Crucial year for Federer

ByEurosport

Published 30/01/2006 at 14:30 GMT

After winning the Australian Open, can Roger Federer win the Grand Slam? Probably not, says Eurosport TV analyst Mats Wilander. However the 24-year old Swiss could well be on his way to topping Pete Sampras' record of 14 majors. But Federer has to act fas

I think it will be very difficult for him at Roland Garros, but if he wins Wimbledon or the U.S. Open, he will have a very good chance to top Sampras," commented three-time Australian Open champion Wilander.

Sampras, like Federer, was 24 years old when he won his seventh major.

TENNIS 2006 Egypt 2006 Mats Wilander 240106

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As time goes by, it becomes more and more difficult to dominate the circuit.

Staying number one, as Wilander himself knows, leaves no room for outside distractions.

RACE AGAINST TIME

Also, with each title, the pressure builds. Federer's tears were real when he accepted the trophy from the hands of Rod Laver on Sunday.

"Federer's crew need to understand that he is an emotional guy. Once you leave something come into your life, it's very, very difficult to keep up what he is doing. He's got some serious thinking to do in the next few months," says Wilander.

It was fitting that Laver, the last man to win the Grand Slam in 1968, was there at Melbourne Park.

TENNIS 2006 AUSTRALIAN OPEN Federer R. - Baghdatis M. final

Image credit: Reuters

"Roger Federer is aiming at Pete Sampras record, if he wins the Grand Slam, then Rod Laver will be forgotten, and eventually Pete Sampras will be forgotten. He can do it if he gets by the next several months." Says Wilander

A lot depends on the return of defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal - who beat Federer in the semi-finals last year on the slow red clay of Roland Garros.

In Australia this year, Tommy Haas, Nicolas Kiefer, Nicolay Davydenko, and even Marcos Baghdatis went into their encounters with Federer with nothing to lose and played some of their best tennis.

The longer Federer stays on top, the more his opponents will be pumped up and looking for keys to beating him.