PARIS, 26 December 2004 — It was a record-breaking odyssey which began in the steamy heat of Melbourne and ended deep in the heart of Texas, 10 months later.
Along the way, Roger Federer won three of the four Grand Slams, clinched eight other titles, finished the year having lost just six times in 80 matches and boosted his bank account by a further six million dollars to swell his fortune to $14 million.
Not bad for a 23-year-old.
Federer never looked back from the time he demolished weary Russian Marat Safin in the final of the Australian Open as he went on to defend his Wimbledon title and pick up the US Open.
In London, he put down a brief rebellion in the final by Andy Roddick while, in New York, he humiliated Lleyton Hewitt.
Significantly, Roddick, Hewitt and Safin are the three men seen as his closest challengers in 2005, but they struggled even to keep pace in 2004 - Roddick and Hewitt taking home four titles each, Safin three.
Neither has found the key to unlocking the secret of the Swiss star’s elegant, wristy style which eschews brute force for grace, accuracy and timing.
“All the records I have broken or equaled this year have just been fantastic,” Federer said. “The last year and a half for me I’ve really started to go like a rocket.”
His full 2004 title roll of honor reads — Indian Wells, US Open, Bangkok, Canada, Halle, Australian Open, Hamburg, Tennis Masters Cup, Wimbledon, Dubai and Gstaad.
“The last year and a half, he has taken it to another level,” said Hewitt.
When Federer retained his Masters Cup in Houston in November with a 6-3, 6-2 win over the Australian, he set a record by winning his 13th final in a row. That win was also his 23rd consecutive triumph over a top-10 rival.
But like all great champions, he does have an Achilles’ heel and Federer’s was exposed in May on the slow clay of Roland Garros where his French Open hopes crashed in the third round at the hands of an inspired Gustavo Kuerten.
“I want to know why I lost, why it was straight sets, but I just don’t know,” said a bemused Federer.
“Usually I can control these kind of matches, but it just wasn’t the case.”
