Roger Federer targets a record eighth Wimbledon title on Sunday against Novak Djokovic who is desperate to end a stretch of grand slam finals defeats which are threatening to shatter his legacy.
Federer, 32, won the first of his 17 majors at Wimbledon in 2003 and the most recent in 2012 but his failure to return to a grand slam final since has had his critics penning his career obituary.
Six-time grand slam champion Djokovic, the 2011 Wimbledon winner, will be playing in his third All England Club final in four years, but the 27-year-old has lost seven of his 13 finals at the majors, including five of the past six.
The pair will be playing for the 35th time in their eight-year rivalry while Sunday’s final will be their 11th meeting at the grand slam level.
Only once have they met at Wimbledon when Federer won their 2012 semi-final in four sets and only once before have they clashed in a grand slam final — at the 2007 US Open where Djokovic, making his first appearance in a final at the majors, lost in straight sets as the Swiss captured a fourth successive title in New York.
Federer appreciates that Djokovic has matured as a player and a person since then and their relationship, which was once fairly cool, has warmed to the extent that the two even exchange tips these days on fatherhood.
“He has a wonderful way of either redirecting or taking the ball early, taking pace from the opponent, even generating some of his own,” said Federer.
“Novak can hurt you down the line or cross-court on both sides.”
Federer, the former world No.1 whose ranking slipped to a decade-long low of eight just six months ago, will become the oldest Wimbledon champion of the Open Era if he prevails on Sunday, beating the previous mark of 31-year-old Arthur Ashe in 1975.
“I would know it if it would be really important to me, but it’s not,” Federer said.
What is important for the great Swiss is that he never lost faith in his ability to return to a grand slam final.
“You’ve got to love the game, because if you don’t love it, then it’s just going to be too hard,” he said.
“I think that’s kept me going quite easily actually, because I know why I’m playing tennis.”
