10 facts: Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. FILE PHOTO
LONDON — Ten facts on Sunday’s Wimbledon men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer:
– This is the third Grand Slam final meeting between Djokovic and Federer, and the second consecutive Wimbledon final. Federer won in straight sets at the 2007 US Open, and Djokovic won in five at Wimbledon last year. This is also just their third grass court meeting. Federer won their first grass court match in the semi-finals at 2012 Wimbledon.
– Sunday is their 15th meeting in a Tour-level final overall. Djokovic has won nine of their previous meetings in Tour-level finals, including most recently on clay in Rome.
– Top seed and defending champion Djokovic is bidding to win his third Wimbledon title and equal his coach Boris Becker, who won the title in 1985-86 and 1989. Just five men in the Open Era have won 3 or more Wimbledon titles
– Djokovic is bidding to win his ninth Grand Slam title. He has won titles at the Australian Open in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015; at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014; and at the 2011 US Open
– Djokovic is just the seventh different man in the Open Era to reach the first three Grand Slam finals in a calendar year. Rod Laver (1969), Bjorn Borg (1978, 1980 and 1981), John McEnroe (1984), Ivan Lendl (1986), Jim Courier (1993) and today’s opponent (2006, 2007 and 2009) have also achieved the feat.
– In Grand Slams this year Djokovic became just the second man in history to win five or more Australian Open titles after Roy Emerson (6). He also finished as runner-up at Roland Garros — becoming just the fifth man in history to reach three finals at all four Grand Slams — before Stan Wawrinka ended his 28-match Tour-level winning streak in the final. That also ended Djokovic’s bid to complete the career Grand Slam.
– Seven-time champion Federer is bidding to become the first man to win eight Wimbledon singles titles. Martina Navratilova (9) and Helen Wills Moody (8) are the only women to have won 8 or more singles titles at the tournament.
– Federer, who is 33 years 338 days old, is bidding to become the oldest Wimbledon champion in the Open Era. The oldest man to win Wimbledon in the modern era is Arthur Ashe who was 31 years 360 days old when he won the in 1975.
– Federer is also looking to become the third oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era after Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open (37 years 62 days), 1971 Australian Open (36 years 73 days) and 1970 US Open (35 years 315 days), and Andres Gimeno, who won 1972 Roland Garros (34 years 306 days).
– Victory on Sunday will give Federer an 18th Grand Slam title.
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