Roger Federer: Semifinal Defeat Proves He's Not Elite Anymore

Novak Djokovic was too much for Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Italian Open, and the two-set victory by the Serbian shows that he is a cut above Federer.

Djokovic, the world's top-ranked player, won 6-2 and 7-6 to advance to the finals against Rafael Nadal. This is the second consecutive year these two have met in the tournament's championship match.

Federer is out of the competition, and this defeat shows how wide the gap is between him and the two men facing off in the final.

The Swiss great held the ATP No. 1 ranking for an all-time best 237 weeks between 2004 and 2008. But now, at 30 years old, he is a step slower than both Nadal and Djokovic.

Federer is still better than everyone in the world except those two players, but the dominance he displayed a few years ago is now just a memory.

The only two elite players on today's circuit are Nadal and Djokovic. 

Federer still certainly puts up a fight against either of these opponents, but he is physically outmatched by the younger players.

Nadal, 25 and Djokovic, 24, are right in the middle of their athletic peaks, while Federer is slowly fading.

Federer's technical ability is still jaw-dropping at times, but the two talented players who will meet in the finals in Rome wear him down across an entire match.

Federer still has the skills to stay competitive for a few more years, but his days of seriously threatening Nadal and Djokovic in the later rounds of major tournaments are over.

As long as he has to go through Djokovic or Nadal, Federer is unlikely to win any more Grand Slams.

The memories of his dominance will go down in tennis lore, but currently we are watching Federer on the slow path toward his retirement.