Wimbledon 2016: Federer eyeing familiar comfort
Fifteen years on from beating Pete Sampras as a teenager, Roger Federer is looking to prove he can still contend for grand slam titles.
Fifteen years have passed since a teenage Roger Federer made a stunning impression on his Centre Court debut at Wimbledon.
Just a few weeks on from reaching the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time at Roland Garros, the Swiss did justice to increasing hype over his potential by beating the great Pete Sampras in a thrilling fourth-round tie.
That victory marked a changing of the guard, with Sampras, who had been unbeaten in 31 Wimbledon matches, only claiming one further slam title - at the 2002 US Open - and Federer going on to enjoy his own era of dominance on grass.
Yet with Novak Djokovic appearing irrepressible and injuries having proven a pain this season for Federer, who last triumphed at the All England Club in 2012 to match Sampras' record haul of seven titles, one could be forgiven for thinking it may not be long before Roger calls 'Over and Out'.
On Saturday, Federer acknowledged that Djokovic and world number two Andy Murray - the finalists in Melbourne and Paris this year - will begin Wimbledon as "big favourites", adding: "To me, they are the ones to beat."
However, the most prolific winner of men's singles titles in the history of grand slam tennis is not prepared to rule himself out of contention, as he returns to major action after missing the French Open due to a back problem.
"I think this is a huge boost for me, after pulling out of Paris, that I'm back here at my favourite tournament," said Federer, the runner-up at SW19 in 2014 and 2015.
"With all the success that I've had here, this is the motivation I need right now, to get back on the big courts, play good matches and enjoy Wimbledon. I love this tournament more than anything, so it's a huge opportunity for me to maybe turn around the season, who knows, and just play some nice tennis and enjoy myself here."
Federer revealed in March that an injury to his left knee, which forced him to undergo surgery for the first time in his career, was sustained as he ran a bath for his twin daughters the day after losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals.
Looking back ruefully this weekend, Federer said: "One stupid move and the season has been completely different than what I expected it to be."
After recovering from an operation on a torn meniscus, he was duly hampered by illness and back trouble, the latter problem enough to end a record-breaking run of 65 consecutive grand slam appearances.
On his return, Federer progressed to semi-finals on grass in Stuttgart and Halle earlier this month, only to be beaten by two rising stars in Dominic Thiem and 19-year-old Alexander Zverev.
A grass-court defeat to a teenager represented the beginning of the end for Sampras. Federer's loss at the hands of Zverev came in very different circumstances, but the veteran will be eager to prove his days of contending at slams are not over yet.