:00:15. > :00:25.For 140 years, this place has been synonymous with excellence, quality,
:00:26. > :00:31.history. Today, two men hope to write the latest chapter in that
:00:32. > :00:34.history. Like Spain's Garbine Muguruza yesterday, Croat Marin
:00:35. > :00:40.Cilic looks to be only the second player from his country to win here
:00:41. > :00:46.in singles. Eyeballing him across the net, arguably the greatest
:00:47. > :00:53.player ever to pick up a racket. Switzerland's Roger Federer has more
:00:54. > :00:57.than a win on his mind. For him, it is a date with destiny. It is time
:00:58. > :01:04.for the 2017 Wimbledon Men's Singles final. This is a national programme,
:01:05. > :01:40.now we are going to take you over to Wimbledon...
:01:41. > :01:51.String, simple, everyday... Ordinarily, but in tennis like
:01:52. > :01:57.music... It facilitates extraordinary things. Like an
:01:58. > :02:07.overhead cable... It transfers power. Electricity. Like a nerve
:02:08. > :02:13.impulses, tension... Pressure... Release. Like a vein, it carries
:02:14. > :02:21.lifeblood to the heart of the game. String is the concept that ties the
:02:22. > :02:28.to the present... And the future. 1889 and Britain's William Renshaw
:02:29. > :02:33.wins his seventh Wimbledon title. In 2000 the American Pete Sampras wins
:02:34. > :02:40.his seventh Wimbledon title. 2012, Roger Federer of Switzerland wins
:02:41. > :02:50.his seventh Wimbledon title. This trio entwined by shared history.
:02:51. > :02:58.Stretch the timeline to today, and just one has the chance to break the
:02:59. > :03:07.tie. But it's a fine line, for standing in his way is former US
:03:08. > :03:13.Open champion Marin Cilic. Hoping to strike his own accord. But with 18
:03:14. > :03:18.Grand Slam titles and counting... Who would bet against the greatest
:03:19. > :03:26.of all time? Becoming the greatest of all time here.
:03:27. > :03:38.COMMENTATOR: That is extraordinary! Pure genius. Brilliant! I love that.
:03:39. > :03:42.Arguably the greatest champion of all time.
:03:43. > :03:44.Roger Federer is the man who more than any other knows how to break
:03:45. > :04:00.the tape of the finish. SUE BARKER: the number is eight, the
:04:01. > :04:03.sign infinity, and today Roger Federer is a victory away from
:04:04. > :04:09.creating a record that could last for ever. Nobody in the 140 year
:04:10. > :04:14.history of the Men's Singles championships here has ever won
:04:15. > :04:19.eight titles. Today in his 11th Wimbledon singles final, he's aiming
:04:20. > :04:27.for major title number 19. Phenomenal, fabulous, fantastic -
:04:28. > :04:31.that is Roger Federer. This year, he has already won the Australian Open
:04:32. > :04:35.title and a few weeks shy of his 36th birthday he's aiming to become
:04:36. > :04:41.the oldest man in the modern era to win here. Over the past 13 days he's
:04:42. > :04:49.rolled back the years and not even dropped a set on the way to today's
:04:50. > :04:54.showdown. As for Cilic, he has been impressive on his way to a second
:04:55. > :04:57.Grand Slam final. He beat Federer on his way to winning the US Open in
:04:58. > :05:05.2014 and held match points against him here last year. He has the game
:05:06. > :05:10.for grass, is serve is fast and Federer will fear him. He is not
:05:11. > :05:16.without a chance by any means today. And this is what they are playing
:05:17. > :05:21.for, the challenge cup. It's made of silvergilt, 18 inches high and its
:05:22. > :05:29.value is priceless. As for the matter of prize-money, the winner
:05:30. > :05:36.will walk away with ?2.2 million. And so for the record, in draw
:05:37. > :05:46.order, it is seventh seed Cilic versus third seed Federer. The men's
:05:47. > :05:50.final is the feature much on this final day but following it there's a
:05:51. > :05:54.cracking Mixed Doubles final that includes a Battle of Britain as
:05:55. > :06:03.number one seed Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis face the defending
:06:04. > :06:07.champions, Kontinen and Watson. Hello and welcome to one of the
:06:08. > :06:12.great days of the sporting year. It is the men's final at Wimbledon and
:06:13. > :06:16.in this 90th year of the BBC celebrating covering the
:06:17. > :06:20.Championships, we could be in for a record-breaking ones if Roger
:06:21. > :06:25.Federer makes it an eighth title. It is packed here at Wimbledon, we have
:06:26. > :06:32.made it to the top of the hill. We are amongst the fans with Andrew
:06:33. > :06:38.Castle and Boris Becker. Boris, well done to you, Pat Cash and John
:06:39. > :06:46.McEnroe. What a performance that was! There is a potential new career
:06:47. > :06:50.for me, Pat and John. I'm not sure about the singing part but I'm glad
:06:51. > :06:55.everybody liked it. It's about numbers, we think of Andy Murray
:06:56. > :06:59.with 77 years on the 7th of July and all of that, then suddenly it is the
:07:00. > :07:05.eighth for Roger Federer, is it his year? To play Roger Federer at
:07:06. > :07:11.Wimbledon, for Marin Cilic to play somebody, I mean you know about
:07:12. > :07:15.these records. Federer has a presence here, finals day feels
:07:16. > :07:19.different, it is a whole different ball game and Federer brings
:07:20. > :07:24.presents which Cilic will feel on Centre Court today so he goes in
:07:25. > :07:29.heavily favoured to win once again. And he's just hitting the ball so
:07:30. > :07:34.unbelievably well. If Cilic plays out of his mind, he can win. If you
:07:35. > :07:42.have noticed he has been nervous couple of times, maybe the weight of
:07:43. > :07:45.history. It has been merely a long fight for him to be in that position
:07:46. > :07:49.again, for him to win this year is one of the biggest comebacks I have
:07:50. > :07:54.ever seen in tennis but the whole plan was last year taking time off
:07:55. > :07:57.to be in your best shape at this year's Wimbledon because this
:07:58. > :08:01.tournament means more than anything on the calendar. He's in the
:08:02. > :08:06.position but he's human, he has a heart even though we don't see it
:08:07. > :08:09.sometimes. He's such a genius we forget there is a heart beating
