Roger Federer is seeking a third year of world domination during 2006 which begins with his 100th successive week at number one and could finish with his place in the pantheon assured.
The incipient legend should begin the new ATP Tour in a more relaxed frame of mind than last year, having proved that his extraordinary achievement of three Grand Slam titles during 2004 was no falling meteor.
Federer's standard reached even greater heights in 2005, during which he won two more Grand Slam titles, equalled the record of four Masters Series titles and remained a runaway world number one.
So good was he at times that the man regarded as the most modest as well as the best of the leading players was moved to admit that "I sometimes amaze myself at how I played." That remark hints at one of the major reasons for his improvement, a new-found belief.