TENNIS: Vintage Federer Is Djokovic's Big Threat

Federer achieved his 1000th match win in Brisbane with only Connors and Lendl surpassing this mark.

Playing second fiddle to no-one, Roger Federer has arrived for the Australian Open believing he's in the form of his life. World No.1 Novak Djokovic may be the warm favourite as he and Federer each bid for an open-era record fifth title at Melbourne Park, but the Swiss master laid out the challenge ahead of his first-round clash with Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu on Monday.

AAP reports despite being 33 and a father of four, the ageless champion claimed he was a more complete player now than when he dominated the sport like no other before almost a decade ago.

Federer collected 11 of his 17 career majors from 2004 to 2007, at one point reaching an unprecedented 10 straight grand slam finals and winning an incredible 22 straight title deciders.

Yet Federer, supposedly in his twilight years, now believes he's playing better than ever before.

"I would hope that over the years I've always improved," said the world No.2. "I think I'm serving more consistent and stronger than I ever have. That's my opinion. I definitely think the (larger) racquet has helped me with that as well, a little bit. But my concentration I do believe is there, better than it's ever been, at least I hope it is, because I feel over time you always want to improve. I think my backhand is working better than it has in the past as well. The question is confidence, forehand, movement. But clearly when I was winning almost everything, everything was so gold that nobody was even questioning anything."

Federer won a tour-high 73 matches in 2014 and credits a minimal off-season because of his Davis Cup final commitments with Switzerland for carrying the momentum into 2015 with an 83rd career title and 1000th match win in Brisbane.

Only Djokovic, with six trophies, won more silverware than Federer last year and the Serb quite rightly carries clear favouritism into the Melbourne major.

Federer aside, Djokovic's usual challengers like Rafael Nadal are either underdone and down on confidence or, in Andy Murray's case, burdened by a nightmare draw.

Third seed Nadal has won just four matches - and none against a top-20 rival - since Wimbledon and suspects it's too soon to contend after battling an ongoing back issue and withdrawing from the ATP tour finals following surgery for appendicitis.

"I don't feel myself ready to win," the Spaniard said ahead of his opener on Monday against mercurial Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

"I don't consider myself one of the favourites here."

Sixth seed Murray, who faces Indian qualifier Yuki Bhambri on Monday, had a fine end to 2014 after arriving in Melbourne last year uncertain after back surgery.

But the three-time runner-up could potentially have to conquer world No.10 Grigor Dimitrov, who leads the band of hungry young guns with eighth seed Milos Raonic, then Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in successive matches to land the title.

"Obviously a very tough draw. Very difficult draw," Murray said.

"If you have to play all of those players, obviously it's going to be extremely difficult to come through that. I'm aware of that."

Djokovic's biggest threat to a possible final showdown with Federer could well come from defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka, the Swiss fourth seed who toppled the world No.1 in last year's quarter-finals before taking down Nadal to break through for his first slam.