Tiger's moral support for naught

Roger Federer said that he had been receiving text messages from friend Tiger Woods throughout the Australian Open. "He loves when I dominate, so hopefully he's pumped up for me," Federer told reporters after his semifinal route of Andy Roddick.

Federer's ability to dominate, however, has run into an obstacle in the person of Rafael Nadal, who defeated Federer in the Australian Open final. It was his third straight victory over Federer in the final of a major championship and prevented Federer from equaling the record 14 majors won by Pete Sampras.

Federer's roadblock conjures up the unthinkable, of course, that in his own assault on history, Woods could encounter his own obstruction.

-- John Strege