— PHOTO: AP

REACHING FOR GREATNESS: The story of men's tennis itself, over the last three years, is nothing more than the near-continuous celebration of Federer's epic journey.

Melbourne: Roger Federer has changed the vocabulary of sport.

Sport is strife. Sport is a constant struggle in search of that elusive edge, physical and mental. Sport is competition featuring near-equals — the reason why we call sports contests matches. Most of all, sport is about conflict; for, sport without conflict is like champagne without the fizz.

All very well, but when it comes to men's tennis we might have got it all wrong — to be precise, got the tense wrong. Fierce competition, gladiatorial battles between well-matched players, dramatic races for the year-end No.1 ranking...

Ah, those were the days — days when men's tennis at the very top had it all.

To consign to history the very essence of what sport is all about, and with an unrivalled mastery of one's art turn oneself into an all-court wizard nonpareil takes some doing. But, in a little more than three years, Federer has accomplished precisely this.

Lofty heights

Going into the year's first Grand Slam championship, the 2007 Australian Open that begins on Monday, Federer has the icy peaks in his sights. Aged 25 and already in possession of nine Grand Slam singles titles, the Swiss master can look into the horizon and spot the game's legends — Bill Tilden (10), Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver (11), Roy Emerson (12) and Pete Sampras (14).

Federer's ascent towards those lofty heights has been at once irresistible and awe-inspiring; and the story of men's tennis itself, over the last three years, is nothing more than the near-continuous celebration of one man's epic journey.

In 10 Grand Slam finals over four years, only one man has managed to beat Federer. Rafael Nadal of Spain accomplished that feat at the French Open last year. It is a record that compares favourably with the very best. For, at age 25, coming into the 1997 Australian Open, Sampras, exactly 10 years older than Federer, was 8-2 in Grand Slam finals.

But, then, it must be said in favour of Sampras that the great man competed with all-time greats and multiple Grand Slam-winners (Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Courier) in their prime. On the other hand, in this tournament itself, there are only three men apart from the world champion who have won more than one Grand Slam title — Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin have won two.

Well within reach

While Mount Sampras is some distance away, nobody who's followed men's tennis over the last few years would discount Federer's chances of conquering the tallest of peaks — not even the American Andy Roddick, who, at last, saw a sliver of light on Saturday when he beat the world champion in the Kooyong final.

That, of course, was an invitation event and the result will not go into the record books. Yet, for Roddick, after eight straight losses to Federer, the three-set victory must have come as some consolation.

The big-serving American, now coached by Jimmy Connors, has played some epic matches at Melbourne Park. (Connors's mother's funeral was on Saturday and he is yet to join Roddick here). If Roddick, seeded six, makes his way to the semifinals, he would expect Federer to be standing in his path, yet again.

It was at that stage — semifinals — that the enigmatic Safin outlasted Federer in an unforgettable thriller here two years ago. Matchpoint down, Safin hit a breathtaking lob before clawing his way to a dramatic victory.

Safin, on that day, clearly believed that he could beat the champion. Roddick, and a handful of others who might covet this title, would be hoping now that self-belief doesn't part with them when the big occasion arrives — if and when it does.

It has been a while since Safin played that brand of tennis and he might need to raise his level if he hopes to get past Roddick in the third round here.

In the other half of the draw, Nadal can spot a few trouble-makers: the fast improving Andy Murray of Britain, James Blake, David Nalbandian and the home hope Hewitt, the last named struggling to get over injury problems and an acrimonious split with his coach Roger Rasheed.

Open field

The women's championship seems rather more open. While Maria Sharapova and the defending champion Amelie Mauresmo, the top two seeds, would clearly fancy their chances, Kim Clijsters, in her last appearance here — if she sticks to her retirement plans — and Martina Hingis, both figuring in the top half of the draw, have the game to beat anyone on their day.

Former champion Serena Williams, unseeded — it is the first time in history that no American woman is among the seeds here — would back herself, too, if she can negotiate her way past her first few opponents.

For Sania Mirza, this is where it all began, two years ago. She's come a long way, since then, and the Indian will play Olga Savchuk from Ukraine in the first round. Savchuk, aged 19, finished in the top 100 for the first time last year.

If she wins two rounds, Sania might get the chance to take on Martina Hingis in the third.

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