Well, he made that look easy. Not sure how injured Cilic was, or if he was just emotional about how badly he was getting beaten.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Federer looked like he was 25 years old again this year, not dropping a set and in complete control.

I remember last year at this time when he lost in the semis, then took the rest of the year off. With a younger Djokovic and Murray playing well, almost everyone would have bet that Federer wouldn't win another major. This year he has added 2 more and is again looking as strong as ever.

Cruised through that match. While I certainly believe that Cilic has some physical component holding him back, I think he was more mentally overtaken by himself after that first set.

On a related note to Marin's possible injury, on the point where he came to the net and fell, I don't even know how that ball landed in despite Federer returning and winning the point. I haven't seen any close-ups of that replay, but it didn't even look in.

I wanted the ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi to ask Federer if he was going to play New York. I mean, c'mon - this year has been such a throwback and great tennis. Nadal #1 and Fed #2. He's got to play.

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Gnothi Seauton.

Likewise Nadal and the French. I thought both those guys might regrettably be on the gradual slide out.

Federer is everything you want to see in a champion. So much class and respect for the game, it's history and it's traditions. Seemed a little bit like the Wimbledon gods helped carve a path.

Likewise Nadal and the French. I thought both those guys might regrettably be on the gradual slide out.


Yes, I think the 2 top players right now are still Federer and Nadal. To be the top 2 in tennis, after all these years is remarkable.

I am very interested in this. I doubt the physical injury - I think he replaced the foot tape just to give him some more time to calm down. Also the tape looked exactly the same so I am unclear what the treatment did, if anything. If he truly had a panic attack or emotional issue, it would be really something to acknowledge it in public and start the dialogue about this - everyone has their moments - and I think it would be something to discuss it out in the open.
John

I don't think there was anything wrong physically. He didn't move differently. He had a couple of solid points after his 'moment'. Possible that he really got either a panic attack or just emotionally just blew up at the wrong time. Look at Fed on his chair after his win. At this level, they walk a very fine line, and we've seen this happen in the past too. Remember Sampras crying on the court when his coach was battling a brain tumor (if I recall correctly).

Anyway, I was a Sampras fan for a long time and Fed replaced him. What a player.

Amazing player to have watched throughout his career.

He won this Wimbledon without dropping a single set. It looked for awhile like Nadal or Djokovic or someone else might supplant him, but part of his greatness is that he just keeps going and going.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Good memory on Sampras, I reminded my wife about that today. It was an extraordinary occurrence, one I had never seen happen before.

I recalled it was against Courier...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyrALjicZnA

That was an incredible moment of tennis and of humanity too.

I don't think there was anything wrong physically.


It didn't look like there was anything physical. There is a lot of pressure to play a final on center court and if you're not playing well, it's very difficult to turn on a switch and suddenly play your best. We see that in golf and tennis, some days you're on and other's you're not. In the past decade, we've been spoiled with guys like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic (to a lesser extent Murray) who always seem to play their best on the biggest stage.


In the last 10 years, there has only been a handful of players who beat one of the Big 4 in a Grand Slam Final and the mental part of the game is a big reason. Even for Cilic, who is one of the few guys to have won a Grand Slam during that period, it's not easy to get into a final, let alone win. He knows that with the other guys getting knocked out, this was a big chance but he also knows that today he wasn't on his game. He might not be feeling 100% but if he was playing better, it wouldn't be an issue. It's tough enough playing Federer at the best of times but in a final on center court when you are not at your best, it would be pretty tough to take. He's trying but he knew it was just a matter of time before he lost.

And in Wimbledon, it has not happened since the Big Four started (2003). The last non big Four Wimbledon winner is Lleyton Hewitt in 2002!
Which is nuts when you think about it. Since 2003, a total of 10 slams have gone to someone else than the big 4. And given that Murray is really not at the same level (IMO), only 13 have escaped Fed, Nadal and Nole. They have 46 combined.

Truly a rich time for us Tennis fans!

Irony. I remember way back in the height of the Tiger-Federer bromance I was feeling sorry for Federer because he was already in the twilight of his dominance and I thought Tiger could go maybe 2 more decades. How would the relationship survive when it became imbalanced? Now here Federer is a poster child of graceful longevity in a sport where 25 is old and Tiger is (hopefully) rock bottom with his wreck of a game the least of his worries.

Remember the razor commercials with Tiger, Roger, and Jeter? Amazing that Roger is still at this level and a wonderful thing for the sport of tennis.