:08:10. > :08:18.underneath and he understands today is a moment of history and he can
:08:19. > :08:23.rewrite it. There is Federer on the practice court. He just makes the
:08:24. > :08:28.game look so easy, doesn't he? It's almost as much fun watching him
:08:29. > :08:36.practice as it is watching him play. It is so easy, he moves the racket
:08:37. > :08:40.like a magic wand. Whatever shot he wants to play, he has. As Boris was
:08:41. > :08:44.saying, that lovely mix between fitness and freshness and he is so
:08:45. > :08:50.fresh that every time he picks up a racket now he wants to play. Taking
:08:51. > :08:54.six month off, then winning the Australian was ridiculous, taking
:08:55. > :08:59.the entire clay court season and then coming here not losing a set is
:09:00. > :09:05.equally ridiculous. He says he feels great and he's confident and why
:09:06. > :09:14.not. He looks so relaxed. Marin Cilic is a danger man, isn't he?
:09:15. > :09:20.Very much so. Cilic had him on the brink of defeat before, both players
:09:21. > :09:25.will remember that walking out on the court that the last time they
:09:26. > :09:31.met here it was very close. Cilic has the full package on grass. He's
:09:32. > :09:36.six foot six but yet he has the movement. He doesn't mind coming
:09:37. > :09:44.into the net so he has the game to herd is Roger Federer. And a big
:09:45. > :09:52.wingspan as well. Yunus Bjorkman is a big deal today, he's the coach to
:09:53. > :09:56.Marin Cilic. He wants the transition game for Marin coming forward. He
:09:57. > :10:01.wants him to get the first hit in, to bring the big forehand into play,
:10:02. > :10:05.that's how he finished his semifinal. But the key thing about
:10:06. > :10:17.Bjorkman is the possibility that the Swede brings to his game. Don't
:10:18. > :10:20.guided, hit it. He can blow Federer off the court today. He wants him to
:10:21. > :10:26.be more intimidating on court, that's important when you want to be
:10:27. > :10:31.a champion. If you show one ounce of fear, the other guy will take
:10:32. > :10:34.advantage of it. Roger Federer was in this position 11 times so he
:10:35. > :10:41.knows everything there is to know what it feels like to walk on the
:10:42. > :10:46.Centre Court and win it. That has been the weakness in Cilic's game
:10:47. > :10:54.that he didn't always believe he can. He has to bring the glass is
:10:55. > :10:59.half full mentality. In the final everyone sees what you are going
:11:00. > :11:03.through. Nervous already! We will continue our build-up over the next
:11:04. > :11:11.45 minutes. Here is what's coming up. He's been playing here for two
:11:12. > :11:21.decades, Roger reveals his love for the early days. Where will today's
:11:22. > :11:32.match be won and lost? Pat Cash looks at both players' games. Can
:11:33. > :11:38.Marin match Goran Ivanisevic's victory? And can heap at the eight
:11:39. > :11:45.integrate? Roger Federer talks about his bid for history. So all of that
:11:46. > :11:53.coming up as we build up to the final but Andy, just a comment
:11:54. > :12:02.because we were watching on the big screen the wheelchair final. Yes,
:12:03. > :12:10.backing up the defence of the title for Gordon Reid and Hewitt now as
:12:11. > :12:14.well. The federation deserves a lot of credit the continuing to fund
:12:15. > :12:17.this so great news. Talk about competitive, you should see it out
:12:18. > :12:22.there, they were falling out of the chairs. They are so impressive in
:12:23. > :12:41.the way they play, and they have combine so well over
:12:42. > :12:49.the years. Yes, Jordanne Whiley has broken so many bones. It is sport at
:12:50. > :12:54.the highest level. Following on from Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt
:12:55. > :13:01.yesterday. OK, let's start our build-up now because we will start
:13:02. > :13:08.by looking back at the story of the men's championship, and it really
:13:09. > :13:20.has been a numbers game. For 2017 at SW19 reducing 128 of the
:13:21. > :13:23.regal one was the quest. The fabulous four were back on stage
:13:24. > :13:27.ready to reprise their greatest hits. The champion was limping into
:13:28. > :13:32.the tournament but this was no lame title defence through weak number
:13:33. > :13:38.one. Novak Djokovic was looking close to his best, Roger Federer was
:13:39. > :13:45.redefining imperious, Rafael Nadal was rattling through exciting fans
:13:46. > :13:49.on court and in-store. 999 might have been the first round call for
:13:50. > :13:55.the record equalling list of injured dropouts. The Centre Court emergency
:13:56. > :14:07.on day one. This last Wawrinka, 39 unforced errors in defeat. The
:14:08. > :14:14.number five seed out. The smaller upset saw John is never beaten. One
:14:15. > :14:21.win for trial Edmund and two for Bedene went on to marry -- meant
:14:22. > :14:25.Andy Murray was not a British work in isolation. Sorry didn't seem to
:14:26. > :14:32.be the hardest word. Dominic Thiem led the next generation into week
:14:33. > :14:37.number two followed by Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov. Only one dropped
:14:38. > :14:48.set between them in the fourth round, but then Thiem fell to Tomas
:14:49. > :14:56.Berdych. Rafael Nadal fought back against Muller, and after four hours
:14:57. > :15:04.and 47 minutes clinching the win of his life. The fabulous four no more
:15:05. > :15:12.and soon just one remained. Andy Murray led Sam Querrey 2-1 in the
:15:13. > :15:18.quarterfinals only for his hip to betray him. The top seed and
:15:19. > :15:25.reigning champion gone and so too the number two, Novak Djokovic
:15:26. > :15:35.elbowed out of Wimbledon in his match against Tomas Berdych. Federer
:15:36. > :15:39.avenged the last year's loss to Raonic. Tomas Berdych battles but
:15:40. > :15:43.eventually bowed to greatness. One must opponent to conquer for the
:15:44. > :15:57.Swiss master, Marin Cilic, baby Goran all grown up. He squashed Sam
:15:58. > :16:01.Querrey's dream in the semis. Only two remain but one is the magic
:16:02. > :16:07.number because only one can wear the crown.
