BORIS BECKER COLUMN
The final will see a very talented and in-form player, who is making the finals for the first time in 11 years, take on a legend who is playing his eleventh Wimbledon final. Marin Cilic would not be the guy one expected here but that does not mean he has not been part of the conversations that pundits have been having regarding possible contenders. He has featured in many lists as a dark horse and he has the goods to trouble even the Swiss legend.
Roger Federer, on the other hand, is enjoying his tennis; he has looked absolutely invincible in every match and has been a firm favourite right from the start. What has changed for Federer in 2017? From what I see, I think it is his mindset. He knows that even though he is playing unbelievably well, he does not have much time on the circuit. This is making him cherish and enjoy his big matches more.
On Friday, he was tested at every step along the way by Thomas Berdych. The latter is always very, very good on grass but Federer had an answer to his strategy. The seven-time champion is serving so well that he can concentrate on the return and on his forehand. Though Federer might not want to admit it, he was really keyed up for the game on Friday. He has lost to Berdych and he wanted to play the perfect game against the Czech. I rarely hear Federer go at himself in Swiss-German but there were moments when he was scolding himself in his native tongue — not something he does too often!
I would have to say that if Federer continues this form he would be very hard to beat. He knows how to win and seems to be feeling very good about his fitness. He has not been tested too much so there is no question of any wear and tear or fatigue. If he serves as well has he has been doing through the tournament that will make it even harder for Cilic on Sunday.
That said, the Croatian knows how to beat Federer, even at Wimbledon. He had match point against the Swiss last year and he will want to rediscover that kind of form. Cilic, unlike other very tall players, is very agile and covers the court well. He has a huge weapon in his serve and he will be depending heavily on that. That, along with his court coverage and big hitting, will make him a worthy finalist. Make no mistake: he has the goods to go past Federer. Federer only has the edge because of where he is mentally. Even on Friday, there were moments when Cilic was looking a bit under the pump mentally and that’s something Federer will use to his advantage.
A word on Sam Querrey. He played an incredible first set on Friday and looked very fit and fresh even though he had played a clutch of five-setters. He was threatening to take the match into the fifth set but Cilic held his nerve and managed to claw back in the fourth and finally won. However, Querrey seems to have made good progress in the last 12 months and I predict good things for him in the hard court season.
The men’s draw has shown good depth and quality in this edition of Wimbledon. It showed experts like us that there is life beyond the big four and that’s really good news. Coming back to Sunday’s final, I predict a top quality encounter but would have to say that Federer has the edge. (Gameplan)
