cilic in 4 meaning Rafa is number one, at the very least, until he ATP world tour finals
Querrey and Muller were in super form so Cilic has had the perfect prep coming into this match which will most likely go the distance. He’ll be battle hardened for a tough 4 or 5-setter whereas Fed hasn’t been pushed physically, mentally or emotionally, defeating opponents that are either historical pushovers or in poor career form.
Cilic has had 12 months to think about where he went wrong in his 2016 defeat to Fed when leading two sets to love and had match point and will be hungry to make amends.
As we have seen, Cilic is capable of redlining in big matches and proved this in their 2016 Wimbledon match and towards this 2014 US Open victory when he blew Fed off the court in straight sets.
This will be a close match because Fed is in super form but Cilic really should be 2:0 in their recent H2H and leading 6:0 in sets.
Cilic is also at the ripe age of 28 when most players perform at their peak during their careers. Cilic also has a 100% win record in grand slam finals.
Federer has a fairy-tale Wimbledon for a 35 year old and after a long break during the clay court season but tomorrow Cilic wins in 4, maybe 5 if Fed brings his best.
Cilic in 4
Querrey and Muller were in super form so Cilic has had the perfect prep coming into this match which will most likely go the distance. He’ll be battle hardened for a tough 4 or 5-setter whereas Fed hasn’t been pushed physically, mentally or emotionally, defeating opponents that are either historical pushovers or in poor career form.
Cilic has had 12 months to think about where he went wrong in his 2016 defeat to Fed when leading two sets to love and had match point , he’ll will be hungry to make amends.
As we have seen, Cilic is capable of redlining in big matches and proved this in their 2016 Wimbledon match and towards his 2014 US Open victory when he blew Fed off the court in straight sets.
This will be a close match because Fed is in super form but Cilic really should be 2:0 in their recent H2H and leading 6:0 in sets.
Cilic is also at the ripe age of 28 when most players perform at their peak during their careers and has a 100% win record in grand slam finals.
Federer has had a fairy-tale Wimbledon for a 35-year old and after a long break during the clay court season but tomorrow Cilic wins in 4, maybe 5 if Fed brings his best.
Cilic in 4
JC, I tend to agree with your assessment. Cilic has definitely a good chance, and Fed hasn’t been tested so far. One thing, though speaks very much against Cilic: he has an unfortunate tendency to collapse in big matches and squander a comfortable lead. There’s not just last year’s quarterfinal against Fed, there’s also his Daviscup final match against Delpo and another DC match where he lost after having a lead. A lot depends on how he copes with the pressure and if he can hold on to a lead. He’s not a mental giant.
I’m not too worried, he’s 12 months to assess where he went wrong and improve his game, Cilic is now a much improved mentally. This has been evident throughout the tournament also and in partcular against Muller when he steamrolled him in the 5th and against Querrey when he was down a break in the 4th and regained control the match. Cilic also said himself in the post match interviews he’s been very strong mentally.
I think a few people are in for a surprise, Cilic is in the zone.
Well JC,I certainly hope that you’re right about Cilic. He did falter now and then, hope he manages not to do that in the final
GOAT in 4.
Totally agreed w Jim Courier, he explained everything right. Cilic in 4, maybe even in 3, if he is totally focused all the time.
Fed in 3. I think Cilic will have a few mental lapses and his game will break down on his own serve a few times which is a few times too many against the greatest grasscourt player of all time playing some of the best tennis of his career.
I thought Berdych played a fantastic match in the semi final, and if Roger had been five percent off his game he might have lost it. Cilic will have to play a perfect match to beat Federer, and even then it may well not be enough, unless Roger’s level suddenly dips from where it’s been all fortnight.
You never know what can happen of course, and we all know how dangerous Cilic can be. But if the Roger we’ve been treated to recently turns up again, he’s surely going home with the trophy.
I would also just like to point out to JC and others that the Federer who nearly lost to Cilic twelve months ago was a far less impressive player than the Federer we are seeing today. And he still didn’t lose!
I would agree that the US open is proof that Cilic can catch fire and burn past almost anyone, but I would suggest that 2017 Federer on centre court at Wimbledon isn’t included in that.
That isn’t to say I don’t think Cilic can win, I just haven’t seen anything to suggest it is going to happen.
My take on the final: If Federer serves near his best, as he has for most of the tournament, he will win going away, possibly in straights. He has the better ROS, and the more consistent and varied game, with plenty of weapons. However, if Roger serves less well, like he like he did against Berdy, AND Cilic serves at his best, then it will be a close match, though I still give Fed the edge. For Cilic to win, three things have to happen. He has to serve lights out, hit winners like he did at USO ’14, and Roger has to serve less than his best. Federer in 4.
Agree Joe. The key is the consistency in his serve. No matter how well Cilic might play, just hold your serve. Sounds simple, but that’s why this is true for any game on any surface. And then he should put lots of pressure on Marin’s serve. Maybe even SABR just to confuse him a bit 🙂 He has to control the game mentally. His weapons will take care of the rest.
The Berdych match was tight enough , and Cilic is even better player than Berdych on grass,this one has the potential to be a five set classic.
