TENNIS / News Round-Up - Sydney International:A gruelling off-season training regime in Australia paid off for Ana Ivanovic when she fought back from the brink of defeat to beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-1 2-6 7-5 at the Sydney International tournament yesterday.

The Serb looked to be heading for an early exit from the Australian Open warm-up event when she trailed 5-2 in the deciding set before reeling off five games to join Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik in the quarter-finals.

Ivanovic, ranked four in the world, said she had trained harder than ever over the summer and her confidence was soaring ahead of the first grand slam of the year.

"This match today gives me some confidence because I am coming into the new season looking for some tough matches and to get through them," she said.

"There are many opponents and players who want exactly the same thing, but I think I have a game that can get me to win a grand slam."

Ivanovic is on course for a semi-final meeting with Justine Henin after the world number one strolled into the quarter-finals without hitting a ball when her opponent, Czech Lucie Safarova, withdrew with a buttock strain.

Russia's US Open finalist, second-seed Svetlana Kusnetsova, also eased into the next round with a comfortable 6-3 6-4 win over Israel's Shahar Peer.

Third-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic showed no ill-effects from the leg injury that forced her to forfeit her singles match in last week's Hopman Cup final as she dispatched France's Tatiana Golovin 6-1 2-6 6-3.

While the women's matches mostly went according to the rankings at Sydney's Olympic tennis centre yesterday, there was an early upset in the men's draw when Spanish second seed Tommy Robredo was beaten by Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4 6-2.

Carlos Moya kept the Spanish flag flying with his 1-6 6-4 6-2 victory over Austrian Stefan Koubek to stay on course for a possible semi-final with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, who is chasing a record fifth title in Sydney.

Hewitt beat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-3 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with his Davis Cup team-mate Chris Guccione.

Kooyong Classic:Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis has replaced an ill Roger Federer in the draw at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, organisers said yesterday.

Federer withdrew from the eight-man invitational event on Monday with a stomach virus, though he said he expected to resume training later this week as he finalises preparations for next week's Australian Open.

Baghdatis lost in four sets to Federer in the 2006 Australian Open final and despite losing in the first round of the Chennai Open last week, he said making the final of the doubles with France's Marc Gicquel had at least given him some match practice.

"I didn't play too well in Chennai last week though I played good in the doubles," Baghdatis said.

"I had some matches okay," he added, laughing.

"No, I'm feeling really good and I'm looking forward to playing some matches with the guys and having some fun and getting ready for the Open."

The tournament, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008, guarantees players three matches against a field stacked with top-10 players before the Australian Open.

"The big thing here is that you want to get through matches here against this type of field," said 2007 champion Andy Roddick. "That's great preparation for next week."

World number four Nikolay Davydenko, who has replaced Tommy Haas in the tournament, will meet Baghdatis in today's first match and be followed by Roddick against Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic.

"We have played a few times and know each other pretty well. I think there will be a lot of long rallies, kick serves and staying back five metres behind the baseline," Ljubicic said when asked about the style of match between the two.

"No, of course it will be a powerful game," the world number 19 added with a smile in reference to Roddick's booming serve.

"I hope I can play well this week and when we get to Melbourne Park I will be in peak form."

Chile's Fernando Gonzalez meets Argentine David Nalbandian and Britain's Andy Murray plays Russian Marat Safin in today's other matches.