Stomach bug forces Federer to withdraw from Kooyong Classic

Tennis news/ Kooyong Classic:Roger Federer has withdrawn from this week's Kooyong Classic tournament because of a stomach virus, disrupting the world number one's preparations for the defence of his Australian Open title.

Federer (26), a three-time champion at the season's opening Grand Slam event, said he's been advised to "take a couple of days off and recuperate".

"After arriving in Australia last Friday, I came down with a terrible stomach virus on Saturday and it continued to get worse over the weekend," the Swiss player said on his web site. "As a precaution, I will need to withdraw from Kooyong. I hope to resume practice by the middle of the week."

Federer won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2007 to lift his tally of Grand Slam titles to 12, two short of Pete Sampras's record. He hasn't played since a series of exhibitions against the retired former number one in November. Federer had been due to compete with Andy Roddick, last year's Australian Open runner-up, Fernando Gonzalez, David Nalbandian, Andy Murray, Tommy Haas, Ivan Ljubicic and Marat Safin at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne from January 9th-12th.

Germany's Haas has withdrawn from the Kooyong event because of a shoulder injury, with Nikolay Davydenko taking his spot.

SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL:American James Blake lost his chance to equal a 68-year old record when he was knocked out of the Sydney International yesterday by Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.

Third-seed Blake had been bidding to win the title for the third year running, a feat last achieved in 1940 by the late John Bromwich, but was beaten 7-6 6-2.

"Fabrice is a great player, he's been around the tour for a while and knows how to win matches and give the top guys headaches," said Blake.

Santoro (35) is one of the oldest players on the men's tour but says he has lost none of his enthusiasm for the sport.

"I love the game and I love to play and fight," he said. "What is going to push me out of the tour is being in the hotel, taking planes and having to leave my daughter and my friends."

Santoro was one of three Frenchmen who recorded first-round wins at Sydney's Olympic tennis centre. Top seed Richard Gasquet brushed past Russian Igor Andreev 6-3 7-6, while Sebastien Grosjean beat Australian wildcard Peter Luczak 6-4 4-6 6-0.

With the top four seeds, headed by world number one Justine Henin, all given first round byes, there were no major casualties in the early women's matches, apart from fifth-seeded Russian teenager Anna Chakvetadze's surprise loss to Slovakian Katarina Srebotnik 7-5 6-1.

HOBART INTERNATIONAL:Former world number four Jelena Dokic won her first competitive match on the WTA tour in almost three years when she beat Germany's Martina Müller 6-4 0-6 6-2 in the first round of the Hobart International yesterday.

The victory, however, has created a dilemma for the 24-year-old, who was not given a wildcard for next week's Australian Open by organisers.

The wildcard qualifying tournament for the season-opening grand slam begins in Melbourne on Thursday and if Dokic continues her winning form in Hobart, the Australian must decide whether to abandon the Tasmanian event or head to Melbourne Park.

Dokic, who beat two players in the world's top-100 in qualifying for the Hobart tournament and was impressive in her victory against the 54th-ranked Müller, said she would not make a decision on the rest of the week until after her second round match against Italy's Flavia Penetta.

The former Wimbledon semi-finalist added that the lay-off from competitive tennis meant she had experienced fatigue during her match. "I was getting tired in the match, it was a little bit hot out there," Dokic said. "For me, coming off two years lay-off, it's physically and mentally hard to keep going each day and that's why I lost the second set."

AUCKLAND OPEN:Second seed Juan Ignacio Chela had to overcome a one-set deficit and a break down in the third set to local wildcard Dan King-Turner before he advanced to the second round of the Auckland Open yesterday.

Argentine Chela took almost two and a half hours to dispose of the 344-ranked King-Turner, who had gone 3-1 up in the final set but eventually handed Chela the lead with a double fault at 5-5.

The 20th-ranked Chela seized the opportunity with both hands to serve out a 5-7 6-2 7-5 victory at the Auckland Tennis Centre.

"It was definitely a close match," King-Turner said. "I think I played reasonably well throughout the whole time."

Sixth-seed Spaniard Nicolas Almagro had an easier path into the second round with 6-3 6-4 demolition of Argentina's Jose Acasuso, while eighth seed Albert Montanes of Spain beat New Zealand wildcard Jose Statham 6-4 6-4.

Belgium's Olivier Rochus beat Michael Berrer of Germany 6-7 (8-10) 6-2 6-4 in the late match.

Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero, a frequent visitor to Auckland, will meet Croatia's Mario Ancic in the feature match today, while top-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer meets compatriot Oscar Hernandez.