Melbourne, Jan 12 (DPA) Novak Djokovic will have tennis politics in the back of his mind when he begins as the showcase player at the AAMI Classic Wednesday in the absence of Roger Federer.
The Swiss world number one decided at the weekend to vary his regular warmup programme for the Australian Open, which begins in six days, choosing to bypass the eight-man exhibition at Kooyong club to train alone.

Djokovic, back up to third in the world after Andy Murray failed to defend his championship points from early January 2009 in Doha, is to open the promotion-relegation event against German Tommy Haas.

Haas, 31, is over last autumn’s case of the swine flu, though he joked that he could probably have a pair of winning byes this week were his health not perfect.

“I had a great run last summer,” said the Wimbledon semi-finalist. “That was a welcome success, kind of a welcome back to tennis after my earlier 2009 injuries.

“I’m glad to start 2010 already by playing Novak, I feel rested and refreshed.”

Meanwhile, Djokovic is worrying about the extraordinary length of the standard ATP season, and the Serb is determined to do something to right the injustice while he still has time as a ranking member of the ATP Player Council.

“It’s important that people understand how we feel. The season is too long, four or five weeks before the start of a new season is so little.

“We need at least two months at a minimum, we’re trying to fight for player rights.”

Also in the event which concludes with Saturday’s final: French Open runner-up Robin Soderling, Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, Haas, US Open champion Juan Del Potro, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.

The late replacement for Federer came in the form of Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, the veteran who lifted his ranking from outside the Top 50 back into the Top 25 during a late run of form in 2009.

First up for Ljubicic is Del Potro, with Gonzalez facing Verdasco and Sweden’s Soderling taking on Tsonga.

Djokovic is also counting on more than a week of altitude training over the brief break in the Italian Alps near Turin.

“Training up high helps the blood cells and gets more oxygen to the body. I always try to get to the mountains and then rest two weeks,” said the son of a ski resort restaurant owner.

Djokovic then switched gears totally, training in the heat of Dubai - much like the record 45 Celsius experienced in Melbourne Monday - in hopes of making last year’s embarrassing third-set retirement in the quarter-finals against Andy Roddick just a memory.

“I can give my 100 per cent now,” said the confident Serb.

“I sincerely hope and I believe that I will get used to the conditions here better than last year. Last year, I ended my title defence … in what you would call the ugliest way (possible).”