Never dreamed I’d be Wimbledon legend — Federer
LONDON: Roger Federer admitted Sunday that he never thought he’d be a record eight-time Wimbledon champion and would even have laughed if he was told he’d win two majors in 2017.
The Swiss star, who will turn 36 in three weeks’ time, eased past the mark of seven All England Club titles he had shared with Pete Sampras since 2012 with a 6- 3, 6-1, 6- 4 win over injury-hit Marin Cilic in the final.
I hoped to have a chance maybe one day to be in a Wimbledon final and have a chance to win the tournament. Roger Federer, eight-time Wimbledon champion
It was 16 years ago when Federer famously defeated Sampras at Wimbledon to announce himself as a star in the making.
However, it wasn’t until 2003 that he captured his first All England Club title.
Now he has 19 majors, four clear of closest rival Rafael Nadal on the all-time list.
“I didn’t think I was going to be this successful after beating Pete here,” said Federer who also won a fifth Australian Open in January.
“I hoped to have a chance maybe one day to be in a Wimbledon final and have a chance to win the tournament.
“Winning eight is not something you can ever aim for. If you do, you must have so much talent and parents and the coaches that push you from the age of three on, who think you’re like a project. I was not that kid.”
Federer had been written off as a faded force when he was knocked out of Wimbledon in the semifinals by Milos Raonic last year.
He immediately shut down his season to rest a knee injury, a decision which meant that for the first time in his professional career he would go through an entire campaign without adding to his trophy haul. But his Australian Open triumph led to back-to-back Masters at Indian Wel ls and Miami before he skipped the clay court season.
A ninth Halle grass court title followed and on Sunday his record triumph in south-west London took his career trophy collection to a staggering 93.
Sunday’s straight- sets cruise meant he was the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to win the title without dropping a set.
He is also the oldest Wimbledon men’s champion of the modern era.
“I’m incredibly surprised how well this year is going, how well I’m feeling, how I’m managing tougher situations, where my level of play is on a daily basis,” added Federer.
“I am surprised that it’s this good. I knew I could do great again maybe one day, but not at this level.
“So I guess you would have laughed, too, if I told you I was going to win two slams this year. People wouldn’t believe me if I said that. I also didn’t believe that I was going to win two this year.”
Federer also insisted he fully intends to defend his Wimbledon title in 2018 despite delivering what many fans fear sounded like a farewell speech to Centre Court.
“We never know what happens,” said the Swiss star, who had told the crowd in his victory speech: “I hope to be back, I hope this wasn’t my last match”.
He later clarified his remarks, telling reporters: “Honestly, ever since I had the year I had last year, I think a year ahead of time, you know, with my schedule, fitness schedule, tournaments I would like to play.”
“So I totally see myself playing here this time next year.
“There’s never a guarantee, especially not at 35, 36. But the goal is definitely to be here again next year to try and defend.”
LONDON: Devastated Marin Cilic admitted his Wimbledon final tears were triggered by the realisation his bid to shock Roger Federer was destined to end in a painful defeat.
Cilic wept inconsolably on Centre Court midway through the second set after calling for medical attention on a nasty blister on his left foot.
The former US Open champion gamely played through the agony, but couldn’t stop Federer cruising to a 6- 3, 6-1, 6- 4 victory.
“I got a bad blister in the semifinal against Sam Querrey. Fluid just came down under my callous in the foot,” Cilic said.
“The physios here helped me over the last 30 hours. They were with me constantly and did as much as they could.
“I still felt the pain. Every time I had to do a reaction fast, fast change of movement, I was unable to do that.
“Obviously it was very tough emotionally because I know how much I went through in the last few months in preparation for Wimbledon.”
Cilic explained that his tears at 30 down in the second set were more a result of his disappointment at not being able to perform at his best rather than a legacy of the pain.
“It was just a feeling I knew I cannot give my best on the court, that I cannot give my best game, especially at this stage of my career, at such a big match,” he said.
“It was very, very difficult to deal with it. It didn’t hurt so much that it was putting me in tears. It was just that feeling that I wasn’t able to give the best.
“It was actually very difficult to focus on the match, as well, as my mind was all the time blocked with the pain.
“It was tough for me to focus on the tactics, on the things that I needed to do. I wasn’t serving very good today because of that.
“Also I was just not able to set up properly on the balls. It was very, very tough to deal with it.”
Cilic had taken pain relief before the match in a bid to get him through, but he revealed he thought he would struggle once he felt more discomfort in the prematch warm-up.
“We even tried to block the pain. But in that area it’s very difficult because it’s hard skin. It helped, but I still felt some pain,” he said.
“Even when I was warming up for the match, I was trying to test myself in exercises with change of direction. Really I was too slow basically to react. I knew that it’s going to be difficult. But I tried.”
Cilic is confident the blister will have healed by the time he starts his build- up for the US Open, which starts in late August.
“Having now three weeks off before U.S. series, tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati, I believe until that time everything is going to be okay,” he said.
Despite the agony of being denied a true chance to compete in the final, the 28-year- old took heart from his run to his maiden Wimbledon final and his first at any Grand Slam since winning the US Open in 2014.
“Obviously it’s a sad one, it’s a devastating one, but I’m really proud of myself for everything I did these two weeks over here,” he said.
“I played, I would say, probably best tennis of my life. That’s what I’m going to take home with me.
“This will give me much more confidence, much more strength for the rest of the year. I know that my level can even go higher.
“That’s something which is definitely making me more happy.”