Laver: Federer could win 2014 Aussie Open

Roger Federer’s struggles in 2013 are unlikely to hasten his exit from the game and the Swiss master could hit back and win next year’s Australian Open, tennis great Rod Laver said.

Laver, 75, the only player to win a calendar grand slam twice, suggested Federer’s lean period was more akin to a drop-off in form rather than a symptom of terminal decline.

“It’s a tough time. He’s 32 and not playing his best tennis by any means,” Laver said at Melbourne Park, where he launched his autobiography “Rod Laver - A Memoir” on Thursday.

A year that began with a run to the semifinal at the Australian Open turned ugly with a stunning second-round exit from Wimbledon and a fourth-round elimination at the U.S. Open. Now ranked sixth in the world, Federer is no longer a certainty to play in the season-ending ATP Tour Finals.

Reuters