Federer in Spotlight, Roddick Out -- ATP Madrid Preview

Fourteen of the Top 15 players compete at the Masters Series-Madrid this week in Spain, headlined by the world Top 3 in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, three players who have left the rest of the field behind in 2007.

Andy Roddick, who played John Isner in an exhibition in Baltimore Tuesday night, apparently injured his knee in the meantime as tournament organizers announced Saturday he withdrew from Madrid. Another former No. 1, Lleyton Hewitt, pulled out of the event citing an ankle injury.

Federer will be able to ease into the event after an opening-round bye, then a match against either Austrian Jurgen Melzer or a qualifier. In the third round the Swiss would likely face either his No. 13-seeded nemesis Guillermo Canas, who has been slumping of late, or unseeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov.

"I really love the indoor season, it's been my first love as a tennis player," Federer said. "I won my first matches on this type of surface. It was always my best surface."

No. 7 David Ferrer or No. 12 Ivan Ljubicic could await Federer in the quarterfinals.

No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko is the high seed in the second quarter of the draw, after a bye opening against the winner of Russian countryman Marat Safin and Ivo Karlovic. Seeds in Davydenko's path are No. 16 Mikhail Youzhny in the third round and either No. 5 Fernando Gonzalez or No. 11 Tommy Haas in the quarters.

Djokovic is the high seed in the toughest third quarter of the draw, with a likely third-round meeting against a former No. 1 in either No. 14 seed Carlos Moya or unseeded Juan Carlos Ferrero. No. 6 seed James Blake is a potential quarterfinal foil for Djokovic if the American can bypass potential opponents Mario Ancic in his opener, and No. 10 Richard Gasquet in the third round. Gasquet after a bye opens against either French countryman Paul-Henri Mathieu or American Mardy Fish.

Nadal reigns in the bottom section, after a bye opening against either Marcos Baghdatis or a qualifier. In his second match the Spaniard will face either No. 15 seed Juan Ignacio Chela, or unseeds Andy Murray or Radek Stepanek. Nadal's potential seeded quarterfinal opponent would likely be either No. 8 Tommy Robredo or No. 9 Tomas Berdych.

Nadal is a question mark these days, suffering through tendinitis in both knees.

"I feel better, but we'll have to see how I make out on the court," Nadal told reporters Sunday. "The Masters Series is harder than a Grand Slam because the Top 40 players in the world are here."

Federer is the defending champion at Madrid, beating Gonzalez in straight sets in the 2006 final.

"It has been a month and half since I last played an ATP tournament, since the final of the US Open in August, and I have taken advantage of this time to rest and train, and as such I think I arrive in Madrid in a good moment," Federer told reporters.