Roger Federer's Indian Wells Form Heightens Grand Slam Scrutiny on Swiss Star

Roger Federer avenged his defeat to Andreas Seppi at the Australian Open with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 win at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, but his struggles in Grand Slam competitions remain a problem for the Swiss star.

Federer needed just 82 minutes to beat the world No. 33 and dominated proceedings throughout, showing no indication of nerves against the man who inflicted a third-round exit on him in Melbourne:

Though he showed no nerves, Federer admitted the importance of the win psychologically. Per Sky Sports, he said: "It was good to play him right away again and erase it from the memory. This was one of those matches where I was happy to get through and happy it was over."

The match proved a stark contrast to the pair's clash in January, where Federer cut a frustrated figure:

According to Mike Dickson of the Daily Mail, Federer made nine double-faults and 55 unforced errors in the match. 

Federer has responded well since the shock defeat, beating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the Dubai Tennis Championships. Former British No. 1 Andrew Castle was impressed with the Swiss star:

However, his inability to perform in Grand Slams is a serious concern, and the frequency of errors in that defeat to Seppi suggests the issue could be psychological.

Federer has won just two Slams since the end of 2009, his last coming in 2012, and reached just two other finals.

Bernat Armangue/Associated Press

Considering his recent record in Slams, Federer has done well to find himself ranked world No. 2. The Swiss currently resides on a record 17 Slams, as sports writer Rob Maul notes:

It seems for Federer that the longer his search for that elusive 18th Slam goes on, the harder it will be for him to overcome that final hurdle.

Indeed, Federer is arguably trying too hard to force another Slam win, with the unintended consequence of his efforts actually hindering him. Federer admitted to having just eight days off during his off-season, in which he travelled extensively, trained and took part in a charity match.  

While it's important for Federer to remain fit in order to keep pace with his younger opponents, he must also manage his body correctly. By the time Federer reached Melbourne, the lack of rest took its toll, resulting in his sluggish performance against Seppi.

Aside from the huge number of unforced errors he produced, Federer's serve in particular let him down in the Australian Open defeat to Seppi.

Per AusOpen.com, he was only able to get 59 percent of his first serves in, his percentage having decreased with each match of the tournament. His second serve was erratic, and his "points won on second serve" percentage dropped from 70 percent to just 48 in his final match. When it comes to the remaining Slams, Federer needs to restore the consistency we've come to expect from his service game.

Speaking after his Australian Open exit, former women's world No. 1 Chris Evert, herself an 18-time Slam winner, stated her belief that Federer's best chance is now Wimbledon.

According to Neil McLeman of the Mirror, she said:

"

In his last 10 Grand Slams, he has not won one of them. Going forward, you don't think he is going to win at Roland Garros. And hard-court Grand Slams are becoming increasingly difficult for him. Wimbledon is his only shot. The points are short and you can play five-set matches over two or three days.

"

Evert is probably correct. Rafael Nadal's domination of the French Open shows little sign of abating, and Wimbledon is the only Slam final he's made since 2011.

Federer remains an excellent player, and his legendary status within the sport is inarguable, but the pressure of winning another Slam coupled with his advancing years makes his prospects of winning another major smaller with every exit.

The rise of energetic and skilful new talents such as Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov will only make things worse for Federer, who must already contend with the likes of the Djoker, Nadal and Andy Murray at every Slam.

An 18th Slam is still doable, but the Swiss maestro needs to regain the mental strength he undoubtedly possesses and has relied upon to win in the past.