Roger Federer: Aging Legend Will Be Defeated by Rising Star Bernard Tomic

Roger Federer is a legend in the sport of tennis, but his lore will take a small hit when he loses to rising star Benard Tomic in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

To be fair to Federer, there is absolutely nothing he can do that would ever make him lose his status as a legend, so that's something to keep in mind while reading this.

That being said, at this point of his career it's safe to say that he is more than beatable, and the youngster Tomic has all the necessary skills to make it happen.

Kevin Mitchell on guardian.co.uk absolutely raves about the young tennis player:

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Last year he gave Rafael Nadal a major fright here, taking four straight games off the Spaniard with the most delightful unorthodoxy before his young legs gave up on him. This year he gets to try his magic on Federer, the one player he bothers to watch for fun.

But this is a different Tomic. He is not just a year older, he is stronger, more switched on, disciplined and absolutely flying on a high. The perceived arrogance of his pre-match dismissal of Fernando Verdasco, the 22nd seed and a Tour veteran who has done little of late, not only proved well founded but lifted Tomic when he needed it on the big stage.

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There's no doubting that Tomic is on a hot-streak, and he may be running into Federer at just the right time.

If this was a few years ago I wouldn't even give the kid a shot, but just as this isn't the same Tomic from last year, it's also not the same Federer.

Like it or not, he's getting old, and there's no shame in admitting that.

He's not at that elite level anymore—as that is currently being occupied by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic—and he may not even be at that "second tier" of great players for much longer.

Tomic on the other hand is on his way up, and it doesn't hurt that he's got quite the home-crowd advantage, being that he's from Australia.

He just upset world No. 13 Alexandr Dolgopolov 4-6 7-6 (7-0) 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 6-3, and has to be feeling quite confident at just 19 years old.

At 30, Federer has 11 years on Tomic, but that can be looked at in two different ways. 

Tomic has 11 less years of wear and tear on his body, but you could also say that Federer has 11 more years of experience, and a far superior resume.

In the end, I have to tip my cap to the youngster though.

He's riding a wave of momentum, and I think he'll be able to out-duel the legend. It's going to be close, and it's going to be very interesting, but Tomic's star will continue to rise.

In fact, with a win over Federer, it will skyrocket.