Andy Murray Set for Brisbane Return

Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray will return to Queensland this summer to defend his Brisbane International title.

The World No. 4 is the first player to be announced for the 2013 tournament, hot off his historic Olympic Games gold medal win over current World No. 1 Roger Federer.

“I really enjoyed playing the Brisbane International for the first time this January, and claiming the title was great preparation leading into the Australian Open,” Murray said.

“Brisbane attracts a tough draw with a lot of top players ... obviously I want to play as many matches as possible, and if I can, win. Winning always gives you extra confidence and is the perfect start leading into the first Grand Slam of the year.

“The Brisbane International is a fantastic event with great facilities, and I look forward to returning to Queensland to defend my title,” Murray continued.

Brisbane International Tournament Director, Cameron Pearson, said 25-year-old Murray will be a strong drawcard for the event.

“Andy is our defending champion, so we are thrilled he has again decided to start his year with us.

“It speaks volumes for Queensland that he values the Brisbane International so highly for his Australian Open preparation.

“His Brisbane win was the start of a stellar year for him, going on to reach the final of Wimbledon and then on to win a memorable Olympic gold medal in front of his home crowd,“ Pearson added.

Throughout his career Murray has captured 22 ATP titles and is currently coached by tennis legend Ivan Lendl.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Jann Stuckey, welcomed the news the Scottish champion was returning.

“It is a great coup to have Andy Murray back to defend his Brisbane title. It is another win for Queensland as it strives to cement itself as a major sporting state,” said Ms Stuckey.

“The Brisbane International is a fantastic start to the year for events. Last year’s matches attracted a record 92,802 attendees.

“The Newman Government is proud to support tournaments like this through Events Queensland, as part of our determined strategy to showcase Queensland as Australia’s number one tourism destination.”

In 2012 the ATP recognised the Brisbane International for the best fan experience of any tournament in the ATP International Group, which includes the Middle East, Asia and Pacific regions.

Brisbane International 2013 is presented in association with Events Queensland and will take place at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane, from December 30, 2012 to January 6, 2013.

Brisbane International 2013 series packages will go on sale at 9:00am (AEST) on Wednesday October 3.

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Novak Djokovic Wins Epic Thriller Over Rafael Nadal

NOVAK Djokovic's extraordinary juggernaut rolls on after the Serb this morning claimed the longest Grand Slam final in history.

Condemning Rafael Nadal to a record third consecutive major final loss, exhausted Djokovic posted a 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 Australian Open triumph - a victory for the ages.

On rubbery legs and fighting mental and physical exhaustion, Djokovic clambered off the canvas from 2-4 down in the fifth set to do it.

Fittingly, the 100th Australian men's final was the longest in Grand Slam history at 5hrs 53mins.

Defending champion Djokovic's third Melbourne Park title - and fifth major overall - was sealed at 1.37am local time.

It will live with with the Serb forever, such was its epic nature.

With nothing more to give in the final game of the match, Djokovic crossed himself and glanced skywards afte saving a break point.

He did so again on the following point after earning match point.

Djokovic slumped to the court in relief and elation and Nadal trudged towards the net after missing a forehand.

It was only the third decider to go the distance at Melbourne Park after Pat Cash and Mats Wilander (1988) and Nadal and Roger Federer (2009).

Djokovic, 24, has now beaten Nadal seven times in a row - and in each of the past three Grand Slam deciders at Wimbledon, US Open and the Australian.

The Serb relentlessly pounded Nadal's second serve to expose gaping holes in the Spaniard's defence to land his fifth major, joining Andre Agassi. Roger Federer and Mats Wilander as the only men to win three or more Australian crowns since 1968.

In much the same way Nadal relishes his stroke-for-stroke match-up with Federer, Djokovic exerts a similar thrall over Nadal.

The critical difference last night was the second serve. Djokovic operated at 64 percent. Nadal landed 45 percent.

It was a similar scenario at Wimbledon and the US Open.

In becoming only the fourth male since Rod Laver in 1969 to claim three consecutive majors - Pete Sampras, Federer and Nadal are the others - Djokovic proved again he is clearly the sport's premier player.

Supposedly exhausted after a protracted semi-final against Andy Murray on Friday night, he overcame a sluggish start in sultry conditions to have Nadal on the ropes deep into the fourth set.

Holding three break points for a 5-3 lead, Djokovic could not capitalise as the Spaniard steamed back into the contest.

And when Nadal held a commanding 4-2 lead in the deciding set, Djokovic somehow summoned the nerve and energy to draw back on terms.

He made the title-sealing inroad in the 11th game, when Nadal netted a weary backhand to earn the right to serve out the match.

For most of the contest, he was superior in defence and attack, mentally besting Nadal to inflict another serious pyschological wound on his arch-rival.

In the end, it was a dogfight.

Djokovic emerged with a $2.3million winner's cheque and the satisfaction of overcoming three sizeable obstacles - having 24 hours less to recover from that mammoth semi-final, giving up a first-set lead in the final and coming back from the dead in the deciding set.

Dipping into bottomless reserves after appearing to be spent after narrowly accounting for Murray on Friday night, Djokovic out-ran and outlasted the owner of 10 majors.

