The cream has risen to the top of the Aussie Open. Roger Federer cruised past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last semi-final of the tournament 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in what seemed like not much more than a practice session for the Swiss champion.

Tsonga made it easier for Roger to put the match away after losing his own serve twice in the final set. In all, the match took 88 minutes which to Tsonga felt either like dog years or a nano-second depending on whether he was feeling humiliated or just overwhelmed.

Federer spoke after the match in those tones that make you wonder whether he’s being snarky or just funny. Here’s a sample from the AP reports about his opponent to come in the finals, Andy Murray:

“I know he’d like to win the first for British tennis since what is it, 150,000 years?” . And there’s this:
“So I think the pressure’s big on him. We’ll see how he’s going to handle it. It’s not going to be easy for him, that’s for sure.”

When you just read the words without hearing his inflection you could argue that he’s being unkind or taunting. Can you imagine if Kobe Bryant said that about Paul Pierce just prior to their Sunday game this week? He’d be called all manner of names. Roger is given great latitude but I’m not sure if he should rely on that forever.

The Williams sisters continue their march into history with their fourth Aussie Open doubles championship. They took down the #1 seeded team, of Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4, 6-3. The women hold 11 Grand Slam doubles trophies and don’t look like they are stoppable any time soon.

Venus and Serena won their first Australian Open doubles title in 2001. Think about that for a moment. Who has dominated for a decade and still sits on top of the women’s or men’s tour? The answer is no one.

What makes this accomplishment so noteworthy beyond the actual victories is the sisters’ determination to continue to play doubles as they each strive to win the singles trophy in the same tournaments. And the Grand Slams no less.

Through the 1980’s, top ten players on both the women and men’s side of the draw played doubles on a routine basis. It was their belief that the work paid off by sharpening them for the singles matches, especially their volleying skills.

Now, it’s seen as a hassle, an energy drain and a distraction from individual achievement. These women should get more love for their dedication to the doubles game and celebrated for winning singles titles in the same tournament. Old school for sure and something you can’t say the mighty Federer has done.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.