2015 Wimbledon: 4 things to know about Federer v. Djokovic
On Sunday, Federer and Djokovic will matchup in the Wimbledon finals. Here's what you need to know about the match.
Isn't this what we all wanted when Wimbledon began?
On Sunday, we'll be treated to a rematch between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic with the Wimbledon title at stake. Federer, who got to this point by masterfully dispatching Andy Murray on Friday, will have a shot at winning his eighth Wimbledon championship. For Djokovic, who beat Richard Gasquet on Friday, he has a chance to repeat as the champion of Wimbledon and he could secure his second Grand Slam title of this year.
It all goes down on Sunday. Here are four things to know about the matchup.
How they got here
Let's start with Federer. As the No. 2 seed, the biggest challenge Federer has had to face thus far came against Sam Groth, the only player who managed to take a set against Federer. But, besides his match against Groth, Federer has won every match in straight sets, including his win over Murray in the semifinals.
Against Murray, Federer was at his best, landing 20 aces and 56 winners. Though Murray was in all three sets and never got blown out, he only had one chance to break Federer. Pure dominance (and perhaps an easy draw) got Federer to this point.
As for Djokovic, he too topped his semifinal opponent in straight sets. For the world's No. 1 player, his biggest test came in the fourth round against Kevin Anderson. Despite losing the first two sets to Anderson, Djokovic prevailed by winning the next three. Afterwards, he called it "one of the most difficult matches" of his Wimbledon career. But, besides the scare against Anderson, Djokovic has seemed like a lock to qualify for the final match at this year's Wimbledon.
Previously on Federer v. Djokovic
One year ago, these two players battled for five sets in the finals. Eventually it was Djokovic who ended up capturing the title, winning the five-set thriller 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.
But, in 2012, Federer put Djokovic away in four sets in the semifinals and went on to win the title two days later.
In their careers, they've met 39 times with Federer winning 20 of those matchups. So yeah, their 40th matchup should be a good one.
What's at stake for Federer
If Federer wins, this is what he'll accomplish:
-
18 Grand Slam titles in his career
-
8 Wimbledon titles in his career
-
His first Grand Slam title since 2012
His 17 Grand Slam titles are already a record and his seven Wimbledon titles are tied for the most ever, but Federer could add to his history with a win on Sunday. Furthermore, if he wins, he'll be a Wimbledon champion at age 33 -- that's pretty astounding.
What's at stake for Djokovic
If Djokovic wins, this is what he'll accomplish:
-
9 Grand Slam titles in his career
-
3 Wimbledon titles in his career
-
Back-to-back Wimbledon champion
-
Second Grand Slam title in 2015
So, Djokovic isn't as far along in the record books as Federer is, but those would be some pretty impressive accomplishments to seize. Especially considering he did so during the golden era of tennis.
Is it Sunday yet?
















