Federer earns shot at record 8th title

LONDON — They love their history around these parts and they love Roger Federer and, above all, they love watching him make history.

Now Federer stands one victory from an unprecedented eighth Wimbledon men’s singles championship after qualifying for his 11th appearance in the final, breaking a record he already held.

Just weeks from turning 36, Federer continued his resurgent season and unchallenged run through this fortnight at the All England Club by conjuring up just enough brilliance to beat 2010 runner-upTomas Berdych 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the semifinals Friday.

“It’s great, but it doesn’t give me the title quite yet,” Federer said. “That’s why I came here this year. I’m so close now, so I just got to stay focused.”

He has won every set he’s played in six matches, and while he did not exactly dominate against the 11th-seeded Berdych, Federer was never in much trouble. On Sunday, Federer will face 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, who reached his first Wimbledon final by eliminating 24th-seeded Sam Querrey of the U.S. 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-5 with the help of 25 aces and some terrific returning.

“This is his home court,” Cilic said about Federer, “(the) place where he feels the best and knows that he can play the best game.”

Since equalingPeteSampras andWilliam Renshaw (who played in the 1880s) with a seventh trophy at Wimbledon in 2012, Federer has come this close before to No. 8. But he lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2014 and 2015 finals.

Here comes another chance.

Federer would be the oldest man to winWimbledon in the Open era, which dates to 1968; as it is, he’s the oldest finalist sinceKen Rosewallwas 39 in1974.

Also noteworthy: This is Federer’s second major final of 2017.

After losing in theWimbledon semifinals last year, he took the rest of 2016 off to let his surgically repaired left knee heal. He came back fit and won the Australian Open in January for his record-extending 18th Grand Slam title and first in four years.