:16:08. > :16:13.SUE BARKER: and we will find out at the end of the afternoon but Doris,
:16:14. > :16:19.how do you look back at this year's championships? So many stories
:16:20. > :16:25.there. It was always about the big four. The legend is in the final and
:16:26. > :16:32.I think history will prevail. And for you, Andy? The first week, there
:16:33. > :16:35.were some guys on the court who shouldn't have been and Wimbledon
:16:36. > :16:43.have to look at that. When the whole thing got going it was amazing. It's
:16:44. > :16:49.always a shame to lose Rafael Nadal but Muller was marvellous. In
:16:50. > :16:55.amongst all the trees you have this beautiful tennis player called Roger
:16:56. > :16:58.Federer. Another of the talking point has been the condition of the
:16:59. > :17:02.courts with a lot of players criticising them so how is Centre
:17:03. > :17:07.Court prepared for today and how will it stack up after two weeks of
:17:08. > :17:13.wear and tear? We have been speaking to the head groundsman.
:17:14. > :17:19.Can you tell us how preparations have gone for Centre Court ahead of
:17:20. > :17:22.the final? It has gone very well. The Men's Doubles went longer than
:17:23. > :17:27.anticipated but that is the beauty of tennis. The roof was on, once we
:17:28. > :17:32.got the court prepared afterwards the guys were out by 11:30pm, back
:17:33. > :17:36.in this morning and everything is ready to go. A few of the big names
:17:37. > :17:42.have been critical about the courts this year, what do you say to them?
:17:43. > :17:47.It is a living surface, it is a plant we are playing on.
:17:48. > :17:53.Year-on-year the weather will play a big part. This year we have had the
:17:54. > :17:58.second hottest June in history, only surpassed by 1976, so going into the
:17:59. > :18:02.Championships when we are drying the court down, the plant stresses out
:18:03. > :18:08.because we are not giving it the water it needs, to get the firmness
:18:09. > :18:13.for the court. But the data tells us the grass density, the relative ball
:18:14. > :18:18.bounce our role within the range we are looking for. Therefore perhaps
:18:19. > :18:24.visit down to the players? Sometimes it can be aesthetic. The grass has
:18:25. > :18:28.been sunburnt this year because it has been constantly hot so although
:18:29. > :18:32.the court was playing well it may have looked different and that's one
:18:33. > :18:39.of the reasons they might be saying it. Neil, thank you for your time.
:18:40. > :18:45.It has been a big talking point, hasn't it? Andy, what did you make
:18:46. > :18:51.of it? All of the courts are playing like they have been baked, which is
:18:52. > :18:59.exactly what Neil was talking about. Someone loves you, Sue, that's nice!
:19:00. > :19:03.Has my husband arrived? This is alive court, it is a growing thing
:19:04. > :19:08.and the fact it changes over time is wonderful. This year it happened to
:19:09. > :19:15.be fast and hard and it suits Marin Cilic very much. It's also high
:19:16. > :19:22.bouncing. Boris, you have played in the final after two weeks of wear
:19:23. > :19:29.and tear so it's often a bit cut up. We had a heat wave believe it or
:19:30. > :19:34.not, the whole month of June was hotter than normal. Having said
:19:35. > :19:40.that, players will use and abuse the court but it is still good enough to
:19:41. > :19:45.play perfect tennis. No matter what the condition of the court is you
:19:46. > :19:50.certainly need a plan to win the slam so we have asked Pat Cash to
:19:51. > :19:57.look at the key areas where this match may be won.
:19:58. > :20:02.30 years ago it was me who was walking out on the terrace Centre
:20:03. > :20:08.Court for my first Wimbledon final taking on one of the greatest
:20:09. > :20:16.players of all time. -- walking out onto the Centre Court.
