Australia is facing a tug of war over the site of the Australian Open after politicians in Sydney announced plans to build a multi-million dollar facility to attract the tournament, local media reported on Saturday.
Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will still play the Australian Open despite withdrawing from her scheduled warm-up tournament in New Zealand for health reasons, according to tournament director Craig Tiley.
'But I think that the manner in which they play is part of the reason why I think they've got their best chance in 15 years of regaining the Ashes Down Under, because in 2010-11 when we went down there and won, we pushed back against Australia.'
Reigning Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from this year's event because of a slower than expected recovery from a shoulder injury.
Davenport, who was beaten in last year's final by Serena Williams, remains on course for a quarter-final meeting with 10th seed Venus Williams or eighth seed Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium.
Eugenie Bouchard's best year was 2014 when she reached the semi-finals of the French and Australian Opens, and the final of Wimbledon.
Former champions Stanislas Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal gave Australian Open organisers a massive boost on Tuesday when they both said they were looking forward to next week's season opening Grand Slam after battling long-term injuries.
The Russian will not defend his Australian Open title after failing to recover sufficiently from a knee injury.
Rediff.com presents the early surprises at the year's first Grand Slam.
Forty-seven players and their entourages have to isolate for two weeks in their hotel rooms in Melbourne and are no longer able to leave them to train after infections were reported on two chartered flights carrying them to Melbourne.
Their last eight Tests in Perth have all been defeats, with the most recent setback a bitter innings and 41-run capitulation in 2017 that saw Joe Root's team surrender the urn.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri ended a long win drought with a pole-to-flag victory in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race in Doha.
'It is the biggest stage and it is the brightest lights. It is a series that could define teams, the people and players within it.'
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday but McLaren's Lando Norris had one hand on the Formula One title after finishing second and stretching his lead over teammate Oscar Piastri to 30 points.
Injury forced the world number eight out of the Australian hardcourt championships.
'She wants to come back in 2018 and defend her title and she's in training now'
Roger Federer is practising pain-free after undergoing two knee surgeries this year and says he expects to return to the circuit at the Australian Open in January.
All players who want a visa to compete in the Australian Open will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, the country's immigration minister said on Wednesday, putting Novak Djokovic's title defence and Grand Slam record bid in doubt.
Indian Mithun Manjunath stunned fourth seed and world number seven Kean Yew Loh of Singapore in the opening round while PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth secured straight-game wins.
'The tailenders should have looked to bat with Jamie Smith. Really poor from the batters towards the end. The plan should have been to give him the strike and let him do the heavy lifting.'
Victoria Azarenka reached her first grand slam final with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory over defending champion Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open on Thursday.
Nick Kyrgios will not compete in the US Open for a third consecutive year after withdrawing from the event, tournament organisers said on Thursday.
England did not have their full squad in Perth until last Sunday and will play one internal match before the first Ashes Test on November 21.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test in Perth on Saturday.
If Williams is indeed 20 weeks into her term, that would mean she was approximately two months pregnant when she captured her record 23rd Grand Slam tournament singles title at the Australian Open in January.
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, Australian Nick Kyrgios and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, are set to enthrall fans in India when the World Tennis League makes its debut, in Bengaluru, on December 17.
Tenth seed Lorenzo Musetti rallied from a set down to beat Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday even as Carlos Alcaraz mauled big-serving American Reilly Opelka and veteran Venus Williams made an emotional exit.
Novak Djokovic is finally set to return to action next week after six months out with an elbow injury and will then decide whether to take part in the Jan 15-28 Australian Open.
Smoke-induced interruptions likely at season's first grand slam.
Paes and Raja dispatched the pair of Nikoloz Basilashvili and Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-2, 6-3 in their opening round.
Serena Williams thrashed Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday to win the Australian Open title and reclaim the world number one ranking. The American raced to victory in just 59 minutes to capture her fourth singles title at Melbourne Park, after her previous wins in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and her 10th Grand Slam overall.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt has flagged his retirement after a record 20th campaign at his home Australian Open next year.
Prize money row rumbling behind scenes at Melbourne Park
The Williams sisters' contribution to tennis was also highlighted by Japan's Naomi Osaka, who reached the second round after demolishing Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The five-day lockdown, ordered after a new COVID-19 outbreak at a hotel, was due to start at midnight.
Organisers hope the anxious buildup will be forgotten when the action begins.
Trescothick, who played in three Ashes campaigns including a triumphant 2005 series on home soil, said England's batters were also looking to be smarter on the pitch.
Ash Barty ended Australia's 44-year wait for a home winner at the Australian Open when the world number one staved off a fightback from American Danielle Collins to complete a 6-3, 7-6(2) win on Saturday and pick up her third Grand Slam title.
The 19-year-old, who is ranked 34th in the WTA Tour rankings, occupies the last seeded place.
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