MELBOURNE, Jan 8: Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis has replaced an ill Roger Federer in the draw at the Kooyong Classic, organisers said on Tuesday.

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 finalised preparations for next week’s Australian Open, the season’s opening Grand Slam.

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 told a news conference.—Reuters