Uncertainty is a key reason why the world of sport enthrals and excites fans in equal measure. It becomes very difficult to predict what could happen in any sporting event, just because of the human element involved.
However, some things in sport have now become easy to predict. One example of that would be the Ballon d'Or race that is dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with the award being won by one of them the last nine years.
Another thing that can be predicted with great certainty is Roger Federer's presence in the finals at Wimbledon, with the Swiss ace having reached the finals 11 times out of his 19 appearances in the Grand Slam.
The Favourite
After reaching the finals for a record 11th time, Federer will be aiming to win the tournament for a record-breaking eighth time, which will make him the most successful men's player ever in terms of singles titles.
A look back at his path to the finals this year shows that despite not being at his imperious best, the 18-time Grand Slam winner has been extremely efficient in disposing of his opponents, taking advantage of what has been an easy draw.
Drawn against Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round, the man from Switzerland progressed through to the second round with a 6-3, 3-0 win as his Ukrainian opponent retired from the match due to injury.
In the next round, he went up against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia, and after winning a tight first set in the tiebreak, dispatched his opponent 6-3, 6-2 in the remaining two sets to move to the next round.
The third round saw him play German southpaw Mischa Zverev but the man who defeated Andy Murray at the Australian Open was no match for Federer, as the Swiss maestro worked his way to a 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.
A fourth round encounter against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov was supposed to be a tough match, as both players had not dropped a set till then. However, the 35-year-old dominated Dimitrov in what was a very professional performance, coming through a winner in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Possibly the greatest player of all-time, Federer had breezed through The Championships so far, and faced Milos Raonic for a place in the last four. He produced a masterclass in taming an opponent with a big serve, winning 6-4, 6-2, 7-6, and breaking the Canadian's serve thrice in the process.
Federer next faced Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the semi-finals, and produced a performance characterised by great composure and clinical finishing, as he got past his opponent 7-6, 7-6, 6-4, in what was probably his toughest encounter so far in the tournament.
The Underdog
His opponent in the final is Marin Cilic of Croatia, who has been equally impressive, and looking to win his first Wimbledon title.
The Croatian has spent about 14 hours and 30 minutes on court so far, about four and a half hours more than his opponent, and would be hoping that the tiredness and fatigue do not affect him on the big day.
A closer look at his route to the final shows that he was clinical at the beginning of the tournament, before taking a little more time to get past his opponents in the latter stages.
Cilic began with a quick, straightforward win over Germany's Phillip Kohlschreiber in the first round, winning 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 before dispatching another German, Florian Mayer, in straight sets as well, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Going up against Steve Johnson in the third round, the man with the big serve progressed through to the next round with a 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 win, minimising his errors and relying on his consistency to pressurise the American into the loss.
His fourth round match was against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, and it turned out to be a walk in the park for the Croatian, as he ripped into the Spaniard, winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
One of the matches of The Championships, his quarterfinal showdown against Gilles Muller saw the man from the Balkans dig deep and draw on his reserves of mental strength to get past the man who had knocked out Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller, eventually winning 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
The semi-finals saw Cilic drawn against another big server in Sam Querrey, who had defeated defending champion and world number one Andy Murray in the previous round.
In a match that saw the American draw first blood, the 28-year-old Croat came back in great fashion, playing a flamboyant brand of tennis, hitting 69 winners and commiting only 20 unforced errors, which helped him to wrap up the match in four sets, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-5.
With this win, Cilic set a Wimbledon record by becoming the first man seeded seventh to ever reach the final of The Championships.
How they stack up for the final
A look at the head-to-head record between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic leaves no doubt as to who holds the edge, with the man from Basel holding a 6-1 advantage.
The last time these two met was in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2016, a marathon five-setter that was won by Federer, as he came back from two sets down to win 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.
However, Cilic will be looking to call on the memories of his only Grand Slam triumph, the 2014 US Open as inspiration where he had defeated the Swiss genius en route to the title, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals.
It will be an extremely entertaining encounter between two players who have been the best in the men's section at Wimbledon 2017. Let us hope that it is a match to remember for years to come.
You can catch it live on Star Sports or Hotstar on Sunday, 16th July at 6:30 PM.
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