INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Roger Federer won his quarterfinal match at Indian Wells against 21-year-old Hyeon Chung with an ace; Chung challenged the call, and lost.
If one point sums up the current state of men's professional tennis, that was it. The 36-year-old world No. 1 punctuating a straight-sets victory by reminding the young gun with the mighty return game that he still has much to learn. And Chung, the leader of a pack of 21-and-unders who are knocking on the door as the next wave in the sport, challenging the call, a bit of youthful defiance to let the all-time great know he will fight every point to the very end.
"[Chung has] good intensity. He's solid in his mind. I like his speed of shots," Federer said after the match. "He's very consistent. In today's game, that's a lot. I see a lot of good things moving forward for him. But experience is a good thing, too. It's not just about the young legs."
Although many were looking to the unrelenting Chung to be the player to end Federer's unbeaten 2018 streak - the Swiss is now 16-0, which matches his best start to a season - the Korean struggled to break the master. He was only one-for-six on break points, and served zero aces, while Federer's service games were brilliant and quick. Federer won 70 percent of his first-serve points and fired 12 aces, including one to seal the match.
"I was asked what did I expect today from Chung, and I wasn't quite sure," Federer said. "I had a plan in place, but then you adjust to it constantly. You just don't know his patterns yet. I like that. I like it when it's the unknown, even though it can be a bit scary."
That thought should be a bit scary to these young players. Instead of causing the old guard to worry that their days at the top are numbered, they are serving (and returning) to re-energize the veterans. Federer has won 61 matches at Indian Wells; he's played in 72. It makes sense he'd get bored playing the same players year after year. His only experience playing Chung came in the semifinals at this year's Australian Open, and the match lasted only a set and a half. Chung retired midway through the second with a nasty blister on his left foot, so everything about Thursday's match was a new challenge for Federer. That's exciting for a player who's contested this tournament since Chung was 4.
It's still early in the season, but the trend line so far points to late-tournament wins not being so easy for these touted up-and comers. Federer won the Australian Open, as did Caroline Wozniacki, who's in her 10th season on tour. Here at Indian Wells, a Masters 1000 tournament with enough prestige that many refer to it as the fifth Grand Slam, it's the same story. Federer and 37-year-old Venus Williams move on to another semifinal at a major tournament -- and again, they'll face young players with little to lose. But don't start predicting upsets just yet.
Williams's quarterfinal win over Carla Suarez Navarro sets up a semifinal match against 20-year-old Daria Kasatkina, who has beaten three top-15 players -- Sloane Stephens, Angelique Kerber and Wozniacki -- to reach the semifinals. Neither Kasatkina nor Williams have dropped a set in this tournament, but the veteran American has looked as dominant and confident as any player here.
Federer will next play unseeded Croatian player Borna Coric, a 21-year-old who upset world No. 9 Kevin Anderson in the quarters. Federer is looking for his sixth title at Indian Wells; Coric is playing in his first Masters 1000 semifinal. "I played him once before and I played very well against him," Federer said. "I hope I can do that again."
Venus Williams shares her feelings about reaching the semifinals so close to her hometown and previews her upcoming matchup with Daria Kasatkina.
After her match, Williams said she was a player who learned from the past but focused only on the future. Considering she won her first match at Indian Wells 20 years ago, at 16, Williams has a lot of experience to draw from as she marches toward her first semifinal here since 2001 and possibly her first title. Federer, too, has a deep well to draw from when he faces Coric on Saturday.
"The young guys are still calibrating their game, understanding what they need to do. There's a lot of new things to them, like the pressroom and the promotional stuff and sponsors and fans," Federer said. "There is a lot on the plate for them, but they will learn and they'll get better and eventually push us out and that is the end for us. Makes sense, right? That's just how life is."
The time will come for the Next Gen players. It's just not likely to come at this tournament.