Healthy Roddick back to defend Brisbane title

BRISBANE (AFP) - American Andy Roddick will put behind him a season dogged by illness to launch the new year with the defence of his Brisbane International title starting on Sunday.

Roddick, 28, believes he is finally his old self again after fighting a bout of mononucleosis, an infectious viral illness, which restricted him to just two titles in 2010.

The 2003 US Open champion and three-time Wimbledon finalist flew into Brisbane four days before the other tournament top seeds to practise ahead of the new year’s first tournament on the road to January’s Australian Open in Melbourne.

“I definitely didn’t feel well prepared for the last little bit of last year and it showed,” Roddick said.

“The one thing that doesn’t lie in tennis is if you aren’t well prepared, you can’t lie about it. It will show one way or the other.”

Roddick has yet to reach a final at the Australian Open in nine attempts and his Brisbane title 12 months ago was his first tournament win in Australia.

“I’ve done it a number of different ways and had success different ways, but I like being in the same country and also I like this event,” he said. “It’s a good place to start the year.

“I felt like I had a pretty good off-season, so I’m excited to start this year fresh. I feel enthused and I’m ready.”

The eighth-ranked Roddick is one of three top-10 players in the Brisbane draw, with Swedish top seed Robin Soderling and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco also appearing.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve felt ‘right’ since probably last May. So when you’re fit it takes a lot of the mental pressure off because you know you can play any way you want,” he said.

Australia’s world number six Samantha Stosur is the top seed in the women’s draw of the tournament.

Stosur will be challenged by Israel’s 13th-ranked Shahar Peer, Russian Nadia Petrova (15) and No.16 Marion Bartoli of France.

“It’s great to be in there (top 10) for almost a year, so hopefully I can hold it for a year longer,” Stosur said.

“Having made the final of the French Open it makes me believe more that it is possible.

“I love hard court, I grew up playing on hard court I think it’s close to my best surface if not my best surface and I play on it all year round.”

Feisty Hewitt fights to climb rankings

PERTH, Australia (AFP) - Former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner Lleyton Hewitt hopes a rigorous off-season fitness regime will arrest an alarming slide down the rankings.

The Australian has battled injuries in recent years and heads into the New Year ranked a lowly 54th in the world, having started 2010 at 22.

But the 29-year-old said he was in his best shape since 2005 and believes he can again climb the rankings.

Speaking Friday as he prepared to partner Alicia Molik in the mixed teams Hopman Cup in the run-up to January’s Australian Open, Hewitt said he had enjoyed a rare incident-free off-season and had worked hard.

“Yeah it’s been good, I’ve had no interruptions this year,” he said.

“When you’re training extremely hard, sometimes you get little niggles throughout and you’ve got to have a couple of days off here and there.

“This year there’s been none of that. I’ve been at least six days a week, sometimes seven days a week, going as hard as I can."

“Personally I don’t feel there’s probably anybody else out there who has trained as hard as I have for the last two months.

“Where my body’s at for a 29-year-old, I feel pretty good.”

A typically feisty Hewitt, who enjoyed a rare win over Roger Federer in 2010 but also suffered from hip, hand and knee problems, said he would keep his training regime under wraps.

“I’m not going to let everybody know what I’ve been doing,” he said.

“There’s a few different things I’ve been doing out there, I’ve mixed it up a lot.

“The last week and a half I’ve been able to taper off and do a lot more quick, reaction stuff,” he added.

“It isn’t quite as grinding on your body physically and mentally but believe me, the first five or six weeks were bloody tough.”

Hewitt, who is now working with legendary Australian coach Tony Roche, said there was a simple reason for his continued dedication.

“Because I still think I can get better,” he said when asked about his motivation.

“As long as the motivation’s there and I want to go out there and compete and become a better player then I’ll do it.”

Hewitt and Molik play the Belgian pairing of Ruben Bemelmans and Justine Henin in the Hopman Cup tournament opener on Saturday.