Tennis-Federer faces unusual Australian Open situation

By Greg Stutchbury

MELBOURNE, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Roger Federer will find himself in an unusual position when the Australian Open begins on Monday. For the first time in five years, he is neither world number one nor the defender of the title.

When the right hander walks through the gates of Melbourne Park, it will have been 154 days since he last occupied the top spot in the rankings.

He will also contest the season's opening major without having the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup in his possession for the first time since 2006.

It is a strange position for the 27-year-old Swiss to find himself in after his seemingly effortless game helped him to spend a record 237 weeks as the world's number one.

"I have had this feeling a few times before. It's not the first time," Federer told reporters when asked his feelings about not entering the tournament as champion.

"It's a new year and you never know what is going to happen.

"I am coming off winning the U.S. Open last year and I hope I can carry the form I had over there on to the hard courts here in Australia."

Federer began 2008 being quizzed as to whether he would not only break Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles, but actually achieve a calendar-year Grand Slam.