The Kooyong Classic has been a staple of Australian Open tune-ups in recent history and 2009 will be no different. Eight of the best players of the world will once against descend on Kooyong Stadium in Melbourne in the days before the season’s first Grand Slam to fine-tune their games.

Absent, however, is three-time defending champion Andy Roddick. Nonetheless, the even still boasts a strong field, and this time it has an unusually younger feel to it marked by some of the game’s brightest rising stars.

All eight players will play at least two matches and the players with the best records in terms of matches, games, sets, and head-to-head tiebreakers, will square off on the final day of the tournament for the trophy.

Let’s take a look at the top half of the 2009 field (second half, lower-ranked players coming soon).

Roger Federer

World Ranking: 2

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: The chance to make a statement that his start of 2009 is going to be much different than his start of 2008, when he lost in the Australian Open semifinals to Novak Djokovic, in part due to a bout with mononucleosis.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Not much. Despite winning the U.S. Open 2008 to really save his season, it’s not like Federer ended this year in incredible form. Even if he loses some matches in Kooyong, he won’t be coming down from the top or losing a ton of confidence. Plus, it’s just an exhibition.

Good idea to play? Definitely. Regardless of how intense it is or how had players try, Federer can send a message by winning Kooyong that he is out to regain his No. 1 ranking. This is an all-win situation for the Swiss. He has nothing to lose.

Stanislas Wawrinka

World Ranking: 13

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Wawrinka, who won doubles gold at the Beijing Olympics with Federer, needs to restore some confidence in a major way. He ended 2008 in a dismal slump and missed out on Shanghai after seemingly being in control of a Masters Cup spot heading into the indoor season.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Little. He could get knocked around by some of other talented players in this group of eight, but Wawrinka’s already shaky confidence can’t really suffer any more. Wawrinka lost in the first round of Sydney this year, so he has no points to defend there and therefore it makes sense that he will skip that event, which coincides with the Kooyong Classic, this time around.

Good idea to play? Sure. It probably won’t make much difference one way or the other. But if Wawrinka somehow storms out of nowhere to win the whole thing, that will send him surging into the Australian Open 2009. The chances of that are slim, but you never know.

James Blake

World Ranking: 10

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Pretty much the same thing as Wawrinka (but for a little bit of a different reason). Blake did not slump as bad as Wawrinka at the end of 2008 (he was one match away at the Masters Series Paris from qualifying for the Masters Cup), but he needs confidence even more because of how much he feeds off of it. The American has shown that he can be awful at times, yet one of the best players in the world at other times. The key to it all is confidence. If Blake can catch fire in Kooyong, he could parlay that into a breakout performance at the Australian Open 2009.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Vacation time and perhaps risking injury. Blake is a fun-loving guy and he enjoys hanging out with family and friends back in the U.S. (usually Tampa, Florida) during the off-season, and he could extend the grace period a few more days by not playing in Kooyong. Blake will also turn 29 before the end of 2008 and his physical style of play could begin to take a toll on his body. If he makes a deep run in Melbourne, the extra matches in Kooyong could have a minor impact.

Good idea to play? Yes, because the positives outweigh the negatives. At this point in his career, Blake should be seeking a Grand Slam title and a Grand Slam title only. His only hope is to really get on a roll, and an appearance in Kooyong gives him that (remote) chance.

Fernando Gonzalez

World Ranking: 15

What he stands to gain from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Similar to Blake, Gonzalez is the essence of a momentum player. Remember him at the Australian Open 2007? The Chilean stormed to the final, rolling over anything and everything in his path en route. The beatdowns he put on Blake, Tommy Haas, and Rafael Nadal are memorable. Federer finally got the best of him in the title match. Gonzalez needs a spark to get him going again, because his second half of 2008 was mostly lackluster. Kooyong could provide it.

What he stands to lose from playing in the Kooyong Classic: Again, he is very similar to Blake in this discussion. Gonzo is 28 and he also employs a physical style of tennis. Will he begin to wear down? We might find out if he lasts until the second week of the Australian Open 2009.

Good idea to play? Yes. The exhibition format should give Gonzalez some peace of mind and allow him to settle down and have fun, not taking it too seriously. At the same time, it could also propel him into the Aussie Open if he plays well in Kooyong.