Roger Federer will look to win his sixth Australian Open championship and 20th Grand Slam title when he takes on Marin Cilic Sunday. Federer eased into the finals after Hyeon Chung retired while trailing 6-1, 5-2 in their semifinal match.
Chung was suffering from blisters on his left foot when he decided to retire. Federer said he could empathize with the 21-year-old Korean, having dealt with similar issues at times during his own career.
“I’ve played with blisters in the past a lot, and it hurts a lot. And at one point, it’s just too much and you can’t take it anymore,” said Federer. “I’m incredibly happy to be in the finals, but not like this.”
Cilic in Federer’s Way
Cilic also had an easy time in his semifinal, defeating Kyle Edmund 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in their Thursday match. Like Chung, Edmund was playing in his first Grand Slam semifinal, and wasn’t up to the challenge of beating the No. 6 player in the world.
While there were moments in which Edmund started to assert himself, Cilic’s experience prevailed, and he was able to maintain his composure throughout the match to earn the victory.
“In the second set I was up and down with my game,” Cilic said after the match. “But I just stayed mentally very focused and tried to play every single point. It was extremely crucial in the tiebreak to keep that pressure.”
Cilic’s run to the final was aided by an injury to top-seeded Rafael Nadal. Cilic and Nadal were in the fifth set of a classic quarterfinal match when Nadal was forced to retire with what would turn out to be a torn interior hip muscle.
Federer and Cilic will now face off in a rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final. Federer won that match 6-3, 6-1, 6-4, and has an 8-1 career record against Cilic during his career.
That dominance has made Federer a heavy favorite going into the final. Online sportsbook Pinnacle has Federer listed at 1.265 (-377), while Cilic is fetching 4.45 (+345) to pull off the upset and win his second career Grand Slam event.
Women Fight for Top World Ranking
Meanwhile, the women’s final will see the top two seeds face off in a highly-anticipated showdown. World No. 1 Simona Halep saved two match points to defeat Angelique Kerber 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 in her semifinal, while No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki won 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) over Elise Mertens.
The winner of the final will claim the number one ranking in the world, a title that Wozniacki hasn’t held in six years. Wozniacki and Halep are also both looking to win their first Grand Slam championships: each are 0-2 in their previous finals appearances, none of which have come at the Australian Open.
Experts expect a highly competitive match, but bookmakers are giving the slight edge to Halep. The Romanian is a 1.709 (-141) favorite, with Wozniacki listed at 2.33 (+133) to win the final.
