Melbourne - The pressure has been miraculously reduced for Roger Federer as the Swiss prepares to start his Australian Open with a Monday night opening match against Italian Andreas Seppi.
With his title-grabbing juggernaut slowed from 2008, the world number two begins the bid for a fourth Melbourne Park title in six years in a remarkably relaxed state of mind.
"It's a bit nicer not having to defend almost every week I play," the second seed said on Sunday before heading out the the practise courts. "I guess that's the nice part about it.
Melbourne - Realistic Roger Federer is well aware that a jam-packed annual tennis calendar will almost certainly not allow the Australian Open to move from its traditional January date.
Despite voicing the opinion this week that the Open would be more pleasing to players were it slid a few weeks into February - more time for preparation - the Swiss knows that a such a move is just a dream.
"A lot has been said - the Australian Open has to be moved two weeks later - but that's not what was meant in any way," he explained on Sunday.
"We were asked if we should change the Australian Open schedule, we always talk about calendar changes. It was taken out of context," he said.
Melbourne - Women's draw with qualifiers inseryted for for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Jelena Jankovic, 1, Serbia v Yvonne Meusburger, Australia
Kirsten Flipkens, Belgium v Rossana De Los Rios, Paraguay Nathalie Dechy, France v Viktoriya Kutusova, Ukraine
Stephanie Dubois, Canada v Ai Sugiyama, Japan
Sybille Bammer, Austria v Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic
Petra Cetkovska, Czech Republic v Marina Erakovic, New Zealand
Melbourne - Men's draw with qualifiers inserted for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Rafael Nadal, 1, Spain v Christophe Rochus, Belgium
Florent Serra, France v Roko Karanusic, Croatia
Eduardo Schwank, Argentina v Tommy Haas, Germany
Flavio Cipolla, Italy v Dmitry Tursunov, Russia
Richard Gasquet, France v Diego Junqueira, Argentina
Vince Spadea, US v Denis Istomin, Uzbekistan
Guillermo Canas, Argentina v Dieter Kindlmann, Germany
Sydney - David Nalbandian struggled for two and a quarter hours to subdue Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-7 (9-11), 6-2, winning the 10th title of his career on Saturday at the Medibank International.
Nieminen, winner of one career trophy three years ago in Auckland, gave the fourth-seeded Argentine multiple frights in their battle played in front of the namesake of the newly christened Ken Rosewall stadium.
Nalbandian now holds a 7-4 lead in his series with number 40 Niemimen, which began in 2002 at Estoril in another final. The winner is the first from his nation to lift the prize in Sydney.
London, Jan 17 : World number four Andy Murray has said that he has the stomach to cope with being favourite to land the Australian Open title, and becoming Britain’s first men’s champion at a Slam for 73 years when he takes on Romanian Andrei Pavel in the first round.
Murray is the bookies’ choice to land the first Grand Slam of the year after a sensational start to 2009, FOX Sports reported.
Melbourne - Women's draw with qualifiers inseryted for for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Jelena Jankovic, 1, Serbia v Yvonne Meusburger, Australia
Melbourne - Men's draw with qualifiers inserted for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Rafael Nadal, 1, Spain v Christophe Rochus, Belgium
London, Jan 17 : World number four Andy Murray has said that he has the stomach to cope with being favourite to land the Australian Open title, and becoming Britain’s first men’s champion at a Slam for 73 years when he takes on Romanian Andrei Pavel in the first round.
