Berdych joins Sydney field

World No.20 Tomas Berdych is the latest player to commit to the Medibank International in Sydney in January.

The Czech star is the fourth top-20 player in the field, joining French stars Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (6) and Gilles Simon (7) and Argentinean David Nalbandian (11) in a formidable field.

Australian No.1 Lleyton Hewitt, Tommy Robredo and Richard Gasquet are all also confirmed starters for the Australian Open warm-up tournament.

Berdych is a frequent visitor to Sydney, having reached the quarter-finals the past two years.

"Tomas Berdych is a fantastic addition to the star-studded player line we have at the Medibank International Sydney in 2009," tournament director Craig Watson said.

"The event can now boast another top 20 player in Berdych. He joins Tsonga, Simon, Nalbandian and Hewitt, amongst others, in one of the best line-ups the tournament has ever had."

"We will continue confirming and announcing more top male and female players over the coming week before the ATP and WTA Tour entry deadlines at the end of the month."

Amelie Mauresmo recently confirmed her entry, joining Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva in a star-studded women's field.