With three of the four Grand Slam titles in his possession, a huge lead at the top of the world rankings and victories in his past 14 finals, Roger Federer [Images] enters next week's Australian Open as one of the hottest favourites in the tournament's 100-year history.

After winning 11 titles in 2004 with his flowing all-court game, Federer returns to Melbourne Park where he won the event for the first time 12 months ago by beating Russian Marat Safin [Images] in a one-sided final.

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Federer won his opening outing in Qatar at the start of the month and his confidence is sky-high as he strives for his fifth Grand Slam title.

"I am feeling good," the Swiss said at this week's Kooyong Classic, where he was fine-tuning his game in preparation for the year's first Grand Slam tournament.

"I've had a good start to 2005 and I think it's going to need a good player to beat me in the Australian Open."

Such was Federer's dominance in 2004 that he did not lose to anyone in the top 10. His rivals admit he has raised the bar but while the pressure of being defending champion and world number one may have troubled others in the past, Federer seems unfazed.

"I am aware of [the expectation] because I get reminded all the time," he said. "It's nice to have but it's not important.

KEY FACTOR

"It's going to be very interesting for me because Wimbledon last year was the first time I'd come back as defending champion and I did well there. It's going to be very hard but the last three years I've had a great start to the season and the surface suits my game."

Federer pinpointed his 2003 Masters Cup triumph, when he beat David Nalbandian, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Roddick [Images] and Andre Agassi [Images] on his way to the title, as a key factor in his improvement last year.

"I had a feeling I proved something, beating a lot of good players, in Houston in 2003," he said.

"Then I started last year at the Australian Open where I won my second Grand Slam, and that gave me the hunger to win more Grand Slams."

To that end, Federer has teamed up with Australian Tony Roche, who won the French Open as a player and who coached Ivan Lendl and Pat Rafter to several Grand Slam titles and the world number one ranking.

Some people questioned what Roche could add to a man whose three Grand Slam titles in 2004 were all won without a coach, and even Federer seemed unsure about how their relationship will work.

"We'll be talking to each other a lot, but I really don't have a plan as to how we're going to start the year together," he said.

"I had thought about a coach for a long time, but I wanted to take my time and I knew that Tony wasn't going to travel for 40 weeks a year.

"He'll not be with me at [regular] tournaments, which is fine by me, but I hope he can just improve my game a little bit. I had a good time with him in Sydney for two weeks and who knows, maybe I've improved a bit already."

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