No pity party for Federer

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Andy Roddick wasn't "losing sleep" about an illness that will cause defending champion Roger Federer to miss his normal tuneup for the Australian Open.

Federer had a serious stomach virus over the weekend and withdrew from the Kooyong exhibition tournament, where he usually prepares for the first Grand Slam event of the season.

"None of us will be losing sleep over it," Roddick joked at a news conference Tuesday, looking across at the other seven players on the panel with him who are in the Kooyong field.

Roddick beat Federer in the Kooyong final last year, two days before the Australian Open.

It wasn't an official loss and didn't seem to bother Federer, who went on to defend his Australian Open singles crown.

Federer also won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and now has 12 Grand Slam titles, two short of Pete Sampras' world record.

The Swiss star, who arrived in Australia last week, was replaced in the Kooyong draw by Marcos Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist.

Also in the invitation-only field is 2007 Australian Open runner-up Fernando Gonzalez, former champion Marat Safin, David Nalbandian, Andy Murray, Ivan Ljubicic and Nikolay Davydenko, a late replacement for Germany's Tommy Haas.

Safin said it would be a setback for anyone to go into a Grand Slam event without a tuneup. Even two weeks would be enough time without a competitive match to put a player behind, Safin said.

Federer has not played a tournament since winning the Masters Cup at Shanghai last November.

But Roddick doubted it would be too damaging for Federer's game.

"It seems to be a good formula for him to come here and play and go beat up on the rest of us next week," Roddick said. The illness "is certainly not going to be of help, but if there's anyone who can probably take care of himself and play his way into form, it's Roger."