Federer bids to shake off slow start

BEIJING, March 27 -- The best player in tennis has been awfully average this year.

Roger Federer is off to his worst start since 2000, when he was 18 and still three years from his first grand slam title. In three tournaments he has yet to reach a final, and he has lost three of his past six matches.

Not that anyone will be eager to face Federer at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. He's a two-time champion and top-seeded, and he's sure to be highly motivated to jump-start his season.

But for the moment, the debate about whether Federer's the best player ever has given way to another question: Is his game in decline?

Ill health has been a factor. A stomach virus curtailed his preparation for the Australian Open, and he lost in the semifinals to champion Novak Djokovic. Last month Federer was diagnosed with mononucleosis, and when he returned three weeks ago, he lost to Andy Murray in the opener at Dubai.

But even after Federer pronounced himself fit at Indian Wells, his backhand lacked its usual snap, and his lethal forehand was too often wayward. He lost in the semifinals to No. 98-ranked Mardy Fish.

Is this a slump? A slip? A bump? A blip?

Fish says top players don't see Federer as more vulnerable than before. "In the locker room, we just kind of laugh at it," Fish says. "We just kind of think it's kind of a joke, you know: 'Oh, my gosh, Roger hasn't won a tournament yet this year.' ... I think he's going to continue to be No. 1 for a long time."

Federer's domination has been such that he'll remain atop the rankings even if he loses his opening match here. He has a first-round bye, then will play on Saturday against the winner of the match between France's Gael Monfils and American John Isner.

Before losing to Fish, Federer had won 41 consecutive matches against Americans since 2003. Fish was the lowest-ranked player to beat Federer in nearly three years.

This is the deepest Federer has gone into a year without winning a title since 2000. Since seizing the No. 1 rank four years ago, this is the first time he has failed to reach a final in three consecutive tournaments.