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Maharshi Vaishnav did stand and stare when Roger Federer went about clinching his 16th Grand Slam title in Melbourne. He is awe of the Swiss ace’s talent and tries to capture Fedex’s talent on iSport.

What is this life if, full of care. We have no time to stand and stare…
No time to stand beneath the boughs. And stare as long as sheep and cows… No time to see, when woods we pass. Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass… No time to see, in broad daylight. Streams full of stars, like skies at night… No time to turn at Beauty's glance. And watch her feet, how they can dance… No time to wait till her mouth can enrich that smile her eyes began… A poor life this if, full of care. We have no time to stand and stare.

Had William Henry Davies been alive today, he would have been compelled to “stand & stare” on a perfectly lazy Sunday.  I was compelled to and can vouch tennis fans worldwide would have done that too. It was nothing but poetry in motion.

It was a picture perfect riposte to critics who had questioned Roger Federer’s mental conditioning and hunger post his tearful loss to Rafael Nadal at the 2009 Australian Open. Federer’s 16th Grand Slam win at the Rod Laver Arena was effortless, breath-taking and frighteningly imperious.

Now, let us be honest here. His game isn’t as clinical as it was before. He is mortal & fallible - double faults like everybody else, and calls for replays and review. But then, his grip on Men’s Tennis has only intensified in the last 12 months. Age has caught up with him. At 28, he is not the fittest, may not be able to run as fast as some of his younger rivals…but his presence of mind, court craft and ability to handle dire situations is like never seen before. Sunday’s final of the Aussie Open didn’t really test him but then even Gods deserve it easy on an odd day.

I would give Andy Murray all credit for his achievements. He has gone way beyond what Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski & Arvind Parmar could manage. If the Brits were to ever have a genuine opportunity of hailing a Grand Slam winner, then Andy Murray is the best bet.

And Murray did put his strongest foot forward. He did manage to frustrate and claim unforced errors from Federer. He broke the dependable Federer's serve with a sweeping cross-court winner in the 1st set and then broke him again, with another winner off the baseline in the 3rd set. He could have stretched the match into the 4th set when he had 5 set points in the 9th game of the 3rd set. But Federer managed to maintain his cool, unsettle Murray again and won it finally in the tie-breaker.

Now, it hasn’t really been a smooth sail for Federer. About 20 years back, in his first official match in a junior tour, he was demolished 6-0, 6-0. A horrendous beginning! But since then till date, he has won more than any other man in history. 16 Grand Slams, 4 ATP World Tour Finals Titles, 16 ATP World Masters Titles, 237 consecutive weeks as World No. 1 (current count is 269 weeks), first tennis player to earn in excess of $50 mn and many more.

His business on court is silken smooth with lazy elegance. His motion is smooth, his movement is quiet, his breathing barely noticeable and his shots are whispers. His devastating forehand is arguably the greatest weapon in tennis, while his backhand – struck, unlike the power players, with one hand – is a sight to behold. These plus a teasing serve, delicate drop shots and ferocious volleys make him the complete player which comes once in every generation. He mixes his shots phenomenally. Crowds throng to catch glimpses of his power with deft touch, spin with angles and low slices. His accuracy is almost second to none.

The recent crop of male tennis players is muscular, huge and unremitting like pit bulls. But Federer has proved to be an exception – never exerting, almost languid in his approach. His technique is still intact despite progressing age and the occasional loss of composure. To top it up, no player is more level-headed in a crunch situation.

Andre Agassi after being overawed repeatedly, famously said, "There's no safe zone with him. He can hurt you from any part of the court. A great champion tends to have one or two strengths, one shot for sure that transcends everybody else. Federer has maybe three or four departments of his game that you could argue individually are the best in the world."

Off court, he is the quintessential role model. Most players on the tennis circuit would endorse that he is the nicest human being and respectful of everyone. He praises his opponents wholeheartedly even when he sometimes beats them to the point of embarrassment.

Despite being great friends with the “King of Mistresses” Tiger Woods, you never hear of Federer leaving a nightclub inebriated or being the subject of kiss-and-tell revelations.

He is the darling of the world media. Federer is honest and respects media even when they tend to pick on him for trivial reasons. Fluent in German, French, Italian and English, he is conscientious about his responsibilities towards the sport.  He also makes sure to leverage his stature and maneuver opinions, support and funds towards charities.

And lest we forget, he is an incorrigible yet classic style icon - a man who is audacious enough to come on to Centre Court at Wimbledon wearing a jacket or a cardigan and still appear the King of Centre Court.

So what next for Federer after this 16th Major? Probably I will be penning another eulogy in September this year if he manages to win all 4 Grand Slams this year. Only Rod Laver and Steffi Graf have done it before and it looks very realistic this year with Federer in such form and the rest in a bit of disarray. He has already made public his desire to keep winning and accumulating Grand Slams. His arch nemesis Rafael Nadal is still hobbling around with chronic knee problems and the usual clay court armada is not as effective as before. Wimbledon & the US Open are almost his backyards and with the French Open ghost exorcised last year, 4 Grand Slams this year suddenly looks all the more possible.

Its halcyon days for Federer as far as his psychological and physical constructs are concerned. His opponents had hoped that his marriage and the twins would keep him distracted. But he has found inner peace and emotional stability with Mirka and the twins always by his side. He is effortless in his game and doesn’t exert too much on court – one of the reasons he has managed to avoid any career threatening injuries. With all major records in his name, he has nothing to prove but to enjoy and have fun on court.

I know 4 Grand Slams in a year is a tall order and a long way off but then it’s if it’s not Federer, then its nobody in the horizon.

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