By Chris Oddo | Saturday January 27, 2018
Sunday’s Australian Open men’s singles final between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic is a rematch of the 2017 Wimbledon final. It’s also an opportunity for Roger Federer to become the first male to ever hit the 20-major mark. We take a look inside the numbers to see exactly what’s at stake for both players.
Beating No.1 and No.2 at the Same Major—A Tall Task
Having defeated No. 1-seeded Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, Marin Cilic will bid to become just the 9th man in the Open Era to beat both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds at a Grand Slam—if he’s successful the Croatian will become just the 4th man to achieve the feat at the Australian Open, joining Mark Edmondson (1976), Mats Wilander (1983) and Stan Wawrinka (2014).
Thirty-Something History
If 36-year-old Federer wins the title his victory will mark the sixth straight major that a player over the age of 30 has won the title. The last player below the age of 30 to win a major was Andy Murray at 2016 Wimbledon. The longest previous streak of major titles won by thirty-somethings was four and occurred when Rod Laver won the Calendar Slam in 1969.
Cilic Two-Slam Wonder?
Cilic is bidding to become the 31st man in the Open Era to win multiple Grand Slam titles. Stan Wawrinka is the most recent man to complete the feat. The No.6 seed has also moved up the ladder for most Grand Slam final appearances by a Croatian. He is now just one shy of Goran Ivanisevic with three.
Will the Big 4’s Dominance Continue?
The Big Four—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray—have won 49 of the last 56 majors dating back to 2004. If we include Stan Wawrinka and make it a Big Five (and we should), only four players have won major titles from outside this group in the last 14 years. They are Gaston Gaudio (2004 Roland Garros), Marat Safin (2005 Australian Open), Juan Martin del Potro (2009 U.S. Open) and Marin Cilic (2014 U.S. Open).
5 for Fed and Nadal
If Federer wins the title on Sunday his victory will mark the third-longest run of dominance by the Federer-Nadal duopoly of all-time. The pair won 11 straight Slams from 2005 Roland Garros through the 2007 U.S. Open, and 6 straight Slams from 2008 Roland Garros through 2009 Wimbledon.
20. That’s a Lot of Majors
Federer is bidding to pass Helen Wills Moody and become the fourth player—male or female—to reach the 20-major title mark. If he succeeds he will join Steffi Graf (22), Serena Williams (23) and Margaret Court (24).
6 Aussie Open titles? That’s a lot
Federer is bidding to tie Novak Djokovic and Roy Emerson for most Australian Open titles with six. He has already taken sole possession of the all-time Australian Open finals record by reaching his seventh title match in Melbourne.
A Record 30th Major Final
Federer takes a 19-10 record in major finals into today’s final with Cilic. The Croatian is 1-1 in major finals. Federer leads the rivalry with Cilic 8-1, including three straight. Cilic has spent 17:03 on court in six matches while Federer has spent a total of 10:50 on court.
4 Beyond 30
Federer is bidding to tie the great Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall for most Grand Slam titles after turning 30 with four. He is also bidding to tie Rosewall for most majors won after the age of 35 with three.
Most Majors Won without Dropping a Set?
If Federer wins today’s final in straight sets, he will equal Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal at the top of list for most Grand Slam titles won without dropping a set. He would also be the first man to achieve the feat at the Australian Open on multiple occasions.