Federer reaches 11th Wimbledon final
Originally published on 14/07/17 00:00
The Swiss is the oldest man to reach the championship match at the All England Club since Ken Rosewall in 1974 and he will take on Marin Cilic on Sunday as he attempts to add further silverware to his already overcrowded trophy cabinet.
“I feel very privileged to be another final," said the 35-year-old after his 90th victory at Wimbledon. “I know how much it means to so many players to play on Centre Court at any given time so it’s good to be in another final. I can’t almost believe it’s true again.
“I’m happy I have a day off tomorrow so I can reflect on everything I did this year and at this tournament – but also to get ready to play a good one [in the final].
Berdych provided Federer with his toughest challenge of the tournament so far but his best efforts were not good enough to derail the Swiss Express. The seven-time champion was flawless in the tiebreaks and he completed the formalities in the third set.
Berdych was forced to withstand an early attacking onslaught however he was resolute and stayed in touch on the scoreboard. He finally succumbed to the pressure in the fifth game, though, and Federer was up and running.
More often than not, a single break is sufficient for the Swiss however he played a poor service game and Berdych levelled the first set at four apiece. A tiebreak was required to settle the outcome, and Federer finally made his superiority count.
Berdych continued to battle gamely in the second set as he attempted to reach the Wimbledon final for a second time. The 31-year-old was firm on serve and he managed to reach another tiebreak despite being forced to absorb significant punishment from his suave opponent.
Reaching the lottery of a shootout was a success for Berdych, however Federer’s deadly forehand ensured the Czech was left with nothing to show for his endeavours.
Berdych had not won a match from two-sets down since 2005 – and he was unlikely to stage a remarkable comeback against Federer on Centre Court. The Swiss bagged a break in the seventh game and that was all he required to dismiss the Czech and continue his outstanding season.
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