:20:17. > :20:22.This time it is Marin Cilic's turn. It turned out all right for me in
:20:23. > :20:27.the end but will it be the same for Marin? While his service his
:20:28. > :20:31.greatest strength, it is the return is making the difference at this
:20:32. > :20:36.year's Wimbledon. He is giving himself more time when returning
:20:37. > :20:39.service compared to last year. In particular on the second serve
:20:40. > :20:45.return he has varied his position significantly. By giving himself
:20:46. > :20:49.more time, Cilic can be more aggressive with his returns,
:20:50. > :20:54.illustrated by his average return speeds which are considerably higher
:20:55. > :20:58.than Roger's. But playing Roger Federer is a different ball game
:20:59. > :21:04.compared to what is Marin Cilic has faced so far. When it comes to
:21:05. > :21:12.serving statistics, Roger's are better than anyone. When he is
:21:13. > :21:16.serving to the second court, it has been the slice down the middle that
:21:17. > :21:20.has been most effective but only marginally. The server down the
:21:21. > :21:24.middle on the first court has really made the difference. He has won 93%
:21:25. > :21:29.of the points when he's gone there throughout the tournament so what
:21:30. > :21:32.will give her Johan Cruyff his best chance of victory? He has got to
:21:33. > :21:36.forget what the occasion is all about. He's got to keep serving and
:21:37. > :21:46.returning as he has been, and especially on his forehand side he
:21:47. > :21:49.has to keep going for those winners. That is easier said than done and
:21:50. > :21:54.handling the pressure has not always been one of his strengths. Look at
:21:55. > :22:00.the three match points he had against Federer last year. Look at
:22:01. > :22:10.those backhand misses he had in the first set tie-breaker against
:22:11. > :22:14.Querrey. He needs to believe in his all-round strength. His volleying is
:22:15. > :22:19.better than he believes it is and I feel he could use it more here. He
:22:20. > :22:24.needs to volley with confidence in this final. Much has been made about
:22:25. > :22:32.Roger's age but he will be coming to the final the fresher of the two.
:22:33. > :22:33.Cilic has been on court four and a half hours longer than his opponent
:22:34. > :22:46.in this Championships. Very interesting. Interesting about
:22:47. > :22:50.the service statistics, Roger is the best one. Yes, and not because of
:22:51. > :22:54.the power but the effectiveness he gets it through the placement.
:22:55. > :22:59.What's interesting was the middle line is always the one you are
:23:00. > :23:03.aiming for because on the deuce side you can aim the ball so it is flying
:23:04. > :23:09.outside of the court and hitting the line at the last moment, and on the
:23:10. > :23:15.outside it takes it away from the returner. I think those are the
:23:16. > :23:24.reasons Roger has been so strong. As we saw last year, Cilic 2-0 up and
:23:25. > :23:29.three match points against Roger. And he has beaten him in the US Open
:23:30. > :23:34.in 2014, that was a big match as well. These are the points that if
:23:35. > :23:39.he had won he would have taken it. He has been very close before. The
:23:40. > :23:48.talk in the locker room has been Cilic and his form. The talk is when
:23:49. > :23:52.he beat Bautista Agut, his form is certainly good enough to beat
:23:53. > :23:56.Federer and win this. As it turns out this is the last time Roger
:23:57. > :24:04.Federer came back from two sets down a year ago. Roger has already said
:24:05. > :24:09.he knows he is in for a battle today. Both players respect each
:24:10. > :24:15.other a lot. In Roger Federer's case he hasn't lost to too many but he
:24:16. > :24:22.lost to Cilic. The question is always Wimbledon final, who is meant
:24:23. > :24:27.to win? There are little differences. A couple of points, the
:24:28. > :24:32.physicality of it, but both men will run as long as their legs carry
:24:33. > :24:37.them. What happens after the match doesn't matter. It is all about
:24:38. > :24:43.today, I think who can cope with the pressure most. So much is at stake.
:24:44. > :24:50.We will find out and move closer to Centre Court to save the atmosphere.
:24:51. > :24:57.Boris, I will see you there later. Andrew, you are preparing for your
:24:58. > :25:04.15th. It is such an honour. And you are number? 25. It is men's finals
:25:05. > :25:08.day and so many great former champions are here, and Phil Jones
:25:09. > :25:14.caught up with a Wimbledon legend, the much respected Rod Laver, who
:25:15. > :25:20.was a big fan of Roger. Just unbelievable to think that Roger has
:25:21. > :25:26.a career so long having won 18 Grand Slams, at his age, but he loves the
:25:27. > :25:33.sport. I saw him down in Melbourne winning the Australian, and he
:25:34. > :25:37.played so beautifully. His concentration, everything was
:25:38. > :25:43.unbelievable. I think Roger has my vote as being the best player in the
:25:44. > :25:53.world. Today's match will be a tough one as I see it, Cilic has good
:25:54. > :25:57.serving ability and heavy ground strokes which generally, once Roger
:25:58. > :26:03.gets into the play, he dictates a little bit. Can he dictate with
:26:04. > :26:10.these heavy ground strokes? That to me is a difficult one. What about
:26:11. > :26:15.Roger the man? You know him well. He seems to be adored worldwide and
:26:16. > :26:20.that is rare in sport. He is the most favoured athlete in the world.
:26:21. > :26:26.Everybody likes him and I think that is the one area that puts him apart.
