Elena Dementieva overpowered Serena Williams 6-3, 6-1 at the Sydney International on Thursday to set up an all-Russian final against Dinara Safina.
The Indian team will tour Australia later this year for a multi-format limited overs series comprising three ODIs and five T20 Internationals.
The Frenchwoman went down to rising Serb Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 7-5 at the Sydney International.
Former world number one Justine Henin is set to play in next month's Sydney International after being granted a wildcard by organisers. Henin, who announced her comeback to the women's tour in September after a 15-month absence, makes her return in Brisbane in early January before playing in the Sydney tournament as part of her preparations for the Australian Open the following week.
China's Li Na was forced into a dogfight in the heat before overcoming dogged American Christina McHale 7-6, 7-5 to reach the second round of the Sydney International on Monday.
Jasprit Bumrah is likely to play the first, second and fourth Tests.
David Nalbandian made his Australian Open credentials clear to all concerned on Saturday by swiping the Sydney International title.
While Mauresmo and Davydenko made their exits, former Australian Open finalists Kim Clijsters and Marcos Baghdatis signalled their intentions with impressive victories.
Cricket Australia will support any Aussie player who chooses not to return, as the focus shifts toward international duties -- particularly the World Test Championship final at Lord's on June 11.
French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and her fellow Russian Elena Dementieva won their opening round matches at the Sydney International Sunday, one of the major lead-up events to the Australian Open.
Kim Clijsters came through a major test of her early season form to reach the Sydney International final with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory over Alisa Kleybanova on Thursday.
The Indo-Czech pair scored a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win over Agustin Calleri of Argentina and Spain's Tommy Robredo.
Shubman Gill had a phenomenal Test series against England, leading a young Indian side in transition to a 2-2 draw and earning the Player of the Series award.
The Olympic flame returned to Australia for the first leg of a six-week global relay leading up to the Athens Games.
One of Debashish Bhattacharya's most remarkable contributions is that he has taken the scope and foundation of the slide guitar, improvised it again and again, thereby designing and creating four entirely new guitars.
Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus overcame the distraction of a lengthy rain interruption to beat France's Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-6 in the final of the Sydney International on Saturday.
Serena Williams saved three match points and Novak Djokovic revived his stuttering Australian Open preparations in fierce heat at the Sydney International on Wednesday.
'What hurt me was when I met his daughter and I was talking to her with a lot of love and she said, "I don't want to talk to you. You hit my father".'
Justine Henin extended her unbeaten run to 28 matches with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final of the Sydney International on Friday.
Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro's comeback from injury faltered on Wednesday when his lack of match practice was exposed at the Sydney International.
World number one Caroline Wozniacki's preparations for the Australian Open suffered a major setback when she was knocked out of the Sydney International in her first competitive match of the year on Tuesday.
Former world number one Martina Hingis was knocked out by Jelena Jankovic at the Sydney International.
A late solo strike by Norway forward Caroline Graham Hansen secured a 2-1 victory against Finland in the Women's European Championship on Sunday, as the twice champions qualified for the quarter-finals.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said they would not support a proposed global Twenty20 league bankrolled by Saudi Arabia.
The Spaniard retired from the first round match due to a leg injury.
Sam Konstas has been added to Australia's list of contracted players in a huge vote of confidence for the two-Test opener.
Two fast-bowling all-rounders look to be in a battle for one spot, while a decision between Prasidh Krishna and left-armer Arshdeep Singh could be condition-dependent.
'...rectification has to happen then and there, and that takes additional time.'
The former world number one has been granted a wildcard for the Sydney International tennis tournament.
Serena Williams survived a scare from France's Aravane Rezai on Thursday before booking her spot in the Sydney International final against Russian Elena Dementieva. The Australian Open champion was teetering on the brink of defeat after losing the first set and trailing 5-2 in the second but she raised her game to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Serena Williams continued her smooth lead up to next week's Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Vera Dushevina at the Sydney International on Wednesday.
One of the proposed changes is the 'double-play run-out' rule, which would allow fielding teams to dismiss two batters in a single delivery if both are out of their crease and the bails are removed at both ends.
Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic overcame the distraction of two violent thunderstorms to beat Croatia's Mario Ancic 6-3 6-4 on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Sydney International.
Serena Williams rebounded from her shaky start to the year with an awesome demonstration of her Australian Open intent at the Sydney International on Tuesday.
Fresh off losing their top two men's seeds, Sydney International organisers were left with a nightmare scenario on Saturday when their top two local hopes were drawn against each other in the first round.
The world No 1 women's doubles team added another crown to their overflowing trophy vault, winning the WTA Apia International in Sydney. They beat Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic in the final.
Australia's new student visa rules focuses on stricter eligibility, higher financial and English language requirements among others.
American former swimmer Gary Hall Jr. is set to receive replicas of the 10 Olympic medals he lost in the Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed his home.
Martina Hingis has been drawn to play Justine Henin-Hardenne in the first round of the Sydney International.
