Can Roger Federer complete another Sunshine Double in 2018?

Heading into Indian Wells with an excellent 12-0 record and a No. 1 ranking, Roger Federer is almost unstoppable.

At the pinnacle of his form, the Swiss Legend eyes another piece of glory in the Californian Desert in the Indian Wells. Eyeing a staggering sixth title at the Masters 1000 event, the World No. 1 will most certainly look to defend his crown and also possibly go on to win The Miami Masters and register a consecutive Sunshine Double.

With 27 ATP Masters Titles, Federer is third on the list of the most Masters singles titles, just three shy of the joint tally of the Spanish great Rafael Nadal and the Serbian Novak Djokovic at 30. It cannot be ruled out that the Swiss, who is in ominous form at present, can drive up to usurp and top the list in the coming days.

Like they say, passion drives one to push limits and script history. It is this passion for tennis that brings out the best from the 36-year-old Roger Federer whose forte it is to defy time and odds to reach the zenith. Indulging fans with his crafty movements on the court, the Swiss maestro and his charisma knows no boundaries.

It has been a gigantic resurgence for the Swiss Great ever since the Australian Open 2017 triumph, one of the unlikeliest wins ever. More so, as he was coming from a six-month injury hiatus and when most of the naysayers had already written him off.

Having not won a Major since Wimbledon 2012 and not beaten arch-rival Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam Final since 2007 Wimbledon, that fifth title in Melbourne last year set the perfect alley for Federer to embark on a winning journey that he still has not alighted from.

Beginning this season with the Hopman Cup and a 4-0 in singles matches, the Swiss star cruised through the Opening Slam in Melbourne without dropping a set until Marin Cilic stretched him to five sets. Elevating his game when most needed, Federer edged past the 29-year-old Croatian and lifted his sixth Australian Open trophy and an elusive 20th Grand Slam title.

Like Federer said, "The dream run continues for me, my family and fans", and we simply sit back awestruck while watching the teary-eyed, humble legend acknowledge his fans and family for backing him on this golden journey.

With injuries grappling most of the top stars, a deserted field at the BNP Paribas Open should give Federer the edge, not that we doubt it even if it were with the top contenders battling it out for the honours.

Going with the rankings, World No 2 Nadal's absence due to a hip injury will be conspicuous at the first Masters event of the season. Slipping down due to injuries has been a chunk of the Spaniard's storied career. Retiring or forced to withdraw from eight tournaments in a row, Nadal's injury woes have been relentless.

Stanislas Wawrinka has also pulled out due to knee issues. The 32-year-old has had his struggles since the first round exit from Wimbledon last June and was forced to stay away from action for almost half of the season. Forced to retire in Marseille, the Swiss star revealed that he would not play both the Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Novak Djokovic is also not very sure about competing following his post-Australian Open elbow surgery. Even if he does compete, there is little possibility that he could go deep or make a dramatic effect both at the Indian Wells or at Crandon Park.

World No 7 David Goffin is also nursing an eye injury that he caught in Rotterdam. Forced to withdraw from the BNP Paribas Open, the field is indeed depleted.

So who will pose competition to the resurging Roger Federer? Here we take a look at some of the tars who just might.

#1 Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic, the Australian Open runner-up will try to go deep into Indian Wells.

World No. 3 Marin Cilic will look to make inscriptions on the Masters stage and pose a threat to the mighty run of Federer. But tracking his latest records, does the Croat have the weapons to withstand the enormous Federer wave?

Cilic has 9-3 win-loss record so far this season. Having pulled out of Acapulco which would be his third appearance at the Mexican Open, the 2014 US Open champion succumbed to Gael Monfils earlier in the ATP Rio De Janeiro in the last 16 stage.

With his shares of troubles, it seems difficult that Cilic could be able to make a dent on the Masters stage.

#2 Grigor Dimitrov

Can the World No. 4 Grigor Dimitrov make an impact at the Indian Wells?

World No. 4 Grigor Dimitrov's shoulder injury has not quite let him be at his best. In Dubai, the Bulgarian did not seem to be focused. A shock opening round defeat at the hands of Jaziri 6-4 5-7 4-6 raised questions about the fitness of the ATP World Tour Finals champ.

Although he sizzled in Rotterdam taking out Krajinovic, Andrey Rublev and then a bad hit from him forcing David Goffin to retire, he was forced into submission by the World No 1 Roger Federer in the final.

An unimpressive scoreline of 2-6, 2-6 at the Rotterdam finals against Federer clearly signifies the lacklustre performance that the Bulgarian has been dishing out. Also, in the finals in Brisbane, Dimitrov faced defeat at the hands of the mercurial Nick Krygios who went on to lift the Title.

