Put two of the best players of all-time on Centre Court at Wimbledon with a lot on the line and one gets the sense it’s an epic match waiting to happen.
Roger c will be chasing history when he takes on Novak Djokovic in the final today, pursuing a record eighth singles trophy.
For Djokovic, a return to the No1 spot is on the cards should he beat the Swiss and capture a seventh Grand Slam title.
A lot has changed for Federer compared to last season, where he won just 45 matches in total. Today he could capture a 41st victory of 2014.
He switched to a bigger racquet, added Swedish legend Stefan Edberg to his coaching staff and got over his back problems from last year.
The result of all that is a return to a major final for the first time in two years and the Swiss star has a shot at grabbing a men’s record-extending 18th Grand Slam and a chance to tie with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s haul.
“This year’s been very solid. I’ve reached a lot of semis and finals. I also got two titles already so I think that really gave me confidence to believe that I could go a step further,” said Federer, who has dropped just one set en route to the final.
“Stefan (Edberg) is clearly a piece of the puzzle, so is my fitness coach, Severin (Luthi), and everybody around me. They make it possible for me to wake up every morning motivated, healthy, fit, and eager to play.”
Having accomplished so much and broken almost every record in the sport, Federer says he still gets the thrill from competing, even if it’s in a different way than in the past.
“The fun for me is being able to do it, at this age, with a family, with the team I have. We have a great relationship. I know so many people now on the tour, so it’s really something I really, really enjoy. For that matter, it makes everything so much more worth it,” said the 32-year-old.
Djokovic trails Federer 16-18 in head-to-head clashes but this will be just their second Grand Slam final against each other. It’s been seven years since their previous major final when Federer beat the Serb in the US Open.
Of their 34 meetings, just one match came on grass – another Federer victory at Wimbledon here in 2012.
“It’s a good chance for me to try to win against him on his favourite surface, on his favourite court,” said Djokovic, who is looking to add a second Wimbledon trophy to his cabinet.
“This is where he has had the most success in his career, winning many titles. He’s been looking very good throughout the whole tournament, very dominant in his matches. I’m sure that he wants to win this title as much as I do.”
Djokovic has some Grand Slam final demons to banish, having lost his last three and he knows a win today would mean a lot.
“It would mean a lot mentally for me,” said the 27-year-old.
