In addition to the top four players at the 2009 Kooyong Classic – Roger Federer, James Blake, Stanislas Wawrinka, and Fernando Gonzalez – the bottom four will also provide plenty of excitement for the fans at next season’s first big exhibition event.

Roger Federer

Two (Marat Safin and Marcos Baghdatis) are well-known veterans who both have a flair for the dramatic. Safin is a former Australian Open winner (2005) and Baghdatis also is an engaging personality with a flair for the dramatic. The Cypriot is best known for his runner-up finish (to Federer) at the Australian Open 2006 and his epic five-set loss to Andre Agassi at the U.S. Open 2006.

The Kooyong field is rounded out with rising stars Ernests Gulbis and Marin Cilic. While Gulbis arguably has more talent, Cilic is ranked well ahead of the Latvian thanks to his consistency (and winning an ATP title in New Haven also helped). Gulbis reached the French Open quarterfinals and the Masters Series Cincinnati quarters, and had Andy Roddick on the brink of defeat in the second round of this year’s U.S. Open, but Gulbis is wildly inconsistently. He went out in the first round of far too many tournaments to offset those stellar performances.

All in all, it should make for another fun-filled Kooyong Classic. So let’s take a look at the players in the bottom half of the field who will be hoping to ready their games for the Australian Open 2009.

Marat Safin

Marat Safin

World Ranking: 29

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Safin probably doesn’t have much to gain or to lose. The Russian will probably just be out there (again) to have fun. He would benefit from playing well in Kooyong to give him some confidence, because Safin was really bad at the end of 2008 following his shocking appearance in the semifinals of Wimbledon. However, it’s hard to imagine Safin giving a big enough effort at an exhibition event to make the time there truly productive.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Confidence and desire…if he somehow plays worse than he is already playing at the moment (which is also hard to imagine). With a poor performance in Kooyong, tennis fans should all but guarantee a first-round exit for the two-time Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open 2009.

Good idea to play? Why not? Safin has made no secret about the fact that at his age (will turn 29 during the second week of the Aussie Open), all he wants to do throughout the rest of his career is have fun and not have to deal with pressure. Well, this is an exhibition event, so it should be right up Safin’s alley.

Marcos Baghdatis

Marcos Baghdatis

World Ranking: 100

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Court time. That is something Baghdatis had very little off throughout 2008. The oft-injured Cypriot played just 26 matches this season, although he managed to post a winning record (14-12). Baghdatis has endured back problems, wrist problems, and who knows what else. An injury-free week at the Kooyong Classic is just what he needs heading into the Australian Open 2009.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Nothing. Baghdatis needs ranking points (which he obviously will not get at an exhibition) since he is way down at No. 100 in the world mainly due to his injuries. That said, he played in Kooyong last year (as opposed to the simultaneous ATP events) so he won’t have any ranking points coming off the board. Unless, God forbid, suffers yet another injury during his time at Kooyong, he has nothing else to lose.

Good idea to play? Definitely. It’s simple. Baghdatis needs to play, play, and play some more. Injuries killed his season-ending indoor swing, so he needs some tennis under his belt to get his mind right for the Aussie Open. Baghdatis showed he still has potential when healthy, reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon 2008. Kooyong will give him a chance to do something similar a week later in Melbourne.

Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic

World Ranking: 22

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: A belief that he belongs with the big boys. The Kooyong Classic is always reserved for top players (or players who have recently been near the top) and Cilic is just that (or at least will be soon). Now he needs to start believing that, and a good performance in Kooying will help those efforts. Cilic reached the fourth round of the Australian Open 2007, so he has a fair amount of points at stake. A sense of belonging could help him go at least that far, if not further.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Cilic has already soared to No. 22 in the world, so he should not be too concerned about ranking points. He played in Auckland this year, but only reached the second round, so he will only have a few ranking points coming off the board while he participates at Kooying. The Croat has had some minor injury concerns in the past, but a few extra matches prior to the Australian Open should not hurt.

Good idea to play? Yes. Cilic is being tipped as one of the main contenders for having a breakout 2009 campaign (although it’s fair to say he also had a breakout in 2008). A win or two over guys like Federer, Blake (to whom he lost at the Australian Open 2007), Gonzalez (whom he beat at the Australian Open 2007), will get things going on the right foot.

Ernests Gulbis

Ernests Gulbis

World Ranking: 53

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Same as Cilic, to an even greater extent. Gulbis is No. 53 in the world, but his talent is such that there is no reason for him to be that low. The 20-year-old Latvian needs to understand that he belongs with the best players in the world, such as those at Kooyong. Moreover, Gulbis is a momentum player just like Gonzalez and Blake. When he is on, he is really on fire. When he is off, he struggles to win any matches at all. Gulbis ended 2008 in relatively poor form, so he needs Kooyong to get him going and kick off what will be a very important year for him.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Gulbis needs ranking points in the worst way to bring him up from No. 53. He and Cilic are always mentioned in the same breath, but the rankings do not show it. Playing in Sydney or Auckland instead of Kooyong would give Gulbis a chance to improve his ranking heading into the Australian Open 2009. At the same time, Gulbis did not player during that week this season, so at least he won’t be losing points.

Good idea to play? Too early to tell. The answer to this can only be determined after the fact. Gulbis needs to give his best effort and win one or two matches to give him the confidence he needs going into the following week. But he better not waste the appearance, because he would be just as well served (if not even better served) by making a deep run at one of the two ATP events in either Sydney or Auckland.