If it wasn't Djokovic's cleanest or most dazzling display, it ranks as his bravest.

In a contest that will be remembered for tension and high drama, there was a Grand Slam first when Nadal challenged one of his own serves - and was proved wrong by Hawk-Eye.

The serve, in the 10th game of the second set, was actually in, but Nadal had lost the rally and was hoping to earn a replayed serve.

In the end, he lost both a challenge and the point.

While there is nothing but shared respect between Nadal and Federer, it ia now increasingly obvious that the Spaniard has little time for Djokovic.

The Mallorcan glared at the world No. 1 and his support box after their prolonged celebration of Nadal's double fault to surrender the second set.

Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Rafael Nadal after the longest final in Grand Slam history. Picture: AFP

Source: AFP

While grunting has been an issue for discussion at Melbourne Park over the past two weeks, the men's final was marred by long, irksome delays between points.

French chair umpire Pascal Maria's problems started before the match when the warm-up went overtime.

And once the match started, the 20-second allowance between points was regularly flouted, often dragging out to 30 seconds or longer.

Unsurprisingly, the first set lasted 80 minutes - only two minutes short of the time Victoria Azarenka took to whip Maria Sharapova in the women's final on Saturday night.

Losing patience in the heavy, uncomfortable conditions, Maria asked Nadal to hurry up after the end of the first set.

The second set took 66 minutes, while the third (45), fourth (88) and fifth ()were drawn out affairs.

Rain stopped play briefly at 4-all in the fourth set, prompting staff to close the roof while the court was dried.

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Nadal Again Proves Federer's Nemesis

THE question this match posed was only marginally about who would play possibly Novak Djokovic in the final and potentially win another cup to go on shelves in either Basel or Mallorca that already bow with the bounty of previous victories.

This match rather posed the question of whether Roger Federer at 30 and having not defeated the younger man in a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2007, could still beat Rafael Nadal — in a grand slam that is. It was a question you sensed Federer wanted to know the answer to more than anyone.

The answer is no. Nadal last night won in four sets 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. "It's just amazing [the long history with Roger]," said Nadal afterwards, characteristically humble and deferential to Federer. "It's fantastic to have one player in front of me. You saw him with no mistakes he had the complete game. I always saw one player in front of me better than me."

Not now he doesn't. And not for some time. Twice in the last two years Federer had defeated Nadal at consecutive ATP World Tour finals. But in the last dozen meetings between them the record was 9-3 to Nadal and in grand slams the record was poorer — Nadal had won all four matches at slams since that Wimbledon loss.

On this court in 2009 Federer wept upon defeat and the thought that he had ceded his turf — or hard court as the case happened to be — to his rival. On this court, in the first grand slam rematch for them, Federer last night sought to re-claim his ground and re-establish that he was back on even terms with Nadal.

He fell short. Nadal brings something out in Federer that other players, not even world No. 1 Djokovic, elicits.

It is a hesitancy and a uncertainty in his play. He second guesses his movement and choice. Against Nadal he seemed to need to remind himself to get forward, to get to the net, to rumble Nadal's momentum, in ways that he does seemingly without conscious thought against others.

Maybe it is the left-hander thing and that Nadal, playing at the technical and physical level he does, offers angles others do not. Technically that may be the case. Practically the effect of the losses to Nadal is that Federer seems to be play this game on a mental not physical level.

Illustrating the mindset in each of the first three sets, Federer claimed the early break of serve only to cede his later, twice it was in the very next game.

The match was of a level befitting of the players and the moment, and clearly the best of the tournament. Which is not to say it was tennis without fault — Federer's serving was poor, his forehand at times ragged and Nadal tight on his backhand. But the contest was superb. There were fireworks outside the arena which interrupted the match but only appeared dull by contrast to that happening inside. As it should be.

After the first set, which Federer won in a tie-breaker, there was a palpable sense that mentally and in terms of confidence — as if a man with 16 grand slam titles needs confidence — it was more important to Federer that he had done so.

Occasionally the tennis beggared belief. Such as when, in the second set, Nadal lifted a ball almost from the cameraman's lens way off court and squeezed it into the court to set up three break points. Federer saved two but not the third. Nadal had the break. He soon had the set. Federer was under siege. The match was back level but it was Nadal who was on the front foot and Federer clinging on.

Nadal closed it out on his second match point. Once more he had vanquished Roger.

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Nadal, Federer to meet in Australian Open Semi Finals

The intensity was vintage Rafael Nadal.

On the stroke of midnight, he thrust his arms up and punched the air, sealing the victory that sets up the most anticipated semifinal at the Australian Open in quite some time.

Roger Federer did his part to put this in place. In the previous match on Rod Laver Arena, he beat 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in a quarterfinal marking his 1,000th tour-level match.

A Federer-Nadal semifinal had been looming since the draw for the season's first major — the first time the pair have been in the same half at a Grand Slam tournament since 2005.

Playing with a new racket and a heavily taped right knee, Nadal was at his demonstrative best, rallying after losing the first set to beat Tomas Berdych 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3.

Yelling "Vamos," disputing line calls, pumping his arms after winning big points and bounding around like a hyperactive kid, Nadal ripped winner after winner against Berdych in a 4-hour, 16-minute display of pure intimidation.

