With pressure off, Roger Federer nearing career-altering title in Oz

Ten years ago in Melbourne, Roger Federer may have delivered his finest performance at a Grand Slam tournament. He didn’t drop a set over the fortnight, which included a fourth-round win over a young Novak Djokovic and a semifinal clobbering of an in-form Andy Roddick (6-4, 6-0, 6-2). The lone highlight for the American, who yesterday was named an inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was this memorable press conference:

In the presser, Roddick is asked how he rates Tommy Haas or Fernando Gonzalez’s chances against Federer in the final. He replied with one prescient word: “Slim.” Federer went on to defeat Gonzalez in a drama-free final.

If Federer is to win this year’s Australian Open, it won’t touch his performance of a decade ago in terms of ruthless efficiency. But it may nonetheless be the most memorable of all his major championships. He’s two matches away from doing so after defeating Mischa Zverev, aka the conqueror of Andy Murray, 6-1, 7-5, 6-2. Playing in his first tour-level tournament since Wimbledon last summer, the 35-year-old will face compatriot Stan Wawrinka for a spot in the final.

“He’s a clutch player now,” Federer said of Wawrinka, who he’s beaten in five of their previous six meetings. “U.S. Open proved that again, he’s won a Slam the last three years.

“For me, to play against Stan, I have to play aggressive. I’m looking forward to the match.”

In reaching the final four, Federer has at times looked like the overpowering player of yore (against Tomas Berdych in the third round) and has showed resistance in the face of unlikely opposition (in his first two rounds of competition). Both qualities were on display against Zverev, a veteran serve-and-volleyer whose game can fluster even the most composed and skilled of pros.

In the first set, Federer made Zverev pay for every volley he couldn’t stick with adequate power or placement, sending short balls back to yawning regions of the court with seemingly effortless groundstrokes. It was a chicken-and-egg situation, of course, for Federer’s complete command of the proceedings made it all look so simple.

After just 10 minutes, Federer led 4-0. Of the first 19 points in the match, Federer hit 12 winners. He won the set in 19 minutes.

“I used to like those days, when they came in a lot more,” Federer said of Zverev’s net-rushing approach. “I had to adapt my game, play a different kind of style.”

Zverev’s ability to win a single game that set was important, however. His previous match against Federer (on grass) resulted a double-bagel defeat, so at one point the German had lost 17 consecutive games to the 17-time Grand Slam champion. With his personal drought over, Zverev shook off the Federer blitzkrieg and began to make inroads with his old-school tactics. He took a 3-1 lead and gave pause to the Swiss’ immense fan base—Federer appeared to have tweaked the knee which required surgery.

But there was no further evidence of discomfort in this match, and Zverev could make no further progress against the crowd favorite. His best chance came while leading 5-4, with Federer serving at 30-30. But a trio of Federer points put him back on level terms, and he broke Zverev at love with, among other effective shots, two backhand passes.

It was a quick match in many respects, and Zverev’s best chance had vanished in similarly short order. Federer ran out the third and final set with little difficulty and vintage artistry:

At this point, Federer is playing with house money—two things you don’t often hear in the same sentence. Yes, he’s a legitimate title contender, given the way the draw has shaken and, more importantly, his play so far. Federer’s five-set triumph over Kei Nishikori was all the proof needed that he’s still, at this advanced tennis age, capable of advancing to the winner’s circle.

“I thought I was maybe going to win a few rounds,” admitted Federer after today’s match. “Maybe get to a fourth round, quarters.”

Federer will likely need to play better than in any previous round if he’s to beat Wawrinka, who easily dispatched Jo-Wilfried Tsonga earlier in the day. Despite his 3-18 lifetime mark against his countryman, Wawrinka, to me, is the favorite. But regardless of who the underdog is, it’s another chance for Federer to add to his achievements at this year’s Australian Open, a tournament which may go down in legend.

“I never thought it was going to be this good. Here I am, still standing.”