It seems everywhere I look, journalist are writing about the "difficult" draw Federer was handed for the upcoming Australian Open. According the Tennis Experts Blog by Martin Rogers (Federer slammed by Aussie draw),
Roger Federer finds plenty to get angry about these days, and his Australian Open draw likely won't improve his mood.
Tough draw? Are you serious? Federer is lucky to be in the bottom half of the draw. At this stage of the game, it's more psychological for the Fed Express. And the only true psychological competitors that Federer currently has on the circuit are Nadal and Murray. But for good measure, let's take a look at his competition for the upcoming Aussie Open.
Seppi - In Federer's 1st Round, he will have to face the very capable Andreas Seppi. But despite the skill level of the Italian, Federer holds a 3-0 record over him. Their latest meeting was in Doha, where Federer out-played Seppi 6/3 6/3.
Moya - To date, Federer holds a commanding 7-0 lead in head-to-head confrontations with the Spaniard. And this takes into account when Moya was at his very best. In their latest match-up, Federer showed impeccable form in downing Moya in straight sets at 6/2 6/3.
Safin - The last time Safin took down the King was in 2005 at the Australian Open. That was a different Safin. Since then, he has lost every encounter to Federer. Their last match was at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, where Federer took Safin out in straight sets, 6/3 7/6(3) 6/4. En route to that match, Safin was showing his best form to-date. Even at his best, Federer showed no signs of weakness to the Russian. Their current head-to-head stats show Federer up 9-2.
Djokovic only potential roadblock Federer is likely to face on his way to appearing in his 18th Grand Slam Final appearance. And even then, Federer holds a 7-2 head-to-head lead over the Serb. The Djoker hasn't been playing his best tennis as of late either, losing twice in two weeks to players outside the Top 30. He will have to improve his form prior to his meeting with Federer if he wants to put a dent in the King's armour.
So, tough draw? I hardly think so! These are players that Federer holds a competitive advantage over, both psychologically and physically. The real competition is in the upper half of the draw, where many of the younger, up-and-coming talents will have to out-gun and out-play each other just to make it to the Final.
Although the media is oh-so eager to create drama, I highly doubt that Federer is all that worried about his half of the draw. See you in Melbourne!
