By Marc Auker
Seventh-seeded Marin Cilic was the only competitor standing between third-seeded Roger Federer and the highly coveted Wimbledon title. After three sets (6-3, 6-1, 6-4), Federer defeated Cilic to capture his eighth championship at the All England Club and cement his place in tennis history.
Federer, the 35-year-old Swiss sensation, is now the oldest champion in Wimbledon’s storied history. He also passed tennis greats William Renshaw and Pete Sampras, who each had seven championship wins at Wimbledon, to become the winningest men’s player in the tournament’s history.
Winning Sunday’s final round matchup in straight sets was the icing on the cake for Federer’s showing at this year’s Wimbledon tournament. He hadn’t dropped a single set through the first six rounds of play, and that trend continued through a final round that lasted just over an hour and a half.
The win at Wimbledon marks the second Grand Slam win of the season for Federer. He defeated long-time tennis rival Rafael Nadal in a thrilling five-set final to capture his fifth Australian Open title. After taking a break from Grand Slam competition by skipping this year’s French Open, Federer dominated the All England Club and became a winner of 19 major championships.
The win in Australia must have been a confidence booster for Federer headed into this year’s Wimbledon tournament. His run at last year’s Wimbledon ended in the semifinals with talks of his left knee not being able to take competitive play anymore.
But patience is a virtue. After taking off for what was basically all the 2016 season, Federer has won both Grand Slam tournaments he has played in this season. As the U.S. Open approaches, be on the lookout for the Swiss star to do something truly spectacular.
