Roger Federer is guaranteed a return to number one in the ATP world rankings for the first time since November 2012. Yet it is the Alpine nation's favourite son, Roger Federer, who has apparently mastered the art of reversing it. Incredibly, since turning 35 - an age still considered beyond the sell-by-date in the high-octane world of top-level tennis -- Federer has won three of the last five grand slam titles on offer playing arguably the best tennis of his career. Yet Federer, for all the unique magic that other players can only dream about, offers a far more pragmatic explanation for his ability to make a mockery of the ageing process. When he was sidelined by a knee injury in 2016, forcing him to skip the French Open and snap a streak of 65 consecutive grand slam appearances, Federer took a career time-out.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 16, 2018 21:22 UTC