Watch Highlights: Roger Federer Wins Eighth Wimbledon Title

Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic in Sunday’s Wimbledon final to become the first man to win eight singles titles at the All England Club.

Roger Federer Wimbledon highlights

The Swiss third seed, who will be 36 on August 8, is now the oldest male player since the Open Era began in 1968 to win the grass-court tournament in London.

Federer — who was playing in his 11th Wimbledon final — thrashed his seventh-seeded Croatian opponent 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in just one hour and 41 minutes on Centre Court to secure his first trophy at the All England Club since 2012.

Cilic, 28, battled a blister on his left foot and even began crying during the second set.

“It is cruel sometimes,” Federer said of Cilic’s injury. “But Marin fought well and is a hero, so congratulations on a wonderful tournament.”

The Swiss now boasts 19 Grand Slam victories — the most for any male player — and is also the first man since Swedish former World number one Bjorn Borg in 1976 to sweep through the final without losing a set.

“You go through these waves of highs and lows and try to navigate through, and it’s not always simple,” said Federer, who took a six-month break from tennis earlier this year. “It’s actually quite difficult with the amount of things in my life. You’ve got to still stay focused at the end of the day, and I was able to do that.”

Federer skipped clay-court events (like the French Open) and hard-court competitions earlier this year in order to focus on grass play.

“I should take more time off,” he joked following his major victory.

When he won his first Wimbledon title in 2003, Federer was sporting a ponytail and a scraggly beard. Now, the father of four had short hair and was clean-shaven. The Swiss has beaten both Pete Sampras and William Renshaw, who won their seventh Wimbledon trophies in 2000 and 1889, respectively. Only Czech and American retired former tennis star Martina Navratilova boasts more titles at All England Club: the 60-year-old won her ninth trophy in 1990.

Cilic — who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina — hit several great shots, including this incredible drop-shot back-hand volley in the second set that won him a game and cut his deficit to 3-1 in that set, after Federer had won five straight games.

Federer recorded several double faults early in the match. However, the first break came in game five after Cilic fell hard chasing down a drop shot and eventually hit a backhand into the net.

The Swiss then reached set point in game nine with a spectacular cross-court forehand and his Croatian adversary double-faulted, thus ending the set with a 49 percent first-serve percentage.

After Federer gained a 3-0 lead in the second set, Cilic sat down and a doctor and the Wimbledon referee both attended to his aching foot. Federer won the first two sets in a mere 61 minutes.

Cilic later revealed that he was ailing more emotionally than physically at that point in the match, saying he knew in that moment that he wouldn’t be able to play his best. The Croatian took a medical timeout before the beginning of the third set and had straps and pads applied to his left foot.

“Obviously, was very tough emotionally, because I know how much I went through the last few months in preparation with everything,” Cilic said. “It was also tough because of my own team. They did so much for me. I just felt it was really bad luck.”

Tied 3-3 in the final set, Cilic began to severely hurt his winning chances after smashing a backhand and consecutive forehands into the net. By that stage, only the weather seemed to threaten delaying Federer’s victory, as the sky above Centre Court grew dark and cloudy.

After securing his title with an ace, Federer did not fall to the grass like he did at All England Club in 2007 or 2012. Instead, the Swiss simply raised his arms and took in the moment. He was also brought to tears after looking at his two 3-year-old sons and two 7-year-old daughters, who were sitting in the players’ box with their mother.

“That was really the first moment I had to myself out there,” he said. “And I guess that’s when it sunk in that, man, I was able to win Wimbledon again, and I broke a record, and my family is there to share it with me. I was hoping the boys were going to be there, too, not just the girls. And so I just felt so happy, and I guess I also realized how much I had put into it to be there. It was all those things together.”

Federer will return to London this fall to compete in his 15th Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held from November 12-19.

“I look forward to returning to London in November,” said Federer. “I was sad not to be able to compete last year as I love playing there and had not missed the event since 2002.”

Federer made a record 14 consecutive appearances at the prestigious season-ending competition from 2002-15, amassing a 52-12 match record with trophies in 2003-04, 2006-07, and 2010-11.

On Saturday, women’s 14th seed Garbine Muguruza routed tenth seed Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 in 77 minutes for her first-ever Wimbledon title.

The 23-year-old Spaniard — who lost to 37-year-old Williams’ sister Serena Williams in the 2015 Wimbledon Finals — was particularly ecstatic to defeat her American opponent, as Muguruza cited Venus Williams as a role model.

“I was expecting the best Venus, because she was playing very good and I knew she was going to make me suffer for it,” said Muguruza, who defeated Serena Williams in the 2016 French Open final to secure her first major trophy. “I was very nervous and tense. I wanted it to go my way.

“But when I had those set points against me, I’m like: ‘Hey, it’s normal. I’m playing Venus here.’ So I just kept fighting. And I knew I was going to eventually have an opportunity.”

Venus, meanwhile, admitted that day had not been her finest.

“She played amazing,” Williams said of Muguruza after ignoring a question about how tired she felt down the stretch in the final. The American suffers from Sjogren’s syndrome, an energy-depleting autoimmune disorder.

Muguruza, who is now fifth in the ATP World rankings, is the first woman to beat both Williams sisters in a Grand Slam singles final.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 16: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a backhand during the Gentlemen’s Singles final against Marin Cilic of Croatia on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on July 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas – Pool/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena

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