Cyprus’ Baghdatis warms up in Melbourne, heads for Australia Open

Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, American Andy Roddick, former world number one Marat Safin and Chilean Fernando Gonzalez won on the opening day of Melbourne’s Kooyong Classic in a warm-up event for next week’s Australian Open.

Roddick produced his customary fast start to the year, crushing Ivan Ljubicic in this eight-man exhibition event.

The world number six, who has won the title at Kooyong in each of the past two years, was totally dominant as he raced to a 6-3 6-0 victory over the Croatian.

But it was the display of Roddick, in his first match since helping the United States to Davis Cup victory a month ago, that caught the eye, according to a Reuters report.

Roddick beat world number one Roger Federer to win the title last year at Kooyong, the Melbourne suburb that staged the Australian Open until 1988.

“I think traditionally a lot of the players who have played here have done well in the Aussie Open,” said Roddick.

He will now play Safin for a place in the final after the Russian impressed in a 6-1 6-4 win over Briton Andy Murray, who won the title in Doha last weekend.

Safin, who won the Australian Open in 2005 but who has slipped down the rankings to 57th, looked in fine fettle after putting in some extra work in the off-season.

Baghdatis, who has targeted a return to the top 10 this year, edged out world number four Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 4-6 6-1.

The Cypriot, runner-up to Federer at the Australian Open in 2006, will now play Chilean Gonzalez, who was awarded a walkover when Argentine David Nalbandian pulled out of the event after suffering back spasms during practice.

Gonzalez did get a workout at least, beating stand-in Brydan Klein, the 2007 Australian Open boys’ champion, 7-6 6-4.