KEY POINTS:
MELBOURNE - Almost always, he gets it right.
On the court it comes naturally, off court it is much the same.
Roger Federer is so close to being what the world would want him to be that it hardly matters.
He praises his opponents, he doesn't argue with umpires, he doesn't wear sleeveless tennis shirts and he barely makes a murmur as he hits the tennis ball.
Rivalry seems to be beneath him. Rafael Nadal, who took away the world No 1 ranking Federer had held for a record period, deserved it.
Similarly, overt macho displays would seem grotesque to Federer. Again, Nadal comes to mind.
Neither is he coy when there is a call to be frank.
He declared Andy Murray to be an unworthy favourite for the Australian Open, even though the Scottish world No 4 had beaten him twice in the previous two weeks.
Right again. Murray was knocked out in the fourth round.
Federer takes his tennis demeanour from a time when champions were modest, he shows a deep regard for the history of the game that has made him the greatest money winner in its history, and he gives something back.
Like many top players, Federer has established a foundation that helps under privileged children in Africa.
It currently has projects in Mali, Ethiopia and South Africa.
In almost every match he plays, a large part of the Federer character is revealed.
After the semifinal against Andy Roddick that put him into his 18th grand slam final a great deal of it emerged.
In an interview that ranged over everything from his opponent to the tournament towels he had pilfered to the woeful performance of the line judges to the debt tennis owed the likes of Rod Laver, Federer played the right shot.
On the match, he was gracious.
"I was moving well and getting a lot of balls back and making it difficult for Andy to get the upper hand from the baseline," Federer said.
"That was kind of what I was hoping for."
The deep regard for history Federer possesses is not some diplomatic ploy.
In his post-semifinal debriefing, it took up more time than discussion on his impending grand slam final.
Federer played down his place in the game, but not too much.
"We'll probably never quite know who was the greatest of all time in tennis, and I think that's quite intriguing as well," he said.
"Of course, if somebody goes off and wins 35 Grand Slams then you made your point as a player.
"I could maybe become the greatest of all time of the Open era, but never of all time."
That honour fits better the man who brought Federer to tears after his 2006 Australian Open victory.
"I'm very well aware of the problems the old generation of Laver and Rosewall and all those players faced," he said.
"That's why I always say I'm one of the players who's most thankful to them for what they've done for us. Look where prize money is today and the great sites we have.
"That's all thanks to them for not playing for a lot of money and missing out on twenty Grand Slams.
"I think it's fantastic that they named the centre court after Rod Laver who did so much for tennis."
The human side of the man who might be the greatest also had an airing after the Roddick match as Federer defended himself against those who have doubted him since he dropped a rung in the world rankings.
Questions over the man who may well win his 14th grand slam singles title on Sunday emerged after his fourth round match in Melbourne against Tomas Berdych where he appeared fortunate to survive after being down two sets to love.
"I'm still surprised how quickly the mood swings with the media, with the fans, with everybody," said Federer.
"If I lose a set or two sets against Berdych, everybody is like, 'oh, my God, he's not the same anymore'.
"Then you beat (Juan Martin) Del Potro and everything is back to normal.
"It's just not the way it's supposed to be, I don't think. You don't lose your edge that quickly.
"It's just not possible. I know I'm playing well. I feel good. I know sometimes you can always run into a player that's hot and you can lose.
"Usually that's when I start playing my best, towards the end of the tournament.
"I think this is where you should judge a great player."
The great players have also judged Federer.
Laver, it is well known, regards him as the greatest thing the game has seen since Open tennis began.
His contemporaries tend to agree.
After winning her Open semi final on Thursday, Serena Williams confessed she had tried to model herself on Federer.
"I tried to stay calm," she said.
"I knew if I could play like Roger, I would win."
Roddick, whose lopsided rivalry with Federer became even more so after their semi, tried to explain it.
"The thing about Roger is you know where to go and you still come out of it on the bad end," he said.
"He just beat me. It's plain and simple."
But as Federer bids to win his 14th grand slam title, you sense that the words of the man whose record he is attempting to equal are the ones that probably mean the most.
Sampras, he said, had sent him a text message.
"He hopes I win."
- AAP
