Roger Federer: Why Fed-Ex Still Has Plenty Left in the Tank Despite Loss

The night of January 26 brought about the end of the magic for veteran Roger Federer in Melbourne as a disappointing four-set loss to second-seeded Rafael Nadal sent him packing.

While many fans of the Swiss legend and his sport are concerned for his future in 2012 (and beyond), they really don't have much reason to worry.

Consider the fact that up until this semifinal showdown, Roger hadn't dropped a single set in the year's first Slam. That sounds impressive enough even before you remember that he is almost 30 years old, and prior to the tournament a minor back injury threatened his performance capability.

Let's not forgot that on his way to Nadal he made quick work of Australia's own rising star Bernard Tomic and the 11 seed Juan Martin Del Potro, who had previously shocked Fed in that unforgettable U.S. Open final of 2009.

Coming into 2012, mystery shrouded the future of Roger Federer. With 16 Grand Slams already, would he have what it takes win some more major titles? Could any player his age, no matter how good in his prime, even put up a fight against the rest of the dominant Big Four?

As early play Down Under unfolded, it became quite clear that he is far from ready to stop. And even though his domination couldn't last until finals night, he certainly made a statement to the tennis world: he is not backing down yet.

Obviously, his main obstacle in the next few years is going to come in the form of the other Big Four members (specifically the top two players in the world, Nadal and Novak Djokovic). Nadal has been the pimple on the face of Federer's success in recent seasons, with a total head-to-head record of 18-7 over his rival. However, at this point the two know each other's games so well that each of their encounters is up in the air, and we all know that when Fed is on a hot  streak that anything is possible.

Arguably more daunting will be the task of taking down current number one Novak Djokovic, who has been almost unbeatable in the past year. But that's no reason for Roger to give up hope; after all, he was the one to stop the Serb's incredible 43-0 streak at Roland Garros last May.

Given his age and the strength of his competition, the road back to number one, or even another Slam title will be anything but easy. Based on his play in Melbourne to start off the season, though, fans can feel free to be hopeful that the next few years will see more success from a man who has already established himself as a legend.