Federer has done it all, but can he win Open again?

Roger Federer turned 30 on Aug. 8. He celebrated by publicly thanking his longtime fans and supporters on his website. That was probably followed by 500 forehands, 500 backhands, and twice as many practice serves.

To many of us, Father Time is getting the stiff knee working in the morning so we can walk to the sink to brush our teeth. To Federer, it is that split second that makes the backhand go wide.

For his mental well-being, Federer had to walk past his 30th birthday as if it were a crack in the sidewalk. But reality says that tennis years and dog years have similarities. That makes Federer about 200. A 30-year-old professional tennis player has more miles on him than a '54 Chevy. And knees, ankles, elbows, and shoulders can't be restored with an oil change.

Federer's accomplishments give us pause, tell us that while twilight is near, there might be a couple of big sunny days left. He is accorded the label as the greatest men's tennis player ever because he won the most major tournaments. Grand Slams are how the sport measures itself, and Federer has 16.

He has five U.S. Open titles, 66 tour titles, and is one of only five people who have won all four major titles at least once, plus an Olympic gold medal. Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, and Rafael Nadal did it all in singles; and Serena Williams and Federer got their Olympic gold in doubles.

Since 2003, Federer has won at least one Grand Slam tournament each year. His most recent was the 2010 Australian Open. That's six majors ago, by far his longest drought.

He hasn't fallen off the map. He remains No. 3 in the world, one of the most gifted shotmakers to ever slip on a wristband, and just last week he told reporters asking about his U.S. Open prospects that he was "physically perfect."

Significantly, it was Federer - not some free-swinging 20-year-old hotshot feeling no pressure in an early round - who ended Novak Djokovic's amazing unbeaten run at 43 earlier this year at the French Open. There is no question that Federer still has it. The question is: Does he still have it through seven matches and the usual two weeks of heat and rain and noise and living hell that make the U.S. Open the U.S. Open?

Federer won his first major title in the 2003 Wimbledon. That was the year after Pete Sampras won his last and 14th Grand Slam at the U.S. Open. Sampras was 31 - he turned 40 on Aug. 12 - and the Sampras era ended there. He beat Agassi in the final and never played a tour match again. Now, nine years and 16 Grand Slams later, the clock is ticking on the Federer era.