Roger Federer is Without Peer
Now. And, arguably, all time.
Federer dispatched Fernando Gonzalez 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 and won the Australian Open, his 10th slam title overall. He did it without losing a single set, the first man to pull that feat off in a slam since Bjorn Borg did so in 1980. He is just four slams from tying Pete Sampras for most career slams, and, therefore, five from passing him. There is little reason to think, barring an injury, that he won't have done so or be in a position to do so by the 2008 US Open.
Unreal. The Federer facts on espn.com here are eye-popping. Consider that he is now 10-1 when he reaches a Slam final. Consider that in those ten wins, he has only dropped five sets. Oh, and how about this tidbit? He has reached seven straight Slam finals (winning six of them), only the second player to ever accomplish that. If he makes the French Open final, he has that record all to himself.
The "only" thing left for Federer to do is win the French. And, as even casual followers of tennis know, that is far easier said than done. The French is the repository of clay court demons, and Rafael Nadal is currently without peer himself on that surface (and has actual game on other surfaces). As good as Federer is, I don't know if he will ever get past Nadal on that surface. But I bet he comes close. And it will be compelling tennis in Paris this spring as a result. Even if Federer never wins the French (remember, neither did Sampras), it won't stop him from ascending to the top of the list of tennis' all-time greats.
I've never seen anyone like him.