:26:27. > :26:34.He doesn't feel that he has to live up to this reputation, he's just
:26:35. > :26:38.Roger. This year he changed his attitude and his lifestyle so that
:26:39. > :26:45.he had three months off before the Australian. He didn't play the
:26:46. > :26:50.European circuit so I think he's thinking how long can this keep for
:26:51. > :26:58.me? Myself, I think he's playing almost as well as he did in 2007,
:26:59. > :27:04.2008 when he won here all the time so from that level, he is sort of
:27:05. > :27:09.superhuman. Lovely to see the great man here.
:27:10. > :27:14.Roger is not only loved by Rod, he is loved by so many and it's almost
:27:15. > :27:19.20 years since he first played here. Before Wimbledon began, I caught up
:27:20. > :27:24.with him about those early days. Take me back to those junior days.
:27:25. > :27:30.You grew up watching Wimbledon, what was your first impression of the
:27:31. > :27:34.club? Just so happy to be there. Great moment walking through the
:27:35. > :27:39.gates and asking where is the locker room and where can we warm up, what
:27:40. > :27:43.are we allowed to do, when do we play, what's the routines and all of
:27:44. > :27:51.these things. Everything was so new and it's like living a dream world.
:27:52. > :27:56.Do you remember your first match? Yes, it was between Court One and
:27:57. > :28:02.Centre Court, one of the upper courts there. I played I think the
:28:03. > :28:05.German or and Austrian, another junior, and I was so nervous but won
:28:06. > :28:11.the match quite comfortably thankfully. I read that you thought
:28:12. > :28:17.the net was not the quite height. That is true, I was so nervous that
:28:18. > :28:22.after about five games I went to the umpire and asked him, can you please
:28:23. > :28:27.check the net? I have a feeling it is way too high because I cannot
:28:28. > :28:32.serve and it felt odd the whole thing. He was like I checked it
:28:33. > :28:37.before the match, we always do here at Wimbledon. I was like, yes, but
:28:38. > :28:43.do you mind still checking it downstairs and see if it is really
:28:44. > :28:48.correct. He said I told you so, I was right. I was so nervous it was
:28:49. > :28:55.terrible. Do you have one match that stands out for you? Yes, I liked the
:28:56. > :28:59.junior Wimbledon finals because winning or losing the finals was a
:29:00. > :29:04.big deal, then getting the trophy presented on Centre Court in the
:29:05. > :29:12.stands in the royal box was very special. Ireland I was very nervous
:29:13. > :29:17.because they made us wait in the enclosure right behind the royal
:29:18. > :29:21.box. So I could be in the locker room where Bjorn Borg and John
:29:22. > :29:26.McEnroe and everybody used to play, so that was cool. I think in the
:29:27. > :29:31.2000 and a quarter round against Pete Sampras was my special match
:29:32. > :29:36.that made it all so worthwhile, all of the hard work. Then I realised
:29:37. > :29:41.how much fun tennis can really be. The week before you are practising,
:29:42. > :29:46.do you often sneak on Centre Court alone? Not so much, I am not the guy
:29:47. > :29:55.that tries to visualise what could happen for the next few weeks. Or
:29:56. > :30:00.look back even? Or look back for that matter. I enjoy sometimes
:30:01. > :30:06.having a small glance, I love having a small glands at Court Number One
:30:07. > :30:11.which is easier, you can quickly walk a few steps up and see Court
:30:12. > :30:16.One and everything is so neatly done at Wimbledon. It is these little
:30:17. > :30:21.moments wherever you go that bring flashbacks, you know from some
:30:22. > :30:22.history, for me personally but also from other amazing matches being
:30:23. > :30:32.played there. Lovely stories from Roger and we
:30:33. > :30:36.will hear more from hemp in his pursuit of greatness in around 20
:30:37. > :30:46.minutes time. I am almost at Centre Court to chat to John McEnroe and
:30:47. > :30:51.Tim Henman. Now we will hear from Rishi Persad who has been talking to
:30:52. > :30:56.Jonas Bjorkman. Can you give us an idea of how Marin
:30:57. > :31:02.is feeling about the battle ahead?... He is feeling great. I'm
:31:03. > :31:06.very pleased with his performance. He played really good high quality
:31:07. > :31:14.tennis again. He executed well when he needed. How much has he changed
:31:15. > :31:17.during your spell with him? Have you had a lot to work on Norway you
:31:18. > :31:24.picking up with things he had worked on with Goran? I do not think I have
:31:25. > :31:29.done much. He was a great player from the start. We are just a few
:31:30. > :31:33.things. We have been working to make him a little bit more aggressive. We
:31:34. > :31:38.have been working on the body language. I think he is coming out,
:31:39. > :31:41.showing that he is two metres tall, number six in the world, to
:31:42. > :31:51.intimidate the guys a little bit more. I think that has been very
:31:52. > :31:54.good. Obviously, the clay-court swing was very important. We had a
:31:55. > :31:57.really good practice camp before and he had his best clay-court season
:31:58. > :32:01.ever so he came in with a lot of confidence. And the preparation
:32:02. > :32:06.heading into Wimbledon was really good I am sure you do not want to
:32:07. > :32:13.give away too much, but he has had battles with Roger Federer. What
:32:14. > :32:17.specifically do you need to do to beat the great man?