He said he was nervous in the first set — he'd lost in the quarterfinals two straight years — but by the third and fourth sets things had indeed changed.

"The character on court, the way to win the points ... the level is very positive, much, much better than the end of the season," he said. "Semifinals is fantastic result for me."

Federer finished his match with one of his classic, one-handed backhands against Del Potro, one of only two men who have beaten him in a major final. The other is Nadal, who has done it six times.

That lopsided record aside, there's a touch of extra tension this time in this usually cordial rivalry. Nadal had told Spanish reporters during a discussion about player discontent that Federer liked to protect his reputation as a gentleman by saying nothing negative in public and letting others "burn."

Both have since played down the comments. On Tuesday, Federer said it didn't damage their relationship.

"No. No. Honestly, no," he said. "It was here for one day and then gone again. I'm happy about that because it didn't deserve more attention than it did. So for me, it's another great match with Rafa. ... Obviously I'd like to play Rafa because of our great epic match earlier in the finals here a few years ago."

Thursday's match will be the first time they have met at Melbourne Park since Nadal won the 2009 title in five seesawing sets. Nadal collected the trophy from the great Rod Laver after consoling Federer as he sobbed in the background.

"We are talking about a player who has won 16 Grand Slams, and I've won 10," Nadal said. "We have played a lot of matches together, many in very important moments for our careers. So the matches against him are always special, even if we are (ranked) 20 against 25."

One of the women's semifinals is already set up, with defending champion Kim Clijsters showing too much experience in a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Caroline Wozniacki, who remains without a major title and will now lose her No. 1 ranking.

Clijsters has a left ankle sprain that requires almost constant treatment, but expects to be fit for the next match against third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, one of the three women who can finish the tournament with the top ranking.

The two others — Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova — could meet in the other semifinal.

Kvitova ended the run of unseeded Italian Sara Errani with a 6-4, 6-4 win in Wednesday's opening match on Rod Laver Arena to reach the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time.

Sharapova is up against Ekaterina Makarova in an all-Russian match later. No. 56-ranked Makarova is coming off a straight-set win over five-time Australian champion Serena Williams.

Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic has an evening match against No. 5 David Ferrer, who beat Nadal in the quarterfinals last year. Djokovic overtook Nadal and Federer for the No. 1 ranking last year by winning three of the four majors, starting with an Australian Open final win over Andy Murray. Murray takes on No. 24 Kei Nishikori of Japan on Wednesday.

Given the dominance last season of the top four, a Djokovic vs. Murray semifinal seems most likely. In 2009, the competition was considered more of a two-man race.

Federer was aiming to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles and was confident despite entering the Australian Open with the No. 2 ranking.

Nadal had fended off Fernando Verdasco in 5-hour, 14-minute late night semifinal — the longest match at the Australian Open — and said he could barely walk, let alone practice the following day. He'd also had a day less to prepare for the final than Federer did. Still, he became the first Spaniard to win the Australian title.

Nadal has won 17 of their 26 head-to-head matches overall, including a 7-2 lead in Grand Slam matches. Federer won the last meeting, a 6-3, 6-0 demolition at the season-ending championship in November.

It has been almost seven years since the pair last met in the semifinals of a major.

"Yeah, it's been a long time — I don't know when the last time has been when we played in the semis of a slam," said Federer, who is usually an extremely reliable statistician. "Maybe back in 2005, maybe at the French potentially, I don't know."

For the record: Nadal won in four sets against the then No. 1-ranked Federer en route to the title at Roland Garros.

"We have been on opposite sides of the draw many times," Federer said. "I guess it's a nice changeup. OK, it doesn't allow a rematch for the Australian Open final here, you know, but I think it's good for tennis that it changes up a bit."

Nadal certainly didn't want to miss another chance at Federer. He didn't finish last year in good form and has already talked about taking time off next month to rest a sore shoulder. He hurt his knee by sitting in a chair at his hotel on the eve of his first-round match.

Nadal saved four set points in the first set against Berdych, including one with a stunning passing shot on the 29th point of a rally. But the seventh-seeded Czech persevered and won the ensuing tiebreaker.

During the tiebreaker, a shot by Berdych shot landed out and Nadal returned it, then challenged. Chair umpire Carlos Bernardes wouldn't allow it because Nadal hadn't immediately stopped play, but Nadal responded by saying he didn't challenge immediately because he thought the linesman had called it out. The replay showed the ball out and Nadal thought the umpire should have overruled.

He didn't win another point in the tiebreaker. In the second set, as Nadal lined up to serve in a key point, a man called out from the crowd: "Come on Rafa, we want a Roger-Rafa semifinal Thursday night."

Nadal obliged. Improving as he went along, Nadal hit consecutive down-the-line forehands to break Berdych early in the fourth set. Berdych did well to hold in the fifth game, which lasted 13½ minutes, but Nadal dominated from there and sealed the match with a service break as the clock struck 12.

"I started moving a little bit inside the court after I went 20 meters behind the baseline, just trying to find solution," Nadal said. "At the end of the match I finished it returning fantastic."

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Hewitt Ruins Perfect Record of Top 3 in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic's third-set wobble against Lleyton Hewitt spoiled a neat statistic. Had the defending champion won in three sets, the top three men would all have reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set.

