Wimbledon 2012: Sunday Marks Roger Federer's Last Shot at Wimbledon Immortality

Roger Federer is seizing the moment.

The 30-year-old defeated the world’s No. 1 ranked player Novak Djokovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to move within one victory of winning his seventh career Wimbledon title. This would tie him with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw for the most career titles at the most famous venue in tennis.

He is now 8-0 in semifinals at the All England Club and his only loss in the finals came against Rafael Nadal back in 2008.

This is Federer’s bread-and-butter and he played like a man who knows time is running out. He was firing missiles all over the court, running Djokovic into exhaustion. It was his best performance of 2012, and it appears Federer is as motivated as he’s been in quite some time.

After Friday’s match, he sounded like a man who knows Father Time is ticking, and is taking full advantage of the opportunity in front of him (via SI.com):

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There's obviously a lot on the line for me in terms of winning here, the all-time Grand Slam record, world No. 1. I'm also going into that match with some pressure, but I'm excited about it. That's what I play for.

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With Andy Murray as his opponent in the finals, Federer will be the heavy favorite to claim his 17th Grand Slam event. This could very well be his last shot at a major title, and it comes at his favorite venue.

Who knows if he’ll ever have the gas in the tank to fend off Djokovic in another Grand Slam event. Who knows the next time Rafael Nadal will bow out incredibly early in such an important tournament.

There is only one member of tennis’ “Big Three” still standing and Federer knows he must seize the opportunity. His focus is incredibly high and his determination is incredible. It’s what has made him such a force in this sport for the last 10 years.

John McEnroe. Bjorn Borg. Boris Becker. All of them fell short of winning a Grand Slam event after the age of 30. The last player to win a major tournament past his 30th birthday was Andre Agassi at the 2003 Australian Open.

Almost a decade later, it appears that Federer will put the final stamp on his legendary career and win his seventh career Wimbledon title and 17th Grand Slam event overall.

Win or lose, this is Federer’s final shot at winning a Grand Slam. 

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