Fed losing his cool... and he’s loving it! SWISS BUZZING WITH FINAL NERVES

ROGER FEDERER has revealed that he is happy to be suffering with nerves ahead of the men’s final.

The Swiss star has 18 Grand Slam titles and is the most decorated male tennis player in history.

But when he walks out on Centre Court this afternoon, bidding to beat Croatia’s Marin Cilic in front of 15,000 fans, Federer admits that for all that experience he will still have a major case of the jitters.

Federer said: “I do get nervous and I’m happy that I do for the big occasions.

“Sometimes the nerves slow down your legs, your pulse starts racing, your head starts, not spinning, but in the sense that you have a million ideas and you have to take the right one.

“That can stress you out a bit.

“But I always say I’m happy I feel that way because it means I care.

“It’s not like going through the motions, like being careless — that would be a horrible feeling.” That said, Federer insists there were no nerves ahead of his semifinal with Tomas Berdych. He added: “For some reason, I was much more nervous before my second-round match against Dusan Lajovic — I didn’t know my opponent very well. “But against Berdych I felt very calm going out on court. “Even in the warm-ups, the first games, I was serving and I was like, ‘All right, this is like another match’.” This afternoon certainly won’t be like just another match, but Federer is the overwhelming favourite — with the bookies and the SW19 crowd — as he tries to win his second Slam of the season after triumphing in Melbourne in January. It is his 11th final here and the fact he has reached it at the ripe old age of 35 is testament to his enduring brilliance. It also proves what a wise decision it was to miss Paris this year. Federer added: “Giving your body a rest from time to time is a good thing and this time I’m happy it’s paying off, because of course there are doubts that maybe you won’t ever be able to come back and play a game on Centre Court.”

Three-time Wimbledon singles champion John McEnroe is certainly very impressed with everything Federer is doing.

He said: “After what Roger did in Australia, if he did Wimbledon too it would have to be one of the all-time efforts.

“No question. What he did in Australia was insane.”

And former British No.1 Greg Rusedski said: “Roger has done something very smart.

“He took six months off to work on his game and his backhand is so much better, especially on the return of serve and from the back of the court as well.

“Federer is probably the greatest of all time – so you take time away and rejuvenate yourself, and to be playing his tennis at 35 years old, I don’t think we are going to see a guy like this ever again in our lifetimes.”

Cilic (left), the 2014 US Open champion, is determined to upset the odds and halt the Fed Express.

Cilic said: “When I won the US Open it opened so many possibilities in my mind for the rest of my career.

“It would be absolutely a dream come true to win Wimbledon.”