ROGER FEDERER

He has the strokes to be the best,
but does he have the focus to match them?

Five years, 31 matches. That was Pete Sampras' Wimbledon winning streak before he ran into a 19-year-old from Switzerland on July 2, 2001. Roger Federer shocked Sampras in a five-set, three-hour 41-minute gut-check of a match, proving he could beat anyone. But Federer bonked his next seven majors and won just four singles titles in his first five years as a pro. His nerve against Sampras was dubbed a fluke. He was all potential and no results until last season. He won seven titles (including Wimbledon, his first Slam), earned a tour-leading $4M and finished the year at No.2, just a handful of points behind Andy Roddick. He has the talent to beat anyone, but he's proved he can lose to anyone, too. With the ATP teeming with young guns, does Federer have the stuff to stay on top?

BORN Aug. 8, 1981
SIZE 6'1", 177 pounds
KEY STAT One major title, three major first-round exits

MAJOR TROUBLE
After reaching the quarterfinals of two Grand Slams in 2001, Federer stumbled in 2002, losing in grand style in the first round at both the French Open, to 64th-ranked Hicham Arazi of Morocco, and at Wimbledon, to 224th-ranked Mario Ancic of Croatia. David Nalbandian of Argentina bested Federer in the Round of 16 at both the Australian and U.S. Opens in 2003, and Federer again lost in the first round of the French, this time to 72nd-ranked Luis Horna of Peru. Some of the crowd at Roland-Garros booed him. "It was disappointing to lose the first set," was all a detached Federer said after that match.

MR. VERSATILITY
If anyone's ever had an all-court game, its Federer. Growing up in Basel, he spent his summers on clay, developing his deadly ground strokes. In the winter, he honed his serve-and-volley game on fast indoor carpets. He can slug from the baseline, he can play at the net and he has explosive power, quick hands and flawless footwork. His one weakness is a serve that averages just 115 mph. But what he lacks in velocity, he gains in accuracy. "Roger is a target server," says Andre Agassi. "He hits the lines and corners, and if he misses, it's away from you."

GREEN GRASS
Federer has had great success at Wimbledon, winning the Junior singles and doubles titles there in 1998, and beating Sampras three years later. Then came last seasons final against big-serving Aussie Mark Philippoussis. "I was thinking of the Alinghi," says Federer, referring to the first Swiss boat to win the Americas Cup. "Just take it and race away." Federer won the cup (and the accompanying $960K) in straight sets, to become the first Swiss ever to win a Grand Slam tournament. "It was a nightmare for me, but its over," he says. "I've made it. I don't feel any pressure. Now, I start from zero."

KILLER INSTINCT
Fist-pumping, finger-pointing, never-say-die Lleyton Hewitt spent 75 straight weeks at No.1, from Nov. 19, 2001, through April 27, 2003. But Hewitt has an edge; Federer doesn't. "Roger tends to dominate a match, but then he forgets to hammer in the nail," says Swiss doubles partner Marc Rosset. As recently as September, Roger let Lleyton off the hook. Up two sets to none in the Davis Cup semifinals, Federer gave the third set away in a tiebreaker. He lost the fourth set and hardly had a pulse in the fifth, losing 6-1. "I just had heavy legs," he said.

HEAD GAME
Coming off his best year yet, Federer fired Peter Lundgren, his coach of five years, claiming he would like new impetus. If that's not an adequate explanation, consider the rumor that the affable and knowledgeable, but beefy, Lundgren was canned because he wasn't obsessed enough about physical fitness. But maybe what Federer needs isn't physical at all. "Roger is the most talented player in the world," says Roddick. But he has the luxury of being bored sometimes, and that's why he loses." So maybe Federer, with No.1 Roddick in his sights, is looking for a coach who will push him harder. But first, he has to start pushing himself.

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