Roger Federer made history on Sunday after becoming the first man to win Wimbledon Open a record eighth times following his straight set 6-3 6-1 6-4 win over Croatian Marin Cilic in the men’s final.
The Swiss had earlier triumphed in the revered grand slam in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2012 before his latest win on Sunday.
The 35-year-old finished the contest in the space of one hour and 41 minutes to claim his first Wimbledon title since 2012, thus becoming the oldest man in the Open Era to win the Wimbledon title.
In the match on Sunday, Federer showed class to outplay his challenger as Cilic managed to win only eight games, which is the lowest total for a beaten Wimbledon finalist since 2002 when Lleyton Hewitt saw off David Nalbandian 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.
The closest final in terms of games won by the opponent in recent times was Federer’s win over Andy Roddick in 2009. Roddick won 39 games in the epic five-setter, one more than Federer who won 38.
Speaking on his record eight Wimbledon title, Federer said: “I guess again it’s just belief, achieve such heights. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be here again after last year. I’ve had some tough finals. I always believed I could come back here again. I kept believing and dreaming and here I am today.
“Cilic fought well, he’s a hero. Congratulations on an incredible tournament.”
Cilic said of the final: “I had an amazing journey here. I played my best tennis here and I want to thank my team for being an incredible strength. I also want to congratulate Federer; he is an amazing player.”
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