The top-seeded Djokovic eventually won 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Monday to join Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the last eight.

No. 4 Andy Murray lost the first set against first-round opponent Ryan Harrison and hasn't conceded one since. He beat Mikhail Kukushkin on Friday when the Kazakh retired while trailing 6-1, 6-1, 1-0.

The Big Four have reached the quarterfinals at five straight majors, underlining a gap between them and the rest of the field. Djokovic says it's an attention to detail that makes the difference.

"Nowadays it's very physical so you have to work very hard, you have to be dedicated, you have to take care of the smallest details off the court as well, how you organize your life, you have to be emotionally balanced," he said. "All these kind of things play a very significant role in your performance on the court."

Djokovic hasn't been out of the top four since the middle of 2007. He did admit, though, that he's still getting used to sitting at the top of the pack after a standout 2011 in which he won three of the four majors and overtook Nadal and Federer for the No. 1 ranking.

"I have to accept this life as simple as possible because you can easily get carried away," the 24-year-old Serbian said. "There is a lot of temptations, especially when you're at the top. Obviously you get more attention and more temptations to do some things that can affect your performance in a negative way."

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GLORY DAYS: Maria Sharapova is already starting to talk like her career has peaked.

Sharapova won her first major at Wimbledon in 2004, added the U.S. title in 2006 and the Australian in 2008, a year after losing the final at Melbourne Park. She had surgery on her right shoulder later that year and hasn't added to her Grand Slam collection since.

Asked about how she feels after spending about one-third of her life on tour, Sharapova said she felt "fortunate to be sitting in this position and saying that I achieved great success at 17."

"Obviously maybe if I had achieved it a few years later, I wouldn't feel like I've been on the tour for so long. But I'm certainly not complaining for that because that will probably be the highest note of my career."

Why?

"Because I never had expected that that would come to my career. I was so naive," she said. "I mean, I don't think at that point, when I had won Wimbledon, I understood what it meant.

"I thought it was just an incredible feeling, and it's Wimbledon, but I don't think I actually logically knew what I had done."

After a few years interrupted by injuries, Sharapova says she's started to regain her energy and passion after a period of time "kind of at a standstill."

She reached the final at Wimbledon last year, losing to Petra Kvitova, in her best run at a Grand Slam in three years.

"I'm 24 years old, almost 25. I love this sport as much as I loved it, you know, when I was at that age," she said. "I've also been through a lot of tough times. I've also said the success that I can achieve, the fact that I got myself back to being top five in the world, playing tennis again, playing at a high level, competing at this level is pretty remarkable from where I was on a surgery table, not knowing if I'd ever be able to hit a serve again.

"So just a lot of perspective. If I do achieve a Grand Slam win, something on that level, there's no doubt that that will be another big moment in my career."

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SOLE SISTERS: Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki share a sporting interest outside tennis.

Both date professional golfers — Ivanovic is involved with Australia's Adam Scott; Wozniacki with Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman who won the last U.S. Open.

Ivanovic has been with Scott for a while, spending the last couple of offseasons in Australia, so had some advice when Wozniacki came asking about the traps of dating a golfer.

"She did ask me like what kind of shoes should I take to walk on the course," Ivanovic said after her fourth-round loss to Petra Kvitova on Monday, when Scott was in the crowd at Rod Laver Arena. The answer, for the record: "Just the most comfortable ones."

Hewitt, Tomic Last Aussies Standing

So often the last man standing at an Australian Open, Lleyton Hewitt remains upright in the tournament’s third round in defiance of many tipsters.

Hewitt joined Bernard Tomic as the only remaining Australians in the singles draw with a second-round victory on Thursday night after 15th seed Andy Roddick retired with a hamstring injury.

Hewitt held a two sets to one advantage at the time.

Tomic’s credentials as the spear-carrier for Australian tennis will be put to the test on Friday night when he takes on 13th seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov on centre court.

But Hewitt, whose 16th Australian Open is one of very few in which he has not been under pressure to deliver, has reached the third round despite coming off 12 months marred by injury and lacking game time.

The 30-year-old next faces Canadian Milos Raonic on Saturday.

Roddick won the first set on Rod Laver Arena but the match changed complexion when the American stumbled awkwardly during the second – tweaking a hamstring tendon.

Hewitt clambered back into the match taking the second and third sets before Roddick succumbed to the inevitable after two hours and 10 minutes.

“In the last four years I’ve had five surgeries and last year I played just two Grand Slams and two Davis Cup ties,” Hewitt said.

“I came in here with nothing to lose, I’ll play with my heart on my sleeve and see where it gets me.”

Tomic says he’s ready for one of the biggest matches on his career against Dolgopolov – a player who has beaten him three times in the past 12 months on hard courts.

“He seems to play good tennis and bad tennis for a set. So it’s very difficult,” Tomic said.

“You have to just hold your game against him and hope for the best.

“He is a very good player and a lot of people struggle with him.”

Others in third round action on Friday include Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters.

The Tomic Train Rolls on Further - Fuelled by Self-Belief

WHERE Sam Stosur struggles, Bernard Tomic thrives. Stosur, famously, owns a US Open title, while Tomic's best-known possession is a $150,000 orange BMW familiar to the Gold Coast police, but the innate self-belief that Tomic seems to have in abundance is what Stosur sometimes lacks. Here, especially.

