Melbourne, Sept 18: Wimbledon champion Roger Federer is gearing up for three days of action in Switzerland's Davis Cup semi-final against Australia this weekend with two tough singles matches either side of a doubles encounter.
The world number three starts his busy schedule in the second singles rubber tomorrow against Mark Philippoussis in a rematch of their Wimbledon final. In today's draw, Australia's former world number one Lleyton Hewitt learned that he would open the tie against world number 127 Michel Kratochvil in the afternoon, before Federer and Philippoussis face off in the early evening.
Federer said he was not concerned with the workload, which concludes with a reverse singles rubber against Hewitt on Sunday, before Philippoussis takes on Kratochvil.

On Saturday, Wayne Arthurs will partner Todd Woodbridge in the doubles rubber against Federer and Swiss captain Marc Rosset, who also teamed up in the April quarter-final victory over France.



''For me it doesn't matter really,'' Federer told a news conference. ''I'm at a point where I really don't care. I'm used to that.



''Maybe it's (playing in the Friday's second rubber) two or three hours less of a break before Saturday, but that's okay.''


Bureau Report