New Delhi: It is the first Grand Slam of the year and ahead of the Australian open, Roger Federer is still the favourite to defend the men's title.
A stomach virus is never good news but for all those tennis players who desperately want to beat world No. 1 Fededer, it's the best piece of news in a while.
The two-time defending champion pulled out of the Kooyong Classic last week due to food poisoning and is short of match practice. But then with a relatively unknown player first up the champion isn't bothered.
"You come back with a lot of pressure trying to defend the points. There's always a lot of pressure, but somehow I always get through. You know, I got the right approach and I'm confident. I got different styles of play I can use, you know, to win matches. Always in the first round, you know, I don't play against a fellow top 10 player, which helps obviously. This is also one of the reasons I always maybe played very well throughout the Grand Slam," Federer says confidently.
The competition though is getting tougher. Rafael Nadal may have been blown away in the final of the Chennai Open but he is one player who gives Federer the biggest headache.
Novak Djokovic was one of the few players to beat Federer last year and Andy Roddick is once again a threat after winning his third straight Kooyong Classic.
But the champion doesn't seem too bothered. He's more excited about the new Plexicushion System, which replaces the Rebound Ace surface.
"Too green from my point of view especially when lights are on. It is a very strange place to play especially the night sessions. I prefer the blue over the green," Federer says.
The women's game though seems more open where Justine Henin has been dominating for quite sometime but there is always the threat of an upset.
Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and the Serbian pair of Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are capable of putting their hands on the trophy. Henin, however, is unperturbed.
Sania Mirza will lead the Indian challenge in the women's section and she has been seeded 31st. Leander Paes is paired up with Aussie Paul Hanley while Mahesh Bhupathi will pair up with Mark Nowles of Bahamas.
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