Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer: Fed-Ex Victory Isn't as Unlikely as It Seems

We have all witnessed somewhat of a changing of the guard in the sport of tennis these last few years.

It hasn't been a complete overhaul, but there has been enough of a power flux to make a noticeable impact on the tennis world.

Tennis fans have seen Roger Federer slip to No. 3 in the world behind No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal. What they haven't seen, though, is Federer's skill begin to decline.

Surely, Federer isn't the player that he once was, but his decline in ability has hardly been noticeable. Really the only time he seems to stand no chance is occasionally against Djoker and Rafa.

But even Federer has his triumphs over the two best players in the world, so don't be surprised if Fed-Ex scores an "upset" victory over the top-seeded Djokovic.

It's doesn't take a tennis expert to realize that Federer has more than a fighting chance to upset Djokovic at the 2012 rendition of Wimbledon.

Djokovic has had Federer's number lately, but the 30-year-old Swiss star still holds a 14-12 advantage in the rivalry. Although he lost his last two semifinal matches against Djokovic by scores of 4-6, 5-7, 3-6 and 2-6, 6-7 (4-7), he wasn't terribly outplayed.

Despite the recent shortcomings, we've seen that Federer has a crafty ability to not only outsmart Djokovic on occasion, but outplay him as well.

Federer hasn't exactly run roughshod over his earlier opponents at the All-England Club. He did, however, trounce Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 when the two met in the quarterfinals. The 16-time Grand Slam singles champion looked on point against his Russian challenger, overwhelming him with ease.

Djokovic had a bit tougher time with Florian Mayer, but was never in jeopardy of losing to the German.

Federer had great news for his chance at reaching the final match, per Christopher Clarey of The New York Times: "My back is holding up. I didn't have to call the trainer. It was straightforward."

If Federer is at full strength, and plays like he did in the quarterfinals, we're going to see one of the most exciting matches of the fortnight.

Federer knows that his window of opportunity to add to his Grand Slam total is closing. He also knows that a matchup in the finals against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Andy Murray is next if he can win.

Don't doubt Federer on Friday at the All-England Club and definitely don't bet against him.