Australian Open: Day five preview

Roger Federer takes on Gilles Simon in the second round today. Photo / Getty Images

The big guns: Roger Federer takes on Xavier Malisse, who has only beaten him once in eight meetings and that was back in 1999. Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic are among a clutch of other stars in action.

Don't miss: Justine Henin vs Svetlana Kunetesova. The pair have clashed 18 times, but Henin's dominance (16 wins, 2 losses) belies the number of close encounters. This will be their sixth meeting at Grand Slam level, with the Russian still searching for a first win. Djokovic's match with Serbian Davis Cup teammate Victor Troicki should also be a beauty.

Green and gold: Little Australian presence on day five, apart from several doubles and mixed doubles matches, with a care factor hovering around zero.

Leave the lights on: Fernando Verdasco vs Kei Nishikori. Gil Reyes, the man who turned Andre Agassi into an athlete, is now training the Spaniard, who was already a fitness freak. Nishikori, at just 21 years old, is one of the hardest trainers on tour. Expect a marathon.

Outside court option: Ah, not much, given that we are down to the last 32 on each side after starting with 128. Nicolas Almagro vs Ivan Ljubicic should be entertaining, and punters on court three have the chance to see the highly rated Bryan brothers in doubles.

* Michael Burgess is a sports writer for the Herald on Sunday