Seeing Red

I didn't write this. I swear. Courtney Walsh of The Australian did.

When Roger Federer was last in Melbourne, he showed he was mortal.

Glandular fever had succeeded where highly rated opponents regularly failed.

Federer, a losing Australian Open semi-finalist to Novak Djokovic, was listless.

While Federer is yet to strike a ball competitively in Australia this year, the spark of old has returned based on his unusually combative appearance at a press conference before today's Kooyong Classic, at which he opens against popular veteran Carlos Moya.

The world No2 sat centre stage among the eight players competing at the tournament and understandably received the majority of questions.

On all bar one topic Federer answered courteously and politely. But not when Scot Andy Murray was mentioned.

The mere mention of the world No4 provokes a competitive response in Federer similar to that from a bull with red rag in sight.

Asked whether he was surprised Murray was rated a favourite for the Open, Federer said: "Who said that?"

Told, by bookmakers -- TAB Sportsbet has Murray listed equal favourite with Federer at $3.50 -- the 13-time Grand Slam winner almost took it as a slight. "Good for him. I mean, it doesn't help him a whole lot," Federer said.

"He started off well, playing well in Doha, finished strong last year, but it still does surprise me the bookies say that, because he has never won a Slam, nor is he defending champion here."

While Federer, who thrashed Murray in the US Open final to move to within one Grand Slam of Pete Sampras's record 14 titles, acknowledges the Scot's improvement, it is clear the world No4 needs to win a Grand Slam before he gains the Swiss champion's respect, regardless of Murray's head-to-head dominance.

"I just think he got used to playing at a high level consistently," Federer said.

"He has put himself into a winning position, but still, winning a Grand Slam is a different animal.

"Not many guys have been able to win Grand Slams in the last years.

"Rafa(el Nadal) won, Marat (Safin) won here a few years ago, but you know, it doesn't happen that easy. They don't come easily."

The three-time Australian champion needed to glance only to either side to emphasise the point.

On one side sat Marcos Baghdatis, who plays Stanislas Wawrinka, the other Fernando Gonzalez, who plays Ivan Ljubicic at Kooyong today.

Both found Federer too formidable a peak in successive Australian Open finals, in 2006 and 2007, and have never reached the same heights again.

"Honestly, I don't feel the whole lot of pressure that I felt at the beginning of my career too much, probably," Federer said.

"I felt pressure when I reached six or seven Grand Slams, and then trying to keep it up, everybody was expecting me to win every single tournament I entered.

"So that has gone away a bit, which has been a relief, actually.

"I love this game and I'm still feeling very motivated."

My lips are sealed.