As a first-round singles loser, Stosur has been left to compete for the mixed doubles consolation prize, while Tomic last night repeated his third-round singles effort of a year ago to remain in the main game.

The teenager toppled American Sam Querrey 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena and tomorrow will play flashy Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Is he looking forward to it? ''Absolutely not,'' Tomic admitted candidly. ''I think he doesn't like my game, I don't like his. He is a very good player, and a lot of people struggle with him, but I've got to do smart things when I play him and I think the last few times I played him I didn't do the right thing after winning the first set.''

Against Querrey, Tomic displayed his usual array of spins, paces and placements; the problem is that Dolgopolov plays a similarly quirky, unconventional game, and the 13th seed who last night saved a match point before outlasting German Tobias Kamke 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 8-6 was by some margin Tomic's least preferred third-round foe.

Coached by eccentric South Australian Jack Reader, Dolgopolov has won all three of the pair's previous meetings, most recently in Shanghai in October when, in Reader's words, a beaten Tomic ''didn't see any reason to keep trying'' late in the three-set match.

But that was a smaller stage; this is a big one, and size can sometimes matter where Tomic is concerned. Certainly, he is growing all the time - no longer in centimetres but in stature. He has already succeeded Lleyton Hewitt as the national No. 1, and has now equalled his best Australian Open result.

Querrey, ranked 95th but was as high as 23rd just a year ago before losing three months to elbow surgery, had spent just 87 minutes on court in his first-round match against French wild card Kenny de Scheppers, compared with the four hours, 11 minutes Tomic needed to give Fernando Verdasco a two-set start, play dead before a comeback in the third, and then roll on to a famous five-set victory.

But if conditioning was not an issue in the far cooler evening conditions, then at times Querrey's renowned serve proved to be. Blink. That was the first set. Gone in just 24 minutes, Tomic broken in the fifth game and unable to get a look back in on the American's towering serve.

Among a minimal Querrey error count there were seven aces among 14 winners to three in the first nine games.

But Tomic has been a winner for as long as anyone can remember, the fact that he is just 19 notwithstanding, and by the start of the second set he was starting to settle in.

Querrey's first serve percentage began to drop away, and Tomic took advantage of a few more looks at the second, as well as a climbing mistake count, to draw level on his fifth set point. By then, the match was still just an hour old.

Tomic is remarkably tennis-mature for his age, and, already with an impressive record in tie-breaks, he last night improved to 19-7 to take an important two-sets-to-one advantage. Ahead for the first time, he stayed there.

''It was a tough match,'' Tomic said. ''He's a world-class player, and to come back after that first round and recover the right way, I think I did a good job. After that first set, I was thinking, 'Please don't make it another two-sets-to-love [down], I don't want to play five sets.'''

Tomic said he would prefer to meet Dolgopolov at night than in the faster daytime conditions. In the same round 12 months ago, he met top seed Rafael Nadal. ''One year older,' he said. ''It's the same feeling, and same round. [But] no Nadal, so better chance than last year.''

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Hewitt to Meet Roddick in Melbourne

Lleyton Hewitt will play Andy Roddick in a battle of the former world number ones in round two of the Australian Open. Hewitt raised the Melbourne Park crowd's spirits with a four-set win over Cedrik-Marcel Stebe on Tuesday night, showing his renowned fighting qualities to stave off a determined fightback from the German.

Hewitt, now 30 and in need of a wild card to play in the tournament this year, prevailed 7-5 6-4 3-6 7-5 to set up his meeting with Roddick, who had earlier eased past Robin Haase.

The Aussie fans had been left stunned by defeat for their leading women's hope Sam Stosur earlier in the day and at one point it looked as if Hewitt, the 2005 runner-up in Melbourne, might go the same way.

After establishing a two-set lead, Hewitt relinquished control and Stebe stormed back into the contest. He took the third set and then opened a 5-1 lead in the fourth. However, from that point it all went wrong for the 21-year-old as Hewitt, roared on by a packed Rod Laver Arena, reeled off six straight games.

Roddick dismissed Haase in straight sets, winning 6-3 6-4 6-1. The American is a four-time semi-finalist in Melbourne but never a finalist.

Seeded 15 this year, he looked comfortable enough and was pleased with his display, saying: "The serve was real good. I only missed a couple of returns. You know, it felt as clean as it does for a first round in a Slam."

Looking ahead to playing Hewitt, he predicted the match could turn into an epic.

Roddick said: "I think when we play, numbers go out the door as far as the number next to our name as far as ranking (is concerned).

"I don't pay much attention to it when it comes to Lleyton. He knows how to win tennis matches.

"He's a fighter. I have as much respect for him as I do for anybody in the game, how he goes about his business, how he competes, how professional he is.

"I've won the most recent meetings, but I think out of the six that I've won, four or five have gone the distance to the last set. We always have a bit of a war. I probably don't see it being any different."

Earlier, defending champion Novak Djokovic opened his challenge with a commanding 6-2 6-0 6-0 victory over Paolo Lorenzi . The Italian tested Djokovic as best he could, but the world number one was he secured his place in the second round in a comfortable 90 minutes.

