Cilic played probably the match of his life when he beat Roger Federer in
Ryan Braun Authentic Jersey sets in the semi-finals of the US Open three years ago, on his way to lifting his only slam title to date, a performance he hopes to emulate in his first Wimbledon final on Sunday. The 28-year-old Croat is enjoying an excellent summer on grass and has the game to win a second slam, of that there is little doubt, but he is playing someone who is in his 29th grand slam final, his 11th at the All England Club, where he has already prevailed seven times. That Flushing Meadows triumph was Cilic’s sole win over the Swiss in seven attempts and Federer has it hard-wired into a tennis memory that stretches back seven years further than his opponent’s debut, in February 2004. Two weeks before Cilic beat one Ivaylo Traykov in a Futures tournament in Zagreb that day, Federer was winning the second of his 18 slam titles, getting the better of the mercurial Marat Safin in MelbourneFederer’s CV is the stuff of books and movies, and no doubt his life will one day be commemorated on screen, like the exploits of John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, without the swearing. For now, he is living in the real world and he recognises that, at 35, he needs to husband his resources to stand the grind of the Tour. It is the prospect of glory that drives him, as well as his love of the sport, and, since returning from a six-month break, that love affair has blossomed. Nowhere is he adored more than on the Centre Court of Wimbledon. There were moments in his sometimes difficult semi-final against Tomas Berdych on Friday when his followers were torn between wanting him to secure the win and seeing him extend the entertainment. However, Federer respected Berdych’s game and needed no reminding that he had lost to him here in the quarter-finals, when the Czech went on to reach the final against Rafael Nadal. Even though this was an older, less zestful Berdych, he still made life difficult for Federer in the two hours and 18 minutes it lasted. Federer
Wil Myers Authentic Jersey considered it the toughest of his six wins on the way to the decider. And he has similar regard for Cilic’s big game. He brings 130 tournament aces into the final, just nine fewer than Sam Querrey, the American he put 25 past in the first-semi-final. If his right arm holds up, he will be extremely dangerous with ball in hand. Roger Federer refined but ruthless as he glides towards eighth Wimbledon crown Read more Asked to compare the threat of Cilic to those of some of the more decorated rivals he usually encounters at the end of a slam, Federer said this was a challenge with less familiarity, although he knows well enough where the bullets will come from. “I’m going to try to play within myself,” he said. “I have to play offensive myself. If you give Marin now-time on the ball, he can finish points nicely. The court is still playing quite fast. It helps on my serve but it also helps him. I’m sure it’s going to be close.” Which brings us back to his role as entertainer and bringer of dreams. The stadium will be his, no question, and again they will want a consummate performance from him, as well as the win. This has always been his minor burden and he bears it well. It suits Federer to play with the sort of freedom that has become his trademark and has set him apart from every rival, young or old. Nobody in the history of the game can have played tennis so beautifully as Federer, or ever will. He has an ease of movement that cannot be learned or copied. His limbs respond to his urges as Fred Astaire’s did, with every muscle and sinew in smooth agreement. He has the
http://www.authenticsandiegopadres.com/Yangervis-Solarte-Jersey subconscious gift that the poet William Blake described as holding “eternity in an hour”. Time stands still for Federer and it will be Cilic’s job to intrude on his afternoon with some rude power. Advertisement Once a nervous performer on the big stage, Cilic has shown gathering signs of becoming more comfortable when his credentials are examined. He won Queen’s stylishly before Wimbledon and he has had an impressive run to the final. He knows, too, that victory will push him into the top five for the first time in his career, at the expense of Federer, and earn him ?2,200,000 in this 50th Wimbledon of the Open era – not that he needs extra incentive. It has hurt his body a little more getting here – 14 hours and 28 minutes on court, compared with Federer’s nine hours and 56 minutes �� but the only really troublesome match he had was against the 34-year-old surprise package, Gilles Muller, who stretched him to five sets in the quarter-finals. Even there, he finished quickly, though, allowing the Luxembourg left-hander just a single game in the final set. The Recap: sign up for the best of the Guardian's sport coverage Read more Federer could hardly have asked for an easier start, when Alexandr Dolgopolov retired after 43 minutes with an ankle injury that plainly had troubled him even before he set foot on court. He said on Friday his second match, a three-set win over Dusan Lajovic, caused him nearly as many
http://www.authenticbuffalosabres.com/authentic-derek-roy-jersey problems as Berdych did in the semi-final. He dealt with all of them, of course, without dropping a set. This is the third time he has advanced to the final without losing a set, a fact he did not know, surprisingly. But he knows what matters. And what matters to him on Sunday is winning his eighth Wimbledon singles title. It probably lifts him as much as going for his first, when he beat the tall Australian Mark Philippoussis in 2003. Cilic, at 6ft 6in, is another serving giant to cope with 14 years later. If he does so in his 102nd match at Wimbledon – and he can – he will be as happy as the bright-faced young man way back then
