Roger Federer Signals an Ominous Warning to His Rivals at the Australian Open

Roger Federer showed today why he deserves the role of favourite in the Australian Open.

He outright dominated his opponent, Lukas Lacko.

Though he was ranked at world number 97, two weeks ago, he gave Nadal a frightful run in a three-setter,  even bagelling him before losing his concentration while Nadal upped his. I haven’t heard of many world number 90-somethings who have bagelled Nadal, albeit in less than peak condition.

Lukas was not playing badly, per se, not at the level he bagelled Nadal, but all credit to Federer. He did not let the young Slovak get near that form.

From the first point, he established his authority by cleanly hitting winner after winner, creating angles by hitting earlier and serving and returning aggressively, he was not letting Lacko to gain any rhythm or confidence  by hitting slices and changing pace, and of course, that gorgeous drop shot he uses so well.

He was forcing Lacko to the net, then at the next point, trading groundies at the baseline, and forcing the poor Slovak into errors. He was moving well too, and the commentators aptly described his performance as a fusion of Baryshnikov and a cheetah. Fast, deceptively quick legs, perfect positioning and footwork, and of course, the catlike grace he dances around the court with.

Lacko, who did absolutely nothing wrong in this match, other than being blasted off the court. He was left to just grinning cynically, and playing towards an already foregone conclusion.

The commentators summed it up perfectly when Todd Woodbrige said that “you would usually be alarmed if a player, even a top player, was playing so well in the early rounds, but this man isn’t normal.”

Indeed he wasn’t.

Not in that match.

He won the first set 6-1, and almost bagelled Lacko in the second, were it not for the unfortunately losing his serve at 3-1 before being reinvigorated and closing out the set. Then at 2-1 in the third set, Lacko gained some rhythm and literally made only 3 errors in the rest of the match.

But of course, Federer was clinical in his 6-3 defeat in the third set, ending the match in great form.

He made breaking Lacko's serve seven times in his straight-sets victory in one hour and 24 minutes, look so, so easy. Federer hit 37 winners and just 18 unforced errors, a ridiculously high margin.

The Swiss maestro is bidding to become just the second man to win five Australian Open titles behind Australian Roy Emerson, who claimed six.

I don’t wish to hype up his chances,.

Who after all, can forget his absolute dismantlement of Juan Martin Del Potro in the 2009 Australian Open semi-final? At 6-0, 6-0, 6-3, it was an ominous sign, but Nadal still defeated him in the 2009 Final, aided by Federer’s serve deserting him in the fifth set.

And if one were to analyse this game with the eye of a perfectionist, there were a few mishit backhands, and a few errant forehands, but nothing that would’ve alarmed anyone.

Everyone was too focused on how he was playing so well.

If this is a sign of things to come.

It’s looking very ominous for the other players in the draw.

And it’s looking very bright for Federer.

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