Federer Secures #1 For A Little Longer

There is a growing sentiment that Roger Federer is looking vulnerable, but with his victory over James Blake in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Federer ensured that he would be the top ranked player in men’s tennis for a little while longer. The continued improvement of Rafael Nadal and the emergence of Novak Djokovic have made men’s tennis a little more interesting recently, but the man at the top of the mountain looks unwilling to let his throne go yet. Men’s tennis has turned into a three horse race, with little resistance being offered from the others. These three have looked unflappable in reaching the semifinals, and over the next four days, casual fans of the game will have an opportunity to enjoy watching the game’s three best players playing at their top form.

People have labeled Nadal as the clay court wonder, but many have questioned his ability to succeed at the other Grand Slams. The Spaniard has reached the last two Wimbledon finals, and given Federer an extremely tough time, but failed to prevail. However, hard court majors, like this one and the U.S. Open have worn Nadal out during his young career. He’s had tremendous trouble with his fitness during the latter stages of the tournament because of the incredibly physical way he approaches the game. In reaching the final four in Australia, Nadal hasn’t lost a set, which could be key for someone who plays such a bruising style of tennis. The three-time winner at the French Open had a shot at the #1 ranking entering this tournament, but he could narrow the gap significantly if he can take the title.

In the semifinals, Nadal faces Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is turning into the pick to be tennis’ darkhorse for 2008. Tsonga is experiencing a rapid rise himself, and his game poses a number of matchup problems in their clash tomorrow night. With a big serve and an attacking style of play, Tsonga will go right at Nadal, and attempt to put Nadal in precarious positions early. Rafa has shown that he can get discouraged when he gets overpowered, and Tsonga’s gameplan will fit that to a tee in their matchup.

Nadal and Federer have dominated men’s tennis to the tune of 11 straight Grand Slam victories, but the man who is approaching their rear view mirror is Djokovic (left), who has firmly established himself as the third best player in the game. The Serbian has looked great in Australia as well, going through five matches without losing a set. He’s also had a little bit of success against Federer, winning a crucial hard court match in Canada last summer. He’s undergone a meteoric rise through the rankings, and his complete game poses some danger for Federer. Djokovic’s tilt with Federer in the semis will provide the 20-year old with an opportunity to halt history.

Standing two majors away from Pete Sampras’ mark of 14 Grand Slams, Federer could conceivably become the game’s most accomplished player by the end of the year. The road he faces towards #13 in Melbourne is as difficult as it possibly could have been. In the third round, the Swiss was forced to battle to the brink in a four and a half hour match with Serbian Janko Tipsarevic. Down two sets to one early in the tournament, Federer was confronted with a situation that would test his resolve like few matches ever have. After winning the fourth set easily, the fifth set became a war of attrition. Neither player backed down from the growing tension that was filling Rod Laver Arena, and suddenly at 6-6, the match boiled down to which of these titans could break the other’s serve first. It didn’t happen until 8-8 when Federer came back from a 40-0 deficit on Tipsarevic’s serve to break and ultimately escape with a 10-8 in the fifth triumph. Those kinds of matches define careers; Andy Roddick lost his earlier in the tournament, but Federer came through in his. Now he must contend with the game’s two young guns the rest of the way.

With Djokovic and Nadal right on Federer’s tail in the rankings, the conclusion of Australian Open 2008 should provide a thrilling start to what should be an extremely intriguing year of tennis. Will Federer continue to dominate like he always has, or is the dynamic of the tennis world about to be turned upside down?