:32:18. > :32:25.By far the toughest match you can have in Wimbledon, he knows if there
:32:26. > :32:32.are any bad bounces and exactly where there are. I think Marin knows
:32:33. > :32:39.what it takes to win a Grand Slam. Not many have done that in this
:32:40. > :32:46.great era of true champions. He beat Roger on the way to win his New York
:32:47. > :32:52.US Open title. He had a big battle here last year, one point away. I
:32:53. > :32:56.think there are a lot of things you can take with you. Even though he
:32:57. > :33:02.lost, he knows exactly what to do so I have a good feeling. Thank you,
:33:03. > :33:06.enjoy the final. Thank you. A very wise coach and he
:33:07. > :33:12.has certainly made a big difference to Marin Cilic's game. We have made
:33:13. > :33:15.our way down from Henman Hill to meet the man himself alongside John
:33:16. > :33:20.McEnroe. Just listening to Jonas Bjorkman, he said he wants them to
:33:21. > :33:29.be more intimidating on court, to impose himself more. I noticed when
:33:30. > :33:32.Milos Raonic, who I was coaching last year, and saw him play the
:33:33. > :33:35.quarterfinal, it appeared that Roger Federer was hitting a bigger ball
:33:36. > :33:38.than he was. He is four inches taller but it did not feel like he
:33:39. > :33:42.was serving much harder. I think it is extremely important for Marin to
:33:43. > :33:47.express himself. I think you gain respect from the fans and people
:33:48. > :33:51.watching, by showing how badly you want it. People feel like they
:33:52. > :33:57.understand you a little bit. And then they respect you. It is not
:33:58. > :34:03.like they will be pulling for Cilic all of a sudden. 90% plus people
:34:04. > :34:08.will be rooting for Roger. I know what that feels like. A couple of
:34:09. > :34:13.times I played a guy, it is hard to believe, but there were times when
:34:14. > :34:20.Bjorn Borg was going for history, he was going for nine in a row. That
:34:21. > :34:24.was 99% support. I was in the general vicinity! Not too many guys
:34:25. > :34:28.get booed as you come out. You have to overcome that and embrace it. I
:34:29. > :34:34.still felt extremely proud that I was out on the same court as him.
:34:35. > :34:39.That is one way of taking the pressure off. I saw me Raonic
:34:40. > :34:46.appeared to freeze a little bit in the final last year. I think Marin
:34:47. > :34:51.Cilic will be helped by the fact he has been there before. Exactly, that
:34:52. > :34:58.will make a difference. He got to the US Open final and won it. And
:34:59. > :35:03.who did he beat in the semifinals in New York? That was three straight
:35:04. > :35:06.sets. He bullied him. He was so aggressive. He served well when he
:35:07. > :35:10.got the opportunities from the back of the court. He was really looking
:35:11. > :35:15.to take time away from Roger and I think the reality is, when you talk
:35:16. > :35:20.about the match today, Roger is not going to lose it, Cilic has got to
:35:21. > :35:26.win it. Roger's experience in Grand Slam finals of enormous. This is his
:35:27. > :35:38.11th final here. Cilic has to go out with that correct attitude. The
:35:39. > :35:45.amazing part for me was he came from match point down against Monfils,
:35:46. > :35:50.and we thought age was catching up with him because his body did not
:35:51. > :35:57.seem to be there. Now all of a sudden he is 35, almost 36, and we
:35:58. > :36:02.are not really talking about... People ask where their days when you
:36:03. > :36:07.felt you just woke up one day? Yes, there were not many days when I woke
:36:08. > :36:11.up and felt better. That is what is so amazing. We're not saying this
:36:12. > :36:17.guy can just get up and he has a lot of tennis and him, he may not be
:36:18. > :36:21.feeling it. What happened to Venus in the second set yesterday? To
:36:22. > :36:25.completely went away. Some of that had to be physical. Absolutely.
:36:26. > :36:31.Let's hear from another former champion. In 2001 Goran Ivanisevic
:36:32. > :36:35.won that title on that magical Monday up against Pat Rafter. He was
:36:36. > :36:41.coaching Marin Cilic not long ago. If he wins, Cilic will be the second
:36:42. > :36:46.Croatian to win the title. Who better to talk about him than Goran
:36:47. > :36:51.himself? My first memories of playing tennis
:36:52. > :36:57.were when I was in Germany visiting my cousin Tanya who was two years
:36:58. > :37:04.older that time, and still is. I met him when he was 14 years old. I
:37:05. > :37:13.predicted he would be a top ten player in the world and I was right.
:37:14. > :37:17.Blip from Cilic. That is delightful. Everybody knows about forehand and
:37:18. > :37:22.backhand that you have to have something special. I call it
:37:23. > :37:27.something. So he had something. We had huge success in working together
:37:28. > :37:34.and Goran is a really easy going guy and everything we did was for me to
:37:35. > :37:40.get better as a player. I had a vision about how he was to play in
:37:41. > :37:43.the beginning, it was about resistance. In the end he changed
:37:44. > :37:49.his serve and his way of thinking on the court and became much more
:37:50. > :37:55.aggressive. It was a great relationship. The US Open in 2014
:37:56. > :38:00.was a dream country. It was a beautiful moment. In a moment of
:38:01. > :38:05.euphoria for Federer, a moment to ponder the pain that Marin Cilic
:38:06. > :38:08.must be feeling right now. It was definitely disappointing. It was one
:38:09. > :38:12.of those losses where you are thinking you would like to play them
:38:13. > :38:18.again and rewind. Looking back on that match I felt that I took a lot
:38:19. > :38:23.of positives out of that match and that helps me to play better, to be
:38:24. > :38:28.mentally stronger and to feel I am a better player because of that.
