World No.4 Ana Ivanovic believes the new surface at the Australian Open is slower but less likely to cause injuries.

The Rebound Ace court surface at Melbourne Park has been replaced with Plexicushion and organisers expect the new surface to produce a lower ball bounce and retain less heat.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday for the JB Group Classic exhibition tournament in Hong Kong, Ivanovic - who is a frequent visitor to Melbourne - said she has tried out the new surface.

"I find it quite slow but it's very good for the body. It's quite soft," the Serbian player said, adding, however, she found the ball bounce high.

World No.5 and former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova said over the weekend she was looking forward to the new surface because players were prone to injuries on Rebound Ace when the court got sticky in hot conditions.

Sharapova's Russian compatriot, World No.6 Anna Chakvetadze, said she hasn't tried the new surface but also found the old surface sticky and slow.

The Hong Kong exhibition, which will run from Wednesday to Saturday, also features American Venus Williams, Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova, Russia's Elena Dementieva, China's Peng Shuai and Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki.

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