Roger Federer faces Grega Zemlja on Tuesday in the opening round of the 2013 US Open. The match is slated for 3 p.m. ET. Watch the live stream HERE or ESPN's HERE.
Count tennis pro John McEnroe among those who believe Federer's dominance in Grand Slams is finished. McEnroe said it's unlikely the 32-year-old would ever win another Slam title, due partly to age and slowing speed.
Federer, the winner of 17 career-Slams, hasn't won a major title since the 2010 Australian Open and the 2012 Wimbledon. At age 32, Federer can silence his critics by winning his sixth US Open title; he can quiet them with a deep run in the tournament.
Ranked No. 7 in the World, Federer is 32-11 with only the Halle title to his name this year. Despite his strong start, the Swiss has struggled down the stretch of the season - he was ousted in the opening round in four of his last six tournaments, according to TennGrand.com.
While Federer begins on Monday his quest for another US Open title, he also reaches a major milestone - Monday marks his 56th consecutive Grand Slam appearance, tying Wayne Ferreira's record, according to Yahoo! Sports.
"I've put in the hard work for so many years. That keeps my base at a very high level," Federer said, via Yahoo! Sports. "It's actually more comfortable with my body today than it has been in the past."
To avoid another opening round loss, Federer must defeat Zemlja. The World No. 62 from Slovenia is 13-19 this year and still without any career titles. He made it to the second round at the 2013 Roland Garros and the third round at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, both career-bests in each Slam.
Tuesday is the third meeting between Federer and Zemlja, who lost both previous meetings to Federer and has never won a set against him. They met in 2012 at Doha and in 2013 at Rotterdam.
*Stats via ATPWorldTour.com and MatchStat.com.
