By making a seventh final, he has already taken sole ownership of most Melbourne final appearances in history. Croat Cilic, the sixth seed, overcame Federer on the way to winning the 2014 US Open final, but that was his only victory in nine encounters and Federer has ominously yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year. In Cilic, he has a seasoned opponent who has tasted Grand Slam success before, at the 2014 US Open, beating Kei Nishikori in the final. He also made the Wimbledon final last year, losing to Federer as he struggled with painful blisters. "I'm feeling really good physically, even though I had a few matches that went more than three hours," Cilic said.

Source: The Nation Bangkok January 27, 2018 21:00 UTC