The first Grand slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open, gets under way on January 14.

Melbourne Park will welcome tennis' top players onto a brand new battleground. After 20 Opens on a Rebound Ace hardcourt surface, Plexicushion has been installed. The courts are blue and, more importantly, they are supposed to be faster and more consistent than Rebound Ace, which drew flak from players for getting sticky in the typically warm, humid conditions.

Known as the "Happy Slam", with its relaxed atmosphere and Down Under cheer, the "Oz Open" 2008 is offering some innovations to spectators. A new five-day ground pass is being hailed by organisers as one of the best value-for-money tickets in the world of sport and entertainment. The ticket gives tennis fans five days at the Australian Open for just $99, making it the cheapest ground pass in eight years. At the same time, the biggest ticket price increases at the 2008 Australian Open are for the much sought after tickets to the men's and women's singles finals - up from $174 last year to $249.90. The semi-finals are $149.90 (from $104). Daily ground passes remain at $29.

As each year, "Eurosport" will show the big event live from Melbourne. The European sports channel and the Bulgarian sports channel Ring TV covered the warm-up tournaments in Sydney (January 7-12).

World number one Roger Federer came down with the stomach virus after arriving in Melbourne to contest the AAMI Classic at Kooyong, forcing him to pull out of the tournament and undergo a series of blood tests in hospital. But the Swiss star is recovering well and believes he remains a strong chance to win the Australian Open.

After winning the US Open, Federer sits tied for second with 12 grand slam titles, alongside Australian legend Roy Emerson. The Australian Open 2008 is the perfect opportunity for him to advance to within one Grand Slam of Pete Sampras's record of 14. The Swiss champion has been unchallenged as world number one since February 2004 and won three of last year's four Grand Slams for the third time in four years.

Federer's main rivals are the younger brigade, headed by world number two Rafael Nadal, third-ranked Serbian Novak Djokovic and British number one and world-ranked number nine Andy Murray.

Andy Roddick and James Blake have had a shorter off-season after leading the US to a 4:1 win over Russia in the Davis Cup final in Portland, Oregon, early last month. Roddick has not got beyond a semi-final appearance, which he did three times, at six Australian Opens and Blake has yet to get beyond the fourth round in six attempts.

Women's world number one Justine Henin goes into the Australian Open as the overwhelming favourite after an inspired 2007, but there is no shortage of challengers. Among them is superstar defending champion Serena Williams, who stunned the tennis world by winning the title last year in her comeback event following an injury-plagued 2006 that had many writing her off for good. Russian Maria Sharapova, last year's beaten finalist, will also be in the hunt, as will Serena's sister Venus, a six-time Grand Slam winner still searching for her first Australian Open title. But there are doubts over France's Amelie Mauresmo, the 2006 champion. She slipped down the rankings to number 18 after a dismal injury-plagued season last year and was forced out of the Sydney International with a groin problem. Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze and high-flying Serbian pair Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic are also lurking in the wings.

Bulgaria will be represented in Melbourne by Tsvetana Pironkova.