On paper it looks like a crisis for Roger Federer.

An Australian Open title unsuccessfully defended, a first-round loss - his first since an on-form Dominik Hrbaty beat him in the Cincinnati masters in 2004 - and a definite loss of the ‘aura’ that he enjoys so much.

This week the Swiss has sailed through every challenge he's faced at the prestigious Indian Wells Tier 1 tournament in Florida, dropping just seven games so far. The confidence is back, of course, but so too is Federer’s physical strength and unparalleled levels of fitness and match-winning psyche.

'Although he has denied it, the record books are important to Federer'


These have been clearly absent up to now in 2008.

Yes, there are many players still left in the draw which are quite capable of beating Federer, even when he himself is on top form, that is the nature, and the beauty of the game. But even if Federer doesn’t manage to seal a fourth championship here, his desire and hunger will be fully restored.

Although he has denied it, the record books are important to Federer. Both Pete Sampras’ all-time Grand Slam victories and that elusive career Slam - clinching Roland Garros victory are both realistic aims for the Swiss.

He knows that, while the majority of fans and experts alike already regard him as the best the world has seen, those two milestones sit there, toying with his mind, telling him that he cannot yet be the undisputed king if they remain unfulfilled.

The man is a perfectionist, like all great champions and these two blemishes (as he will see them) in his career simply need to be vanquished before he can even think about retirement.

The issue of age is an interesting one, the new generation of pros like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who all possess a fitness level and apparent mental strength that was simply unheard of even in Federer’s generation, are going to be tough to beat regularly.

But, like the last man to achieve the career slam, Andre Agassi, such is Federer’s immense skill and intelligence that there is no reason why he couldn’t repeat his fellow great’s feat of reaching Slam finals at 34.

Federer will be competitive for another seven years, he knows this and he will never lose the hunger or desire to be the best, to match and ultimately succeed the milestones set by his idols.