Australian Open 2012 live stream

It does not matter how many Grand Slam titles you have won – and Roger Federer has won 15 of them – they do not get any easier.

When the Mighty Fed first set out on his romp through the history books, rewriting records left, right and centre, he made it all look so easy. He could win major titles without dropping a set; he could rip sets from the grasp of his rivals without dropping a game. Federer in his pomp was a sight to behold.

But Federer was his own worst enemy. He raised the bar in the sport he loved and forced everyone else in the locker room to work harder and play smarter to try and catch him. They may not have overtaken him – he is still the No.1 – but they are snapping at heels day and daily. This year, he has dropped two sets on his way to the semi-finals and, had it not been for a well-timed bathroom break and a fit of the jitters from Nikolay Davydenko, he might not have reached the semi-finals at all.

Federer beat the Russian 2-6 6-3 6-0 7-5, but even he was a little twitchy about the result. Davydenko runs like a whippet and chases down every ball and, after winning the ATP World Tour Finals in London last year, he finally believes he can win a Grand Slam. Opposition like that can prove awkward even for a chap who has not failed to reach the last four at a major since 2004. “I was a touch worried, let’s say,” Federer admitted.

Not only was Davydenko playing out of his skin, but the sun was blinding the Swiss every time he went to serve. That is where experience and a little local knowledge came into play. After the first set had run away from him, the lovely Rog took what is delicately described as a “comfort break”. Normally, players jog off court to the little boys’ room and trot back in double-quick time so as not to disrupt the rhythm of the match. Not Fed. Not this time.

He sauntered off court, ambled to the facilities, and strolled back. It was late in the afternoon, and with every second extra he took, Fed knew that the sun would drop a little further in the sky behind Rod Laver Arena and, at last, he would be able to see the ball clearly.

“I did need to go to the toilet, too,” he said by way of an excuse to Jim Courier as they chatted after the match. “Too much information,” Jimbo replied, shutting up the maestro before they lost their audience.

Sure enough, as the sun dipped, so Fed got better. From 3-1 down in the second set, he reeled off 13 games in a row to win the second and third sets and take a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Davydenko was not finished, chasing the No.1 all the way to the line, but Federer was not to be budged. No one was going to stop him from reaching his 23rd consecutive major semi-final.

“When the sun comes from the side, you get the feeling that obviously the one side''s in the sun and the other one is in the shade because of it,” Federer explained. “The ball seems half the size and is just hard to hit. Then there was a bit of a breeze, and he was playing terrific. That was just more psychologically trying to be positive more than anything else.”

The other psychological positive of this week is the absence of Rafael Nadal. After losing to Andy Murray on Tuesday night, Federer’s chief rival for the big trophies was on his way to the airport as the Swiss dispatched Davydenko. The path is not exactly clear for Fed to win his 16th Grand Slam title, but it is certainly a lot less lumpy than it was.

Federer refused to adhere to the theory that the title was his now that Rafa was out, but he did admit that he was mightily relieved when Nadal lost in the fourth round of the French Open last year. With the champion gone, Federer was able to win his first title at Roland Garros and complete his personal Grand Slam.

“That was the only time in my life I think I went through this was the French Open,” he said. “Thank God I was able to win it.

“That was a huge effect. It had a huge affect on me that Rafa lost at the French, just knowing the opportunities I had and being already occupied with my own game and opponents. It had a big impact on me.

“But not that Rafa lost this time around. I''ve won the Australian Open before. I thought Murray played a wonderful match.”

The fact that Murray, Djokovic, Tsonga and Cilic are all capable of playing wonderful matches just makes Federer’s life that little bit harder. It may not be getting any easier to win Grand Slam titles, but the fact that Federer got the better of Davydenko at least makes winning this particular slam possible.