Roger Federer: Star Proves Playing 1,000 Matches Has Not Slowed Him Down

Roger Federer won the 1,000th match of his career in dominating fashion.  

The 16-time Grand Slam winner defeated Juan Martin Del Potro, a 23-year-old Argentinian, in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Australian Open 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

When asked about how it felt to have won so many matches and to have been relevant for so long, Federer responded, "It's a lot of matches and a lot tennis. Either I have been around for a long time or I'm extremely fit. You decide which way you want to describe it. But I'm happy."

Now he needs to get ready to face longtime nemesis Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the tournament.

Nadal knocked out Tomas Berdych today in his semifinal match, setting up what will be another epic battle between the No. 2 ranked Spaniard and the No. 3 ranked Swiss.

Recent history hasn’t been kind to Rafa in the Aussie Open, and the 25-year-old has been knocked out in the quarterfinals the past two years after he won it all in 2009.

Federer won this Grand Slam back in 2010 and is looking to add to his record amount of titles by winning in 2012.  

However, he was defeated in last year’s semifinals to Novak Djokovic, the eventual champion.

Now the looming semifinal draw between two future legends will prove if Federer still has gas left in the tank to be one of the greatest the game has ever seen.

He is five years older than Nadal and has played hundreds of more matches.

If Federer can somehow pull this off, and he may have a slight advantage on the hard court—he would be on his way to the finals to take on, more than likely, Novak Djokovic.

Federer may not be the most spry player left in the tournament, but it is certain that he is the most experienced.

If he could upset the world's No. 1 player in the finals of a Grand Slam, it would cement his status as one of the best ever.