Hewitt Heads Field After Roddick Pull at ATP Las Vegas

On the plus side, tournament director and Tennis Channel President Steve Bellamy just saved a few hundred thousand in appearance fees.

"Andy felt bad about it, but he didn't think he had the energy to go the distance here," Bellamy said. "Would we love to have had Roddick? Absolutely. But there's going to be a lot of great tennis played by some amazing athletes."

With the rest of the tour's power players taking the big guarantee money in Dubai this week, stepping into the Vegas No. 1 void now is former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, with "B"-squad Americans James Blake and Robby Ginepri filling in the U.S. flavor.

Other seeded players are Germany's Nicolas Kiefer and the hot-handed Tommy Haas, Spaniards Tommy Robredo and Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, and French riser Gael "Force" Monfils.

Other players of note are Brit-Scot sensation Andy Murray who faces (3) Robredo in his opener, the Memphis runner-up Robin Soderling, Frenchman Julien Benneteau who ousted Roddick last week in Memphis, Max "The Beast" Mirnyi who faces Xavier "X-Man" Malisse in the first round, American Mardy Fish who received a wildcard and opens against a qualifier, and Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan who meets (5) Blake.

Additional wildcards went to Americans Bob Bryan and Sam Querrey.

Last year the event was held at Scottsdale where unseeded Aussie Wayne "The Serving Machine" Arthurs beat Croatian Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic in straight sets, and the Bryan brothers claimed the doubles title.

Former champions in the field are Vince Spadea (2004) and Hewitt (2003,'00).

On court Monday are Kohlschreiber vs. (8) Verdasco, Mirnyi vs. Malisse, Monfils vs. Bjorkman, (1) Hewitt vs. Mayer, (4) Ginepri vs. Goldstein in an all-American, and Zib vs. Carlsen.