There was the odd lapse in concentration, notably in the third game of the opening set when a double fault and a low volley into the net gifted Lorenzi the first break of the match.

However, Djokovic tightened his game to break Lorenzi three times on his way to claiming the first set and won 17 games in a row to seal victory.

A lengthy and powerful duel in the opening game of the second set left the crowd anticipating a baseline battle for dominance, and while Djokovic was stretched, it was never too far as he swept through the set 6-0, winning it with a perfect forehand down the line.

Lorenzi never gave in, but found no answers to Djokovic's commanding arsenal or silky drop shots, powerful baseline play and skilfully placed volleys.

"It's great to be back here in Melbourne where I have the nicest memories of my tennis experience," Djokovic said. "This is the grand slam I've won twice, I always play well here."

Djokovic came into the tournament following a holiday and without an official match under his belt in 2012, but there was little evidence of rustiness.

"I wanted to have that period of preparation to really get ready for the Australian Open," he added. "Physically I think I'm stronger, I'm improving things by small margins. It's something that gives me a lot of confidence."

Andy Murray overcame a stuttering start to reach the second round with a four-set win over Ryan Harrison. The world number four was broken three times as he dropped the opening set on Hisense Arena against the highly-rated teenager.

However, Murray regrouped well to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory to keep the flag flying for Britain. And Murray praised Harrison afterwards, saying: "I remember when I was in that position when I was younger and there was no pressure on me. He came out and played some great tennis and I really had to dig in.

"He is one of the up-and-coming guys and I was expecting a tough match and that's what I got. I started to play better towards the end of the match, I had a few nerves at the start."

David Ferrer also cruised through to the second round with a comprehensive 6-1 6-4 6-2 win over Rui Machado. The fifth seed, a veteran of 37 consecutive grand slams and a semi-finalist last year at Melbourne Park, was never troubled by his rival from Portugal.

Ferrer broke Machado seven times in total en route to a straight-sets win.

Ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic was given a fright by Dmitry Tursunov.

The Serb stormed up the rankings in 2011 to finish inside the world's top 10 but it didn't look that way early on.

Tursunov, now 29 and heading towards the end of his career, took the first set and had chances to claim the second only to miss several set points.

Tipsarevic crucially edged the second-set tie-break and went on to record a 5-7 7-6 (14/12) 6-3 6-4 victory.

One of the game's rising stars, Milos Raonic won in straight sets, while Richard Gasquet (17), Kei Nishikori (24) and Alex Bogomolov Jr (32) were among the lower seeds to win.

However, number 29 Radek Stepanek went down in straight sets to Nicolas Mahut.

Melbourne Tourism News: Hewitt to Meet Roddick in Melbourne

Heat Returns to Victoria and the Tennis

Melbourne's hot night will turn into an even hotter day as tennis fans are being warned to expect sweltering heat.

Courtside at the Australian Open is tipped to hit 35 degrees on Tuesday.

The weather bureau is forecasting the high after the city tossed and turned through an overnight low that stayed above 24 degrees.

Ambulance Victoria paramedic team manager Brett Parker urged tennis fans to be sun smart during the day.

"It's easy to become dehydrated on a hot day," he said in a statement.

"If you can, get into the shade, into the cooler areas inside the buildings at the tennis. Have a bit of a break, maybe grab an ice cream of something."

Meanwhile, a total fire ban and severe fire risk warning is in place for the southwest and Wimmera parts of Victoria, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees. The rest of Victoria is rated high or very high.

Premier Ted Baillieu says Victorians need to still be alert for bushfire warnings as the high temperatures returned after two weeks of cooler weather.

"The benign weather that we've had over recent weeks should not in any way allow Victorians to be complacent about what lies ahead," Mr Baillieu said on Monday.

"The weather is drying, the weather is warming, we're approaching the peak season in February and now is the time for all Victorians in high-risk areas and those travelling into high-risk areas to think again, to refresh their plans, to practice their plans."

Grassfires are the primary concern for fire crews this year.

Heat Returns to Victoria and the Tennis

Tomic Ticks all the Boxes with his Gutsy Win

WORLD No.8 Mardy Fish has already hailed Bernard Tomic a superior talent, but Tomic yesterday showed competitive qualities even he was not sure he possessed.

What yesterday propelled the young Australian into the second round of the Australian Open should carry him much further still. This, unquestionably, was a major step.

For the second time in his career, Tomic recovered from a two-sets-to-love grand slam deficit against a higher-ranked opponent, but in far more testing circumstances on a scalding Rod Laver Arena. He beat 22nd seed Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 in more than four hours. It drew a standing ovation and was greeted, inside the locker room, with approving nods.

''He's a great player. He's going to be a great player. He already is,'' Fish said. ''He's gotten so much better since I played him in the fall. He was a good player then, too. He showed out there that he enjoys playing down here. He enjoys this surface. He enjoys playing during the day in the heat, all the conditions and variables that this tournament has. I mean, he's light years ahead of me now, but especially when I was 19, at that time. Very impressive.''