:38:29. > :38:33.Everybody will be for Roger. But if he plays like he is playing at the
:38:34. > :38:38.moment, if he goes and hits the ball, if he is serving well, the
:38:39. > :38:45.finals, you know, it is always 50-50. Hopefully people don't see me
:38:46. > :38:51.more mean. I am still a nice person. I am trying to be more encouraging
:38:52. > :38:55.towards myself. After every point he is more pumped, more positive than
:38:56. > :39:02.before. It makes you a better tennis player and you have better results.
:39:03. > :39:08.That's it! At last, the waiting is over.
:39:09. > :39:12.Goran made history and filled the hearts of all Croatian people who
:39:13. > :39:16.were supporting him. I was crazy. When I was supposed to win Wimbledon
:39:17. > :39:22.I didn't. When I was not supposed to win, I still don't know how I won it
:39:23. > :39:29.but it doesn't matter. Got it at the 11th time of asking for Marin Cilic.
:39:30. > :39:34.Opportunity knocks. It will be another dream country. This result
:39:35. > :39:38.is also writing Croatian history on another amazing day in Croatian
:39:39. > :39:44.sport. You don't want to lose in the final, trust me. You get a nice
:39:45. > :39:50.looking plate but it is a huge difference. I lost three times in
:39:51. > :39:56.the final and nobody cares. When you win a tournament, I think the whole
:39:57. > :40:00.world knows. And emotional Goran there. Liberty
:40:01. > :40:05.wants the plate. You are only remembered if you win there. First,
:40:06. > :40:08.you want to get it. There is no question that he won when he
:40:09. > :40:13.shouldn't have won and he may be lost when he should have won. He has
:40:14. > :40:16.been through every aspect of that emotional roller-coaster that we
:40:17. > :40:21.call the Wimbledon championships so he is a good guide to ask. I think
:40:22. > :40:26.he made Cilic when they worked together, much more of a believer in
:40:27. > :40:29.himself, battler, much tougher. I think when they broke up Marin was a
:40:30. > :40:41.little bit lost for a while, trying to figure out what to do next. If
:40:42. > :40:44.you look at his record this year, he had a losing record in the first
:40:45. > :40:48.half of this year. With Bjorkman he has finally tapped into ad now it is
:40:49. > :40:54.looking rosy for him. Goran is putting the pressure on him.
:40:55. > :40:58.Absolutely! Tim, as far as analysing the game, you have been looking at a
:40:59. > :41:05.couple of aspects, first of all the first serve on the first point? You
:41:06. > :41:10.always want to make strong starts. They serve will always be an
:41:11. > :41:13.important part of Cilic's armoury. Against Sam Querrey he did such a
:41:14. > :41:23.good job of getting off to a good start winning that point. Think the
:41:24. > :41:26.statistic I looked at earlier, I think they played 23 service games
:41:27. > :41:29.and 21 of them Cilic was able to win the first point. When you are giving
:41:30. > :41:34.yourself that platform, it frees you up to be more aggressive. It is
:41:35. > :41:39.better to be playing 15-0 on your server then when you are behind
:41:40. > :41:49.0-15. That is something he will have to do against Federer. There we go,
:41:50. > :41:54.I was right! 21 of 23 points. It gives you that foundation to be
:41:55. > :42:01.aggressive. Federer is a great front runner. If he is holding serve you
:42:02. > :42:07.will feel the pressure. Imposed two games he was broken. I would think
:42:08. > :42:11.the right-handed players are whining and saying the lefties have the
:42:12. > :42:18.advantage. They get the lead and there is your stat to back it up so
:42:19. > :42:27.quiet! It is a big serve, isn't it? He is a big guy so he has a big
:42:28. > :42:30.serve. His volleys have improved. He has a lot of skills. Listen, it is
:42:31. > :42:36.the same with Roger. I bet if you looked at the stat there it would be
:42:37. > :42:42.similar type of stat. He has better serving stats actually! Denton shows
:42:43. > :42:50.Cilic that! We will not. He has got to break Roger. Cilic is standing
:42:51. > :42:56.further back, I think to give him a little more time, but when he does
:42:57. > :43:02.that he is being more aggressive. A guy who is six foot six has a huge
:43:03. > :43:07.reach. He is there it difficult to ace. If you are going out wide you
:43:08. > :43:12.had better hit your spots. I think one of the interesting aspects,
:43:13. > :43:18.especially on the second serve, is to see if Federer will go into the
:43:19. > :43:21.body to try and tie him up and get a defensive reply. Certainly, whether
:43:22. > :43:28.Cilic is going to disband in which she has not been doing, he has been
:43:29. > :43:33.standing back, he has got to be very aggressive to get that first strike
:43:34. > :43:41.in the rally. It will be difficult because Roger is better than anyone
:43:42. > :43:46.at Angling you. We can see from 2016 Cilic was hitting only 1% of returns
:43:47. > :43:52.further back, 72% just behind the baseline.
:43:53. > :44:01.This year he has hit 35 from behind the baseline but 32% further back.
:44:02. > :44:05.There is no point at returning from further back if you are not being
:44:06. > :44:10.aggressive. He has given more time to say I will have a big cut at this
:44:11. > :44:16.and get the first strike him. You know what Roger will do, he will mix
:44:17. > :44:18.it up with second serve and some serve and volley. You have to be
:44:19. > :44:27.precise which other players did not do. He is too smart for this stuff.
