Roger Federer, still young and winning at 30

The declining career of Roger Federer appears to be a figment of the imagination of the media, especially in the wake of his straight-set victory in the final of Sunday’s BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament at Indian Wells.

Federer handled the big serve of American John Isner with ease and won, 7-6 (7), 6-3. It was Isner’s first Masters Series final; it was Federer’s 19th Masters title.

At 30, Federer has not won a Grand Slam event -- he holds the record with 16, generally granting him the claim as the best player of all time -- since the 2010 Australian Open. From that comes the assumption of decline with age.

A cold day in the desert took some of the sting out of Isner’s hiuge serve -- he had only four aces, compared with 20 on Saturday, when he upset No. 1 Novak Djokovic -- and Federer’s court savvy and movement was more than the 6-foot-9 Isner could handle.

Federer entered the tournament having already won two tournamnets -- he lost in the semifinals at the Australian Open -- while compiling a 16-2 record. He leaves with a 22-2 mark and $1-million champion’s check.

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Roger Federer, still young and winning at 30