Federer in no rush to beat Sampras' record

Roger Federer doesn't think he needs to be in any hurry to break Pete Sampras' Grand Slam record. Federer is bidding to equal the 14 major titles won by the retired American star by capturing the Australian Open.

The growing perception is that the 27-year-old Swiss will find it harder than any time in recent years to win a major, with Andy Murray joining Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - all 22 or under - among the leading contenders to beat him.

"I want to do well, not only this year but many more years," Federer said yesterday, a day ahead of his first-round match with Italian Andreas Seppi. "I don't feel like this is my last chance to either win ... or pick up a few Slams more easily."

"They never come around easily. Let's not forget who I had to beat on the way."

Nadal is 22 and already has five majors - four straight at Roland Garros and the last at Wimbledon. He also snapped Federer's record 237-week reign atop the rankings last season.

No. 3 Djokovic and No. 4 Murray will both be 22 in May. Federer was closing in on his 22nd birthday when he won Wimbledon in 2003, the first of his 13 major titles. Federer doesn't think age will start counting against him. He won three of the four majors in three of the last five seasons, twice finishing one match short of a season Grand Slam by losing the French Open final to Nadal. But he had to wait until the U.S. Open to secure his first major of the last season. He's feeling more confident this year.

"They will be tough to win," he said. "But I know I got the game to do it."

A bout of mononucleosis hampered his preparations for the last Australian Open and he lost in the semifinals to Djokovic. Federer lost momentum, and lost the French Open and Wimbledon finals to Nadal, who also won the Olympic singles gold medal.

Under pressure in the last Grand Slam event of the year, Federer beat Murray in straight sets in the final to win his fifth straight U.S. Open. He then struggled at the season-ending Masters Cup and Djokovic took that title - the only one of the last 15 majors not won by either Federer or Nadal.

"I know a lot of people are saying this seems like a tough generation right now with Murray, Djokovic, Rafa and everything," Federer said. "I don't think it's that much stronger than when I came about."

Different names

Before Federer's domination, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin and Juan Carlos Ferrero were all winning Grand Slams.

"It just always seems like two years on and nobody talks about what happened two years ago," Federer said. "It's not just now that we have really four great players again. I think they were there before, but there were just different names."

Among those who think the Sampras record could fall is Hewitt, who won the 2001 U.S. Open and 2002 Wimbledon and was ranked No. 1 before watching Federer take over and dominate.

"You didn't really put anyone in the same category as Sampras," Hewitt said. "That seemed like an awfully long way away before anyone got close to Pete's record."

"He's had an unbelievable run. He won the last Slam, the U.S. Open, so he's going to be one of the favorites coming in here. If he does it, good on him. It's a hell of an effort."

Hewitt, Australia's only real hope for a second-week run, has a tough start against 11th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, the 2007 runner-up, tomorrow. Nadal and Murray also have a day off today.

Top-ranked Jelena Jankovic is determined to overcome a virus that prevented her from playing in Hong Kong last week and to silence the doubters who think she doesn't deserve the top ranking because she's never won a major.

Ana Ivanovic lost the final at the Australian Open last year to Maria Sharapova and then went on to win the French Open, her first Grand Slam title. But her form at the majors has been on the wane since, with a third-round exit at Wimbledon followed by a second-round defeat at the U.S. Open.

The 21-year-old Ivanovic, who is working without a coach, starts against Julia Goerges of Germany in the opening match on the second covered stadium today.
Former No. 4-ranked Kimiko Date Krumm will return to the main draw of a major after a 13-year hiatus. The 38-year-old Japanese player came through qualifying on the weekend and faces Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, seeded 25th, on Court 6.

Roddick leads Americans
Seventh-seeded Andy Roddick, who has been a semifinalist in Australia three times, hopes to do well again, but would have to beat Djokovic in the quarterfinals this time to make it that far. The 2003 U.S. Open champion is the highest seeded of the American men. No. 9 James Blake doesn't open until tomorrow, when No. 2 Serena Williams and No. 7 Venus Williams get underway on the women's side.

The tallest man on the tour, the 2.05-meter John Isner is against resurgent Dominik Hrbaty, who helped Slovakia to the Hopman Cup international mixed team title at Perth this month. No. 23 Mardy Fish is against Australian Samuel Groth. Taylor Dent and Amer Delic go head-to-head in an all-American match, while Sam Querry is against Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber, Robert Kendrick plays 16th- seeded Robin Solderling of Sweden.