:44:28. > :44:36.I know! There is a reason why it is his 11th final! It is incredible and
:44:37. > :44:43.we will be a turning our attention to Roger now. There are big crowds
:44:44. > :44:47.here. Talking of Roger Federer, he is now one match away from becoming
:44:48. > :44:52.the most successful male singles player here at Wimbledon. His
:44:53. > :45:02.talents are unparalleled which leaves even tennis talent in North.
:45:03. > :45:07.Roger Federer is one of those rare athletes who seems to be exempt from
:45:08. > :45:15.certain physical laws. Roger is the most beautiful player I have ever
:45:16. > :45:21.watched. A creature who combines both flesh and somehow life. He has
:45:22. > :45:33.a superpower we do not know about. Time stops for him. It defies logic.
:45:34. > :45:40.He is a complete tennis player. The greatest of all time. Roger, you are
:45:41. > :45:44.so loved here at Wimbledon, but around the world, I wonder how you
:45:45. > :45:51.feel when you hear that and you know that love?
:45:52. > :45:58.It is a big deal for me. From time to time I thank the crowd to make
:45:59. > :46:01.sure they understand I appreciate their support. In terms of the
:46:02. > :46:07.achievement of winning an eighth title here, I think maybe Jack
:46:08. > :46:10.Nicholas winning the Masters, Muhammad Ali winning the Rumble in
:46:11. > :46:15.the jungle, how do you feel about it? I have not thought about
:46:16. > :46:21.comparing these finals to something else. I think in the years 2007,
:46:22. > :46:25.eight, nine, ten, when I was chasing a lot of the big records in sport
:46:26. > :46:30.and I was able to break some of them, the records gave me an extra
:46:31. > :46:33.source of motivation and inspired me to train harder, be professional,
:46:34. > :46:38.keep doing what I am doing, Love what I am doing, get to meet the
:46:39. > :46:42.greats of the game. I had these moments at Wimbledon and I know when
:46:43. > :46:46.I step on court against Cilic, I will be ready for the occasion. It
:46:47. > :46:51.will not be too big. I will be ready for it. There was a famous quote you
:46:52. > :46:55.gave when you are 15 saying one should be able to play the perfect
:46:56. > :47:00.game, you did not just think you could win there would be the perfect
:47:01. > :47:06.way of winning. When I said that, I was referring to missing one
:47:07. > :47:10.forehand. I will accept that. The second one, getting aggravated. The
:47:11. > :47:14.third one, the racquet had to go. Tennis is a funny sport. I feel like
:47:15. > :47:17.I can always do better. I have trained so much over the years.
:47:18. > :47:23.Eventually, the progress is so minimal but it is in the details. I
:47:24. > :47:28.think I am still seeking that perfect game, perfect tournament. I
:47:29. > :47:39.will never find it but it keeps me practising and wanting to improve.
:47:40. > :47:43.Your last title in 2012, this is 2017, can you compare and contrast
:47:44. > :47:48.the Roger then and the Roger now? Yes, I think it is the easiest
:47:49. > :47:55.comparison. 2012, the first time I won Wimbledon as a dad. If I was to
:47:56. > :47:57.win with my boys this time around, it would be very special so I will
:47:58. > :48:15.try. Just perfect, isn't he? He even
:48:16. > :48:20.juggles four kids perfectly. She had better had a tissue when she is
:48:21. > :48:25.interviewing him because she is dribbling. We were talking about
:48:26. > :48:31.Venus yesterday. This is the most incredible sporting story. Trying to
:48:32. > :48:39.come up with a player who is better. He went through some issues. He
:48:40. > :48:42.would have said he may not win it again after 2012. There was a slight
:48:43. > :48:48.decline. The way he left the court last year after the semis and then
:48:49. > :48:52.he does not play for six months. You can fade is arguable that he is
:48:53. > :48:57.better than he was five or eight or ten years ago. We are not just
:48:58. > :49:04.blowing smoke up people's you know what! It is actually true that he is
:49:05. > :49:11.better. On that note... Send him to American TV! But it is right, it is
:49:12. > :49:15.just incredible. I think the ATP must be worried because players will
:49:16. > :49:20.be thinking they have to manage their bodies like Rafa and Roger
:49:21. > :49:28.have. Anyone that can afford it, there is no question. I do not think
:49:29. > :49:34.joke of it will play at the open -- Djokovic will play. You will see
:49:35. > :49:38.Rafa do it, Roger continued to do it. But guess what, he wants to win
:49:39. > :49:45.this and be number one for the year at 36 years old. He is probably
:49:46. > :49:50.going to do it. Exactly. Who are you going for today before you go? I
:49:51. > :49:54.know you have to dash. As always I hope for a good final and I hope
:49:55. > :49:58.Marin steps up and nothing happens to Roger in the way that Venus
:49:59. > :50:11.seemed to have every intention. I guess it is
:50:12. > :50:15.possible, but I am going to go with Roger in four sets. OK, Mac, thank
:50:16. > :50:17.you for everything and all your comments over the last two weeks.
:50:18. > :50:21.You were great, Tim. The countdown is on,
:50:22. > :50:23.the atmosphere's building, and if you've just joined us
:50:24. > :50:26.here on BBC One, Roger Federer and Marin Cilic will walk out
:50:27. > :50:29.on centre court in 10 minutes' time to contest the men's singles
:50:30. > :50:31.final here at Wimbledon. It's one of the biggest
:50:32. > :50:35.days in world sport,