Time will tell if the No 3 seed can make an impact and leave some telling moments of tennis for fans to cherish.

#3 Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem is all set to take on the Masters event at Inidan Wells

World No. 6 and fifth seed at the Indian Wells, Dominic Thiem is not really a hard courter. Having said this, the 24-year-old Austrian cannot be totally left out of contention.

Forced to retire at the Qatar Open early this year due to a fever, the outing thereafter in Melbourne too was a bitter one for Thiem. Falling to Tennys Sandgen in the Round of 16 in five sets was a tough loss to bear.

But relief came in Buenos Aires when the Austrian clinched his first title of the season with the Argentina Open victory.

The quarter-final loss at the Rio Open against 8th seed Verdasco with hardly any games in his bag and a score of 4-6 0-6 underlined Thiem's woes once again.

In Acapulco, the unseeded Cameron Norrie, whose Davis Cup heroics are doing the rounds, managed to stretch the World no. 6 to three sets before bowing out. A worrisome scenario but the Austrian went on to tame the Canadian rising star Denis Shapovalov in the next round and eventually falling to the Argentine Juan Martian Delpotro with a tough fight in the quarterfinals.

Not been very convincing, Thiem will nonetheless look to barge in Indian wells and hope to go deep into the tournament.

#4 Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev sizzled in the Davis Cup

The 20-year-old German, Alexander Zverev does not have much to boast of in this season. A powerhouse of talent, Zverev often falters when it matters the most. Yet to learn to keep his calm, Zverev is searching for his best tennis from his last year's performances.

His best so far in this season is a semi-final finish in Acapulco at the Mexican Open where Juan Martin Del Potro produced a flawless performance to school the German in straight sets.

Pulling down David Ferrer in the opening round in Rotterdam was commendable on the part of Zverev only to go down to Seppi in the Round of 16.

There is little room given his recent form for the World No 5 to land a significant result in California whatsoever. Challenging the great Federer is almost a distant dream to have, if at all.

#5 Juan Martin Del Potro/Lucas Pouille/Kevin Anderson

Acapulco Champion Juan Martin Del Potro has the weaponry to tame the wizardry of Federer.

The only contender who looks in great form is Juan Martin Del Potro. The World No. 8 is riding an 11-3 win-loss in 2018. Capturing the Acapulco title, The Argentine registered the biggest win of his career since Basel 2013.

With this 21st ATP title, Del Potro, who is riding a momentum, certainly will be the one to watch out for.

Of course, Lucas Pouille is in great form. A runner-up at the Dubai Duty Free tennis championships and also at the Open 13, the World no. 12 is 11-4 this season but it is doubtful if he can go to make a difference in the tournament. Kevin Anderson, too, is riding a wave but Anderson's 0-4 record against Federer suggests he isn’t quite equipped to derail Federer who is at the peak of his powers.

Conclusion

Federer's ability to turn back the clock every time is simply breathtaking

It is ironic, while Roger Federer continues to surge, all the younger contenders are bogged down with one problem or the other. Credit to his supreme fitness regime, The World No 1 has not had many injuries to tackle in his career. The few that he has had are a part of the gruelling demands of the ATP World tour and no athlete is ever spared from them.

What is significant is his ability to turn back the hands of the clock. He manages to make time stand still even today while he waltzes away on the court.

Speaking in an interview with Tennis World USA, Federer said, "When you are a husband and a dad, you don't do everything perfectly. It's a battle on a daily basis, but to always stay calm, it's just almost impossible. But I try to be the best dad I can be, the best husband I can be, the best tennis player. I make a million mistakes."

He further added, "I try to learn from them, but I am definitely not perfect. I am happy that all the hard work paid off. I take a lot of small, big decisions with my team. My positivity, my love for the game, maybe my clarity as well in those difficult moments helped me to be here today."

The humility that Federer exudes can move even a stone-hearted soul. Blazing a trail with his ever inspiring game and love for the sport, all we fans can say is that it has been an absolute blessing living in these times to witness such greatness.

It will be time to see if the World No. 1 can complete his fourth Sunshine double with the Masters 1000 event just two days away. Worth mentioning, that each of the years when Federer has completed a Sunshine Double, he has lifted the Wimbledon title too.

So, are we all going to witness the Swiss great picking his 100th title this year? As fans, we will love to because the greed enables us to thrive in this sport just like the hunger to excel does for the Greatest Of All Time, Roger Federer.