But, my gut feeling is that it will be close and tense for a couple of sets, then Federer will get the momentum in the third set, and go on to win comfortably from there . Fed in four .
75 67 64 64
Fed knows what he’s in for… He said in press that the 2014 US Open beatdown by Cilic was the most helpless he’s ever felt in a match. He said that Cilic was just crushing returns, aces, and winners at will, and that he just completely took the racquet out of his hands. He’s not stupid- he knows very well this could happen again. All he can hope to do if that does happen is take care of his own serve and go for his chances in the tie-breaks. The one big difference between tomorrow and 2014 US Open, besides Fed playing better overall, is that prior to that match, Fed had played a draining 5-set epic again Monfils in the previous round and was completely drained. This time he isn’t worn out, at least not that extent. Either way, Cilic has the ability to blow anyone off the court on his day, and Fed knows that. He’s aware that he must bring his A game tomorrow. I hope for his sake that he does bring it. I don’t have any reason to think he won’t. It’s just a question of it will be enough if 2014 US Open Cilic shows up.
Kevin I remember the great semifinal against Murray at Wimbledon and then what followed after… This time is different. I think the match against Berdych was a wake up call for Federer. We might see the best version of Fed at this Wimbledon so far. Anyway, I hope he finds the inspiration to win. He has all the weapons.
Actually, what happened in that 2015 wimby final, imo, is that Fed tightened up and choked. He started beautifully, and was playing like he did against Murray, opening up a 4-2 lead. After that, he just choked. After a similar sub-par performance at the USO that year, I didn’t think he would win another major, but his win over Nadal in Melbourne cleared a major mental hurdle, imo. Right now, I think Roger is playing with so much confidence that I just don’t see him losing today.
Steve Tignor picked Cilic to win, so Fed has that going for him! 🙂
Ramara, Tignor has his outrageous picks sometimes, I don’t agree with him very often. We’ll see whether he gets it right this time. Fingers crossed.
Oh, the legendary and statistically well documented Tignor curse will strike again, lol! Cilic is doomed! Steve Tignor is an intelligent and highly knowledeable tennis expert. He is also a good writer, but he’s the unluckiest picker amongst all tennis journos with the worst percentage. I hope he isn’t into betting. He picked Rafa for the win before the AO final and yesterday he picked Venus ftw. Only when Rafa plays at RG he gets it (mostly) right. But it doesn’t count if you pick someone who has lost at a tournament only two times within twelve years 😉
So, hopefully Cilic isn’t supersticious.He most certainly does have a chance. Hopefully he manages to do better than Wawa against Rafa.
I changed my thought. Fed in 5 instead like 2009.
Those who were busy predicting loss for fed in one off the last 6 matches will now come up with a cupcake draw argument after today’s win.
Well, I can’t remember that anyone here seriously believed that Fed would lose the matches he has played so far. Feds draw didn’t want look easy, butn the way it played out Fed had a comparatively easy way into the final nevertheless. But the same was certainly true for Rafa’s path into the RG final. But just like Rafa against Wawa, Fed now faces one of the few candidates who could be seriously dangerous. Cilic on grass isn’t a cup cake. But it remains to be seen if he can do better than Wawa against Rafa.
Correction: I wanted to say:”Fed’s draw didn’t look easy at the beginning of the tournament…”
I just found this statistics: whenever a player reached a slam final without losing a set, this player won the final. Cilic would make history in many ways if he manages to pull the upset.
My heart wants Cilic but I wouldn’t bet money on it. My brain says Fed.
littlefoot, there were two exceptions. In 2008 Wimbledon, Fed didn’t lose a set to reach the final but he lost to Rafa in the final. In 2015 US, Fed didn’t lose a set to reach the final and he lost to Djoko in the final.
Thanks, I stand corrected! I didn’t thoroughly check that statement.
Interesting that both exeptions involve Fed at Wimby 🙂
No, it’s Djoko at USO2015! It’s interesting that both times, they involved either Rafa or Djoko.
Sorry, I’m just sca nning texts right now, since I’m busy 😉
I think it’s interesting because both times it was Fed, who lost the final after not having lost a set in six matches. Will it happen a third time today?
I think it’s noteworthy that Fed was involved because he always look very dominant against lesser players – until he meets a worthy opponent. The question is, if Cilic will be that worthy opponent.
Fed in 3 or 4. I don’t see him goofing this one. He knows this is very important to be undisputed leader in slam count and he does not have his regular opponents in the final, so he knows stars have aligned.
It’s a sensible assessment… those of us who aren’t Fed fans can only hope for the upset.
I really wonder why Tignor picked Cilic. Of course it’s not impossible but certainly unlikely.
I think Fed played a real solid SF against Berdych. I thought Berdych played a real aggressive match and still had nothing to show for it.
Fed in 3. What Fed is achieving at this age is sometimes beyond imagination and tennis fans all over the world will miss him and recognize once he bids goodbye.
I was rooting for Nadal-Fed final and Nadal to win. But its really difficult to play Fed is this mood with no mistakes, good service rythm and less mistakes from baseline.
Somebody just has to overpower him . Only Djoker of 2015 can give him a run for his money in this mood.