WIMBLEDON, England — For Roger Federer, it’s Wimbledon final No. 8.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion beat last year’s winner Novak Djokovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 yesterday under a closed roof on Centre Court to reach a record eighth final at the All England Club and is one victory from equaling Pete Sampras’ record of seven titles.
“I have one more match to go. I’m aware of that,” said the 30-year-old Federer, who is 6-1 in Wimbledon finals. “Still, it’s always nice beating someone like Novak, who has done so well here last year, the last couple years.”
By defeating Andy Murray in tomorrow’s final, Federer would also take over the No. 1 ranking from Djokovic and equal Sampras’ record of 286 weeks as the top-ranked player.
Murray has never won a Grand Slam title; Federer is aiming for his 17th in his 24th major final.
“There’s obviously a lot on the line for me in terms of winning here, the all-time Grand Slam record, world No. 1,” Federer said. “I’m also going into that match with some pressure, but I’m excited about it. That’s what I play for.”
Both Federer and Djokovic went for winners on almost every point. But it was Federer who got the key points when they mattered in the third set.
“It’s hard to fire bullets the whole time, so you try to also find some range. If he tees off first, it’s hard to defend obviously,” said Federer, who is now 1-0 against Djokovic on grass. “It’s just not as easy to take that many balls out and come up with amazing shots time and time again. That’s why I kept on attacking.”