Even before the balls began to fly at the Australian Open a fortnight ago, respected observers felt Roger Federer would have a far from problematic route to the final in his title defence. But who honestly believed the 36-year-old would have quite such an undemanding stroll, lasting less than 11 hours, to within touching distance of a record 20th major title?
Federer is not a man to dawdle when the great prizes are on the line. Last year at Wimbledon he spent less than 10 hours on court in reaching the final, but given the draining qualities of the intense heat that traditionally raises the possibility of exhaustion, a quick win is a better win at Melbourne Park. To put things into perspective, Federer took more than half an hour less on his route than women’s finalist Simona Halep, and she only had to contest matches that stretched over the best of three sets.
Today a familiar foe, Marin Cilic, will try to prevent Federer from becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open era, and although the Croat is unlikely to be as ineffective in stopping the Swiss as he was on the grass of Wimbledon’s Centre Court 187 days ago, few believe this first major final of 2018 will produce an upset.
Cilic was reduced to tears on that painful July afternoon, his inability to compete at his preferred level the result of similar foot blisters to those that afflicted Hyeon Chung in Friday’s semi-final against Federer. The good news is that the soles of the 29-year-old Croat’s feet are in far better shape but the bad news is that Cilic, who has beaten his opponent just once in nine previous meetings, has played more than six hours longer than Federer over the past fortnight, and that equates to about two matches.
A fresh finalist is normally a successful finalist and the defending champion, who is acutely aware of that fact, could not be more confident. “I just have to play a good match because at this point it’s not about having to improve anything in particular,” said Federer, who most recently beat Cilic in three sets in the round-robin group stage at November’s ATP Finals at the 02 Arena in London, losing the first set in a tiebreak and then fighting back to win 6-7 6-4 6-1.
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“So far at this tournament, I’ve done everything pretty well. Now I hope I can mix up my game. I hope I can start serving well from the get-go and not get into too much trouble early. I hope I can read his serve.
“I’m just pleased my game has been good from the very beginning of the tournament. Things must be all right if I’m at this stage in the finals not having dropped a set.”
Federer has only been surprised by Cilic once before and that was on a swelteringly hot September afternoon in New York as the Croat was blazing his way towards his only Grand Slam title at the 2014 US Open. At the time Cilic insisted he was playing the brand of tennis that was sensational to those watching but impossible to sustain over a concerted period of time.
“On the court, he’s a winner,” said Federer of today’s opponent. “You can see it in the way he behaves. He’s there to win and not just to be there. I think he strives for more.”
Now more mature, Cilic believes he has hit the sort of high that is easier to maintain and after being extended by first Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta and then Rafael Nadal in the quarter-final before the top seed was forced to retire two games into the final set, he respects but certainly doesn’t fear the threat of Federer.
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“Now I feel that with this kind of tennis I am playing now, I can keep it going throughout the season,” said Cilic, who is attempting to become the first Croat, man or woman, to win multiple Grand Slam titles. “That’s my goal; to look back at the end of the year and be happy that my performances were on a consistent level.
“Looking back to what happened at Wimbledon, it’s a big motivation for me to play in this final and obviously to win. I’m feeling really good with my game, and hopefully I can have a great match and show great energy on the court.”
By defeating Nadal in the last eight, Cilic ended a six-match losing streak against opponents in the world’s top five and his 2018 form at Melbourne Park is a marked improvement on his performance last year when he lost in the second round to the now-suspended British player Dan Evans.
Today Federer will contest his 30th Grand Slam final and become the oldest man to play in an Australian Open final since Ken Rosewall, who was aged 37 and 62 days when he defeated fellow Australian veteran Mal Anderson in the 1972 final.
The quality and physical demands of top-flight men’s tennis have come a long way since then and Federer is now at a point in his career where he is judicious in choosing which tournaments to play and ensuring his body gets sufficient periods of rest. Regardless of his seemingly imperial passage to the final, it does not come without planning. “It isn’t just an easy trip to the finals,” said the Swiss, who could go level at the top of the all-time list of Australian Open champions with Novak Djokovic and Roy Emerson, who have six titles.
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“There’s always a lot of work that goes into it during the tournament, focus, and also preparation beforehand. This is something you sort of plan from a long time ago. That’s why when it does happen, it’s a great feeling. It rewards the hard work in my team.”
The chances are that Federer’s quiet and diligent support team of coaches Severin Luthi and Ivan Ljubicic will again be rewarded for their efforts today. And the man himself will write another chapter in his illustrious chronicle of tennis legend.
ON TV TODAY
Marin Cilic v Roger Federer
8am Eurosport 1