PARIS: Andre Agassi has predicted a fruitful next phase of Roger Federer's career, rating the former No.1 capable of contending for at least another five years and hailing his semi-final against Novak Djokovic as the equal of anything he produced in his pomp.
Asked whether he viewed the masterful four-set performance as a renaissance or simply a temporary peak in the twilight of an unrivalled career, Agassi said: ''Twilight happens for all of us … I've stopped guessing with him because he's proved me wrong so many times. But I believe what I saw the other day is as high a standard as he's ever played.
''Clay is a little bit slower, so he has more time … maybe he moved a little bit better a few years ago, but the standard of tennis was incredible, so he has a lot more in him.
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''He's changed the game … he's raised the standard. To me he's the best of all time - maybe Nadal has a chance in his career to prove differently, but right now I think Roger's the all-time best, and to watch what he did against Djokovic was so special, so good for tennis, and I think, win or lose, he has so much to be proud of.''
Agassi, the 1999 French Open champion and career grand slam owner, would not predict how many slams Federer could win into his 30s. Federer's 17-month spell between major finals has been the longest since he claimed the first of his record 16 singles titles, at Wimbledon in 2003. The 29-year-old has won at least one and up to three major titles every year since, but there have been inexorable signs of a decline through a barren grand slam period since last year's Australian Open.
''I had a different career than he did,'' said Agassi, who won five of his eight grand slam titles after his 29th birthday. ''I disappeared from the game at different times and some years I wasn't playing as many matches as he's playing … But he makes it look so easy and he still looks very healthy, so he should have a few more years left.