So that's another box ticked, then. Ability, we knew. So, too, a cagey, unorthodox style that can lure his opponents into error. But few could have been certain that his fighting qualities were a match for his instinctive court craft, world-class backhand and love of the big occasion. Now we know something more. Tick, tick, tick.

''You can learn about yourself, and how in the future you can play,'' said Tomic, who will play American Sam Querrey in tomorrow's second round. ''I think there's a lot of guys that get two sets to love down - especially in a grand slam it's the toughest thing to come back like that - and they throw the towel in. Anything's possible if you keep trying … Showed me what I'm capable of doing.''

Indeed, what used to be Lleyton Hewitt's time - the Aussie warrior routine in the afternoon-fightback slot - is now Tomic's. Baton handed. ''A lot of [Hewitt's] matches, same stories, did the impossible: turned around a match in this situation. I think it's a good thing that I can believe in myself at this age. It can only be better for me in the future … When I'm down, I can lift myself and give it a go always.''

Against Russian Igor Andreev at Wimbledon, when he trailed by two sets and a break, Tomic was able to recharge with an overnight break before resuming for the final two sets. This was tougher, better, more satisfying, and the first time in four years that Tomic earned direct main draw entry was also the fourth consecutive time the wildcard graduate had won his opening round. ''Today wasn't fun, it was torture,'' he quipped later. ''I really don't know how I won, so I'm going to recover. I'm the happiest person alive now.''

Indeed, he could have won the first set, and should have won the second; wounded by two awful forehand misses: one on break point in a lengthy ninth game of the first set, and another when holding a set point at 30-40 in the 12th game of the second. That one, which could have levelled the match, was a sitter, but instead plonked into the net. And by early in the third set, he was twice forced to save potentially decisive break-point chances, fortunate that Verdasco was suffering in the sweltering conditions, he later revealed, and unable to put foot on throat.

Tomic's rally came after what commentator Todd Woodbridge called a ''semi-tank'' early in the third, and what the world No.38 admitted was a display of foxing. ''I eased off and seemed I didn't care, and I think that's what [drew] him in a little bit tonight. He thought he was going to win that third set, and when the right time came, I broke him. After that, he started … not hitting his shots.''

While his pre-match decision to question Verdasco's recent form and divulge his exploit-the-backhand game plan did not backfire, Tomic admitted his request for a day match had not been smart. ''Silly me,'' he smiled, while acknowledging the benefits of a ramped-up fitness campaign with post-match treadmill sessions to prepare for such best-of-five situations. ''Did not know that the heat was going to be like this.''

Yet he cannot help but be conscious of the national investment. Australia is sweating on the success of Wimbledon's youngest quarter-finalist in 25 years and, although not yet the finished product, there are constant additions being made to the preliminary sketch. ''It's not a good feeling, especially when you're losing,'' he said. ''You see the fans just disappearing one by one. It's a tough feeling. Then you start winning and they come back one by one.''

Those who returned would have liked what they saw. Impossible not to. One to remember.

Stosur Shattered by Sydney Loss

Shattered Sam Stosur confessed to an emotional meltdown after her Australian Open preparations suffered another hammer blow with a first-round exit from the Sydney International.

Italian tormentor Francesca Schiavone heaped more misery on Stosur, sending Australia’s great hope packing with a 6-2 6-4 defeat in 88 minutes at Sydney Olympic Park.

“You do all the work leading up and you feel okay and then today all of a sudden it’s just like a bombshell hits you,” Stosur said.

“The whole emotional side of things really took over today. It never felt like I was able to be loose and free with the way I wanted to play.”

The painful loss followed Stosur’s second-round departure from the Brisbane International and left the world No.6 low on confidence and alarmingly short of match practice heading into the season’s first grand slam event starting on Monday.

“That’s what makes it so difficult. Melbourne is coming up and I want to start playing well,” the 27-year-old said.

“Being in Australia and playing in Australia, I want to play the best I can play and do it all here this month, right here right now.

“Then when it doesn’t happen, it’s obviously disappointing. It probably makes it more disappointing here than anywhere else.”

Stosur has now failed to venture beyond the second round in Sydney or Brisbane for the past three years and the US Open champion admitted she was finding it increasingly difficult to swallow the annual setbacks.

“I think it’s just the whole expectation I put on myself, too,” she said.

While Schiavone trails 6-4 in their career series, the crafty Italian has a nagging habit of raising her game for the big stage against Stosur.

The world No.11 famously denied Stosur for the first time in five meetings in the 2010 French Open final and then upstaged the Australian in a crucial Fed Cup rubber last February in Hobart.

“I think to play home, when you love something, is tough,” Schiavone said.

“But she has another chance and the bigger chance is Australian Open – the Australian Open will be different. She has big power and big shoulders to do it.”

Indeed, Stosur has bounced back from a first-round demise in Sydney before to make the second week in Melbourne two years ago, when she succumbed to eventual champion Serena Williams in the last 16.

While Schiavone is rated 11th in the world, Stosur was also taking some comfort in the fact she won’t run into a higher-ranked rival until at least the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.

Schiavone will meet Daniela Hantuchova for a quarter-final spot after the Slovak downed Italian Roberta Vinci 7-5 6-2.

Defending champion Li Na, third seed Victoria Azarenka and eighth seed Marion Bartoli also progressed to the last 16 on Monday.

