Federer Says 'Eventually They'll Push Us Out,' Talking About Younger Players

Roger Federer is aware that he will be pushed out of the game by the younger generation but is not yet ready to let them take over at the top.

The Swiss ace booked his place in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Masters with a straight-sets win over Hyeon Chung, who is one of the rising stars of the game, on Thursday. Federer matched his best ever start to a season with the win and is now 16-0 in 2018.

The 36-year-old feels his win shows that the game is not all about "young legs" and the veterans are also capable of competing on a level playing field. Federer has shown that age is just a number since his comeback from a long-term injury at the start of the 2017 season.

The Swiss maestro missed the last six months of the 2016 campaign due to a knee injury and returned for the 2017 Australian Open. He won his first Grand Slam since 2012 in Melbourne and has since gone on to add eight titles, which include two more majors - the 2017 Wimbledon Championships and the 2018 Australian Open.

Federer was crowned the oldest world number one in February after his triumph at the Rotterdam Open, and he continues to surprise with the level of his game in the latter stages of his career. He has made it clear that he has no plans of hanging up his racket any time soon. The Swiss star is not alone in flying the flag of the older generation as he is accompanied by his long-time rival Rafael Nadal, 31, who is currently ranked number two in the world.

The 20-time men’s singles Grand Slam champion was also full of praise for Venus Williams, who at 37, is ranked number eight in the world on the WTA Tour and has progressed to the semi-finals at Indian Wells. She will face 20-year-old Daria Kasatkina, who beat world number two Caroline Wozniacki and former world number one Angelique Kerber, to reach the last four in California.

“It's a good thing. It's not just about young legs. There will always be up and coming players,” Federer said after his win over Chung, as quoted by the Express.

“I’m happy to be maintaining my level and I’m happy for Venus Williams reaching deep into the tournament with ease.

“Eventually they'll push us out and that will be the end of us and we'll be out,” the Swiss tennis star explained talking about the day when the current generation will be usurped by the younger players.

Federer’s next assignment is a semi-final clash against another up and coming star in Borna Coric on Saturday. The 21-year-old, who has faced the world number one once in his career, upset world number nine and US Open finalist Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals.