Gael Monfils will be looking to catch Andy Roddick cold on day one of the AAMI Kooyong Classic.
This will be Roddick's first match of the year after the American opted to take a longer off season to ensure he was firing on full cylinders going into 2012.
"I've had a longer off-season ... so I can get healthy and fit," he said. "I feel like I have to feel pretty good physically to compete with these young guys. So I wanted to give myself the opportunity to do that. This will be my 10th time here at the Australian Open and I'm pretty proud that I haven't missed one since the first time."
Roddick has won the Kooyong Classic in the past, enjoying a fine win over Roger Federer at this event a few years ago so there's plenty of sweet memories for him to draw on but the competition is extremely tough this year with every one of the eight players capable of going all the way.
Monfils hit the headlines last week with his brilliant win over Rafael Nadal in Doha and the Frenchman will be confident he can handle a slightly rusty Roddick. Monfils leads 5-3 on the head-to-head and has won both their last two matches (though one of those was on clay, by far Roddick's least favourite surface).
Prediction: Monfils in three.
