MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Andy Roddic won his third consecutive Kooyong Classic title Saturday and said he would happily exchange them for one at the Australian Open. 

   “Is there a three-for-one special deal?” Roddick joked with the crowd, excusing himself if he sounded ungrateful after defeating Marcos Baghdatis, 7-5, 6-3, in this Australian Open warm-up.Roddick’s best results at the Australian Open were his semifinals appearances in 2005 and 2007.

  “I’m still young and hungry at 25,” he said.Roddick helped the United States win the Davis Cup last month, and said he was hoping the momentum would end a run of 16 Grand Slam tournaments without a title since his victory at the 2003 United States Open.

  Having helped the United States to victory in the Davis Cup just over a month ago, Roddick has had less time than most players to recover and prepare for the new season.However, the 25-year-old looked in good form against Safin and said he felt ready for a crack at the Australian Open title.

   Roddick said he felt pretty good physically, Maybe the short off-season was beneficial to him because he didn’t take too much time off.

    As usual at the season’s first major event, the top players have been seeded according to their world rankings. Roger Federer is the No. 1 seed at the Australian Open Spain’s Rafael Nadal is second, followed by Serbia’s Novak Djokovic on the men’s side,An innocuous stomach virus may stop world number one Roger Federer, who has not been beaten at Melbourne Park since losing to eventual champion Marat Safin in the 2005 semi-finals to seek his fourth Australian Open trophy and 13th grand slam title, and this may loom Roddick’s chance for success. But undoubtly he is still likely to win. Beside him Marat Safin the big Russian, who is now healthy after two years of injury, looms as one of his biggest threats. World number two Rafael Nada, and Local favourite Lleyton Hewitt, will again be one of Rodic’s main rivals for the title at Melbourne Park.  

   This year Roddickis really very luck. As according to the men’s draw world he begins against a qualifier at Melbourne Park, while number two Rafael Nadal faces Serb Viktor Troicki. Baghdatis plays former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden. top seed and world number one Roger Federer opens his campaign on Tuesday with a night match against Argentina’s Diego Hartfield

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