Australian Open 2018: Roger Federer sets up Wimbledon final rematch against Marin Cilic after Hyeon Chung retires

Swiss will meet the man that he thrashed at Wimbledon last summer after watching his four main rivals disappear from view in a series of injuries

Roger Federer will face Marin Cilic in the Australian Open final (Getty)

Roger Federer’s four biggest rivals have all fallen by the wayside in the last month as injuries have taken their toll and on Friday here at the Australian Open it was the turn of one of his younger challengers to fail to last the distance.

Hyeon Chung at least made it to the semi-finals, which was more than Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka were able to do thanks to their respective physical problems.

On his big day, however, Chung suffered with a blistered left foot which forced him to retire after only 62 minutes with 36-year-old Federer leading 6-1, 5-2 and 30-30. Federer, who was giving Chung 15 years, will meet Marin Cilic in his seventh Australian Open final here on Sunday.

Although Federer said that it was not the way he would have wanted to win, the 36-year-old Swiss was happy to reach a Grand Slam final without dropping a set for the fifth time in his career.

Federer will be the oldest finalist at a Grand Slam event since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall was runner-up at the 1974 US Open, while his seventh Australian Open final will be an open era record for the event. It will be his 30th final in all Grand Slam tournaments, extending a record which he already held.

Sunday’s match will be a re-run of last year’s Wimbledon final, which was another occasion when the Swiss benefited from an opponent suffering from blisters. Cilic was reduced to tears on that occasion as Federer raced to a straight-sets victory.

Federer, whose only defeat against Cilic came in the semi-finals of the 2014 US Open, went on to beat the 29-year-old Croatian in the ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London in November and they also practised together last month when they found out, quite by accident, that they were holidaying together in the Maldives.

“It was just the two of us and we were both looking for a hitting partner and it happened that we were there,” Federer said. “It was the weirdest thing. So the practice in the tropics helped us to get to the final this time around.”

Federer said that Cilic’s raw power made him a formidable opponent. “Having two days off and not having had a brutal semi-final will help him a lot,” Federer said.

“We’ll see a fresh and ready Marin this time around. On this kind of a court you have to play aggressive – both him and me. But he can bring the power. If he’s come this far it means he’s feeling good.”

Federer was cruising as he closed in on a two-set lead when Chung retired (Getty)

The weather here has been beautiful all fortnight, but after rain started falling late in the afternoon the roof over Rod Laver Arena was closed for the first time in the fortnight. Federer hardly needed an extra factor in his favour, but the Swiss has always been a superb indoor player.

Federer, nevertheless, thought the conditions inside the arena were too hot and asked for the air conditioning to be turned on. “It was more for the [spectators] than for me,” he joked in his on-court interview after the match.

The age gap between the two semi-finalists – 14 years and 284 days – was the biggest at any Grand Slam tournament for 27 years, but from the start it was clear that the younger man was struggling.

Chung's impressive run at the Australian Open came to an end in the semi-finals (Getty)

Chung, who was attempting to become the first Korean to reach a Grand Slam singles final, was sluggish in his movement and barely gave a glimpse of the stunning defensive and counter-attacking abilities which had helped him account for Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in earlier rounds.

Federer broke serve in the opening game and although he had to save a break point in the second he was soon 5-1 up. Chung, fighting bravely, saved four set points but on the fifth was beaten by a classic Federer forehand winner.

Trailing 4-1 in the second set, the world No 58 sent for the trainer and took a medical time-out to have treatment on the blister. However, with Federer leading 5-2 and 30-30 the Korean decided it was time to quit.

Chung needed treatment on blisters suffered to his feet (Getty)

“In the second set I started to feel he was getting a bit slower, fighting with the blister,” Federer said afterwards. “I know he’s had a problem with the blister for some time. I’ve played with blisters in the past a lot and it hurts a lot. At one point it becomes too much and you just can’t take it any more and you realise there’s no way you can come back and it’s better to stop.”

Federer added: “I think he’s going to be a great, great player. He has great composure. We’re going to see much more of him – top 10 for sure.”