Roger Federer will face a familiar foe in his chase for Grand Slam history: Only Andy Roddick — a player he has beaten in 18 of 20 matches — stands in the way of a record 15th major title.

The milestones just keep coming for Federer, who has reached his seventh straight Wimbledon final and 20th major championship match overall. A win over Roddick on Sunday would give him the biggest record of all — breaking the mark of 14 Grand Slams he shares with Pete Sampras. A victory would also give Federer a sixth Wimbledon title and a return to the No 1 ranking.

Breaking the record would bolster the argument that Federer is the greatest player in the history of the game. “I like listening about it,” Federer said. “It means I’m doing something right. But then again, let me finish my career, and then we’ll see what happens at the end.”

Roddick — largely overlooked despite his appearances in two previous finals — beat Andy Murray, stopping the third-ranked Scot’s bid of becoming the first British male finalist since the 1930s. Now Roddick is out to stop Federer from breaking the Slam record. “Obviously you can’t really say enough to signify what Roger’s career has been to this point,” Roddick said. “I’d love to delay (the record) for another Grand Slam.”

Federer’s 18-2 record against Roddick includes victories in the 2004 and ‘05 Wimbledon finals.

For the 26-year-old Roddick, the march back to the final marks a personal turnaround. After losing in the second round last year, he said he wondered whether he still had enough to compete at the top level. “You don’t go back to a Wimbledon final by accident,” he said. “It certainly is a process. And it’s probably been a longer process than I would have liked. ... I didn’t know if I was going to get to play a final of Wimbledon again. I’m certainly thankful to have that opportunity.”