THERE are Wimbledon traditions to set your watch by and, for years, Roger Federer was one. He was made for this place like barley water, creeping ivy or anxious looks towards leaden skies.

But perhaps his greatest story may yet be unwritten and, at the age of 36, he could become the oldest champion since the legendary Arthur Ashe in 1975.

He arrives at the All England Club surrounded by an aura of curiosity rather than invincibility.

It used to be you knew what you got - with seven titles in ten years installing him on a plinth with no parallel in the pantheon of legend.

But much will depend on which Federer turns up when it matters. The version we last saw here in the semi-finals 12 months ago or the Federer from the Australian Open in January, where he won his 18th Grand Slam title and first for five years.

Perhaps his entire year can be summed up in just 50 points - and matches with vastly contrasting endings.

In last year's semi-final, against Milos Raonic, he looked on course to return to the final, where Andy Murray would wait, a player he'd beaten in five of six Grand Slam encounters.

The script was written, the stars were aligned. And then, in the space of 11 points, all those truths we knew suddenly weren't so easy to understand.

Leading two sets to one but with the third set heading for a tie-break at 6-5, Federer raced into a 40-0 lead on his serve as he sought his 19th consecutive hold.

But, 11 points and a remarkable five double faults later, Raonic had taken the set to establish a winning momentum. Federer ended his season a few days later, retirement speculation rife.

And then there was Melbourne where, in a gripping final against Rafa Nadal, Federer's late career bloom finally flourished. Trailing his great rival 3-1 in the deciding set, he won 26 of the next 39 points - rolling back the years to his brilliant and brutal best.

However, Federer had not played a match since the Miami Open final in early April and the first grass-court tournament of the season in Stuttgart, skipping the entire clay court season to focus on this fortnight.

He won his traditional Wimbledon tune-up in Halle for the ninth time last week and insists he has no regrets about missing the French Open, ahead of his first round match with Alexandr Dolgopolov on Tuesday.

"I just felt like anything other than winning the French Open would feel like I'm not giving myself the best chance for Wimbledon," he said.

"I'm 35 years old and it was better to save myself and give it all I have for the rest of the season.

"It hurt because it was the first time that I've pulled out of a Grand Slam that I was 100 percent ready for but the decision was not to compromise. I didn't want to look back with any regrets once I came here.

"I'll be fresh and that's a big positive but the negative is I haven't had any matches whatsoever."

The big four of Federer, Nadal, Murray and Novak Djokovic remain the smart money choices but each has their own fragilities with form and fitness, though the Swiss still thinks the home hope is the one to beat.

"Everybody has their own little story right now, so we'll see," he adds.

"If Andy is anything close to 100 per cent physically then I consider him one of the big favourites to win the tournament.

"It's simple really and it's the same for Novak and the same for Rafa. I think it's very even when we put it all out on the line."

Federer's muscle memory, his winning instinct, is never more finally honed then when he plays on these manicured lawns and that means he's getting the right mix of rest and relaxation to nurse an ageing body through the demands of an unrelenting two-week tournament.

"I'm keeping practice short and sweet and then I'm resting, I want to be fresh in the matches and I need that mindset," he adds.

"I don't want to be at the mercy of my opponent and I want to take charge and be aggressive. I need to be fast on my feet and quick in my mind. I just need enough rest so I can play enough inspired tennis."

Time, of course, waits for no-one and time will tell if the seemingly ageless Federer will make his Wimbledon record even more peerless.

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