Vintage Roger Federer continues thrilling battle against mortality at 2016 Australian Open

As far as Roger Federer is concerned, Monday is the day his 2016 season began.

It certainly didn't begin in the first days of January, when he arrived in Brisbane to prepare for the Australian Open and was struck down by a virus passed on from his sons. Nor the first full week of January, where the cold took hold and he spent seven days canceling practices, then playing terribly, then underselling the severity of the virus and then further destroying his once perfect record against Milos Raonic with a straight sets loss in the final.

No, none of that counted. But today did. Today was the day Roger Federer arrived on a tennis court full of health for the first time in 2016, and in celebration of his personal New Year's Day, his racket partied into the night.

All aspects of vintage Roger Federer were present as he destroyed Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-2 6-1 6-2 under the lights. There were the lightning-fast service games signed and sealed in under a minute; the flashy statuesque backhands rippling with risk over the highest part of the net; the suicide sprints to the net that somehow only ended in him murdering his opponent; and simply those perfect, perfect forehands. By most standards, it was a sublime performance. But by his own, it was just Monday.

Still, so satisfied was Federer by his performance that when a reporter asked him about his feelings after such a match, the press conference transcriptionist took pains to highlight just how pleasant his response was: “I feel good, thanks,” he said. “How are you doing (smiling)?”

Federer has every reason to hit the ground running, for there are obstacles to be confronted at every stage. Unlike Djokovic - who his certainly earned the slow stroll through Melbourne Park that will be his draw - Federer has been thrust into a section of the draw littered with potential problems from considerably younger opponents.

In his second round, Federer will face just about the most eccentric player around in Alexandr Dolgopolov, a player who plays tennis by contorting his body in strange, ungodly angles instead of using common sense and moving his feet. But he is a player who, at his best, possesses mastery in just about every aspect of tennis. Federer recognises this.

“Dolgopolov is a different player, a different level,” he said of his next opponent. “He's been there before. He's got the fitness, the power, the speed, tennis IQ, all that. It's going to be a big challenge. I'm ready for a very tough match, to be quite honest.”

Should he pass that test, Federer could face his biggest fan Grigor Dimitrov in the third round, his friend Stan Wawrinka’s young doppelganger Dominic Thiem in the fourth round, and Nick Kyrgios or Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals before his prospective semi-final with the undisputed number one.

This is certainly not the draw of death, and it’s likely that the 17-time slam champion will pass through any obstacles on his path to Novak Djokovic with minimum fuss, but there are potential banana skins at every stage after 52 weeks in which Federer has showcased a marginally increased susceptibility to slipping over them.

2015 was a year that was almost overwhelmingly good. For one, a fact largely obstructed by Djokovic’s supremacy was the manner in which Federer closed out the year with three finals at the three biggest events. The rankings may put Murray at number two, but the second best player was certainly Federer.

Moreover, throughout his now severed partnership with Stefan Edberg, the pair developed and nurtured a severe commitment to gung ho aggression. On paper, this doesn’t seem a significant tactic from a player who is famed for his aggressive tennis. But by the second half of the year, Federer was attacking and steaming forward to close points as quickly as was possible. Considering Federer’s famous glory years were largely summed up by his ignorance to anything but pure instinct, it was a wonder to see Federer playing with such clear direction.

Among many things, Federer’s late career will surely be remembered for the manner in which he completely changed his stripes. From that seemingly immortal otherworldly being of his peak years, with age he has learnt to be conscious of his mortality. He has confronted his age and the certain abilities it has robbed him of, and he has figured out how to maximize everything that remains. With this play, he has pushed Djokovic and made life increasingly difficult for the number one. Not difficult enough to even push Djokovic to five sets in slams, but difficult enough to believe he’ll soon push the Serb over the edge.

But Federer’s last Australian Open outing still sticks in the mind, an outing that ended with him being dusted out in the third round by Andreas Seppi. As does Monte Carlo, Madrid and Shanghai - where, for various and differing reasons, he was defeated by Gael Monfils, Nick Kyrgios and Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

In reality, these losses were not significant in the grand scheme of things. They barely even registered on Federer’s radar - when he lost to Ramos-Vinolas in Shanghai, he was so unbothered by the defeat that declared himself much sadder for the fans who wouldn’t be able to see him.

However, these losses remind us that they could happen again. It’s unlikely, but there is enough doubt to make Federer’s complicated journey through this year’s Australian Open worth keeping an eye on. And if he does make it through, he won’t be the only person smiling.