Fit-again Federer confident ahead of title defense

By Simon Cambers

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Roger Federer has shaken off a stomach virus and is 100 percent fit for the defense of his title at next week's Australian Open, the Swiss said on Sunday.

The world number one, who will be bidding for his 13th grand-slam title, one behind the record held by Pete Sampras, will go into the event having not played a competitive match for two months.

Andre Agassi, in 1995, was the last man to win the event without playing competitively in the build-up, but any thoughts that he will be under-prepared were dismissed out of hand as a calm and confident Federer said he was raring to go.

"Yeah, I would consider myself 100 percent," Federer told reporters on Sunday.

"I've been playing sets the last couple days, which was very important for me. I'm happy with my form, to be honest. Very pleased. Physically I'm fine now, too. No more issues."

A stomach virus caused Federer to change his pre-tournament plans, skipping the exhibition event at Kooyong in favor of rest and gentle practice at Melbourne Park.

For many, the prospect of going into a grand slam event without any competitive tennis for a couple of months would fill them with dread.

Not Federer.

"I'm very much used to it, not playing for four weeks or six weeks and then coming in and playing a big tournament, so for me it's not much of a change," he said.

"I practiced very well in Dubai before coming here, so I definitely created a good base for this fortnight. That's what I feel now when I get back on the practice courts. Tennis comes back very quickly."

NEW COURTS

Federer said the new Plexicushion courts at Melbourne Park seemed to suit his game, but criticized the tournament for the change.

"I think the surface is a little bit too slow, in my opinion," he said. "Everything is already slowing down. Everybody's already complaining that we're playing too much from the baseline.

"I think it's not good to change surfaces at the grand slams because what if the French (Open) would all of a sudden go to hard courts?

"(Then) it's not the same tournament any more. They've changed the surface too many times in the last years here. So they had better keep this one for the next 50 years."