Grand Slam Still On, Says Federer

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday January 16, 2009

Peter Hanlon With AAP

THREE times, only the Paris clay has prevented Roger Federer from achieving tennis' holy grail, and he believes the prospect of a player winning the calendar grand slam is greater than ever.

Federer said yesterday the similarity in the surfaces used in the four majors meant Rod Laver's 40-year stretch as the most recent player to scoop the pool in a single year was increasingly under threat.

"I think it's possible still, to be quite honest, because conditions have slowed down," said Federer after he scraped past Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) in two hours and 14 minutes yesterday in the Kooyong Classic to reach the final and keep his preparation for next week's Australian Open - and a record-equalling 14 majors - on track.

"I don't think Wimbledon is terribly fast any more, and the US Open and Australian Open feel pretty similar. If you're on top of things, they can fall your way," Federer continued.

"I mean, obviously you've got to win the Australian Open to start off with a chance, but I think it is still possible, yes. Before, the grass and clay was too one-sided. You had basically the clay players and the grass players."

Federer said he loved being around Laver and the great Australian players "who have achieved so much in tennis and still are very humble".

In 1969, Laver became the most recent man to win the Australian, French and US Opens and Wimbledon in one year - seven years after he first achieved it.

While Federer said the difference between the playing surfaces was now becoming less distinct, he believed the calendar grand slam mission had been made tougher in the past by the vast difference between the way the game was played on grass and clay and the specialists that produced.

"For a while, I guess, they were taking the rankings on, what is it, 14 tournaments, so you would only play on your favourite surface," he said.

"It was tough to win the big one not on your favourite surface, I guess that's why you couldn't do it for a number of years.

"I have come close to it a few times, but you always have somebody who is really in great shape on one particular surface, and to beat that guy plus another six guys is a tough thing to do, and that's what I ran into with Rafa [Nadal] on clay."

By his own standards, 2008 was a poor year, Federer winning just one major, the US Open. Novak Djokovic took the Australian Open, Nadal won the French Open and Wimbledon and Scot Andy Murray continued building a winning record against Federer, although lost to him at the US Open.

Nadal and Murray are perhaps pre-emptively considered now to have Federer on the ropes, but the Swiss is not about to surrender, saying he planned to net "plenty" more majors.

"I feel like I'm fit enough, motivated enough, experienced enough that I can win many more," he said. "The question is how many this year, if at all, or in the next year . . . I'm excited about the future."

Federer was pressed on the mixed form of Djokovic and the Serb's recent change of racquet supplier.

"I'm quite surprised he made a switch like this in the best phase of his career," said Federer, whose racquets are made by the company Djokovic has shunned.

"He can sure play good tennis, but I think when it comes down to the crunch you just have that bit of doubt maybe, because you are not quite comfortable with the racquet."

In the day's other Kooyong matches, out-of-form Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis was smiling again after a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win over Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, whose compatriot Marin Cilic was a 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) victor over Carlos Moya.

"Much more confident," said Baghdatis after bouncing back from his straight-sets loss to Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka on Wednesday. "I'm starting to feel good on court."

Meanwhile, Nadal, as expected, was yesterday named top seed in the Australian Open men's singles draw and Jelena Jankovic the women's No.1 seed, with organisers following the world rankings.

LLEYTON HEWITT

Despite going down 7-6, 7-5 to David Nalbandian in Sydney last night, Hewitt insisted he is not far off mixing it with the best as the Australian Open approaches. "I'm as ready as I think I thought I'd ever be coming into this situation," he said.

SERENA WILLIAMS

Lit the fuse for an explosive Australian Open by scoffing at Jelena Jankovic's No.1 ranking after crashing out of the Sydney International yesterday. "Best player?" Williams said. "Uh, no. I don't think anyone is better than me."

ANDY MURRAY

Roger Federer's remarks that he was surprised bookmakers had made Murray the pre-Australian Open favourite slid off the Scot's back like water off a platypus. "What the bookies are saying doesn't make any difference once you get on court," Murray said.

© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald

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