Belarusian Azarenka faces a tougher second-round clash with former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic.

Bartoli beat Polona Hercog 6-3 6-3 to set up a showdown on Tuesday with Sydney-raised crowd favourite Jelena Dokic.

Dual grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova upset sixth-seeded Russian compatriot Vera Zvonareva 6-1 6-2 and Dominika Cibulkova defeated Peng Shuai 6-2 4-6 6-4 to book a meeting with world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki.

Stosur Shattered by Sydney Loss

Everyone Has a Chance in Melbourne, says Ivanovic

Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic believes the strength of women’s tennis means that anyone in the draw can win the Australian Open. Ivanovic’s preparations for Melbourne Park suffered yesterday, however, with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 loss to Lucie Safarova in the opening round at the Sydney International.

But the out-of-sorts Serb retained belief she would be one of the dozens of players in the hunt to win the Australian Open, starting on Jan. 16. The first round loss for Ivanovic, the former world number one and 2008 French Open champion, followed an early second round loss at Brisbane last week.

Yesterday, she was left to rue missing a regulation smash at 5-5 in the first set tiebreaker, revealing the unforced error played on her mind for the remainder of the match. “The whole first set came down to that one point,” Ivanovic told reporters. “Obviously it happens, it was just a very bad moment for it to happen. It’s a shot I feel very confident at. It’s definitely a little bit disappointing, but it happens and it took me a lot of time to recover.
“It’s tough. I keep replaying that shot in my mind throughout the whole match. I felt like that was the turning point. But still I came out in the second set and I served really well the first couple of games and had some chances. “I feel my game is still there. I have lost but it gives me time to go to Melbourne with plenty of time to tune up a few things.

“I had a good off-season and I just want to try and keep at it. It would be great to have a result straight away but sometimes it’s a process and it takes time.” The four women’s majors had four different winners last year: Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open, Li Na at the French Open, Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon and Sam Stosur at the US Open.

With the Australian Open beginning at Melbourne Park next week, Ivanovic believes the number of good players on tour make it hard to call a winner at Melbourne Park. “When I first started on tour I felt like the first few rounds the seeds would have an easy match,” the Serb said. “Now from the first round you have tough opponents. Everyone is playing well and aggressive and you really have to be tough from the first match on.

“Anyone, basically, can win. That’s exciting for everyone because everyone who is in the draw has the potential to go far.” Elsewhere in Sydney on Sunday, Australia’s Jelena Dokic trounced compatriot Isabella Holland 6-0 6-0 on Ken Rosewall Arena on a day when none of the seeds made an appearance. The big guns will be wheeled out from today.

“We all have days when it doesn’t go right but it’s professional sport, you can’t really be feeling sorry for anyone,” Dokic said of her opponent. Nine of the top ten women in the world are in a high-quality Sydney field. Top seed in the men’s draw is Argentina’s world number 11 Juan Martin del Potro.

Murray wins Brisbane International title - Tennis Brisbane International

Andy Murray is one tournament into a partnership with new coach Ivan Lendl and already it has netted a title.

The No. 4-ranked Murray warmed up for the Australian Open with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win over third-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov in the Brisbane International final.

The victory provided the ideal start to Murray's partnership with Lendl, and the eight-time Grand Slam winner was courtside for only the second time when the 24-year-old Scot lifted the Roy Emerson Trophy.

"I'd like to thank my team ... Mr. Lendl, he's up there somewhere, hiding," Murray said of his new coach. "It's my first week with this new team and it was good. I really enjoyed it. Hopefully it'll bring more success in the future.

The 24-year-old Murray's next task is the Australian Open, where he has lost the past two finals, to be 0-3 in major finals overall - a statistic he's desperate to improve. That's on top of all the pressure from home to end a drought for British men at the Grand Slam tournaments dating back to 1936.

His confidence high after capturing his 22nd ATP title, Murray will spend the next week in Melbourne preparing for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 16.

He raced through the first set against Doglopolov in 26 minutes - he didn't lose a point on his serve until the last game, when the Ukrainian twice had breakpoint chances but was unable to convert.

The No. 4-ranked Murray won nine straight games from 1-1 in the first to take the match away from Dolgopolov, who rallied briefly by winning three in a row - including his only service break to get the second set back to 4-3.

But Murray held to regain momentum and then broke Dolgopolov's serve for the fifth time in the match to finish it off in 65 minutes.

Murray started the week slowly, dropping the opening sets of his first two matches and complaining of aches and pains, but didn't lose a service game in the quarterfinal and semifinal as he gradually got his match fitness back up to speed. And he didn't show any sign of the groin strain which prematurely ended his 2011 season.

In recent season, Murray had played the Hopman Cup, the international mixed team competition in Perth, to start the Australian summer, but wanted to change into tournament mode immediately in 2012 and appeared in Brisbane for the first time.

A year on from losing the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic, Murray thinks he's a better contender for the title.

"I'd hope so, yeah. A year wiser. Had more experience. I've improved a few things in my game," Murray said. "I still played pretty good last year in Australia. I could play great tennis again and lose in the second or third round. Equally, could win the tournament if I play my best.

"If I play well, like I did this week, I give myself a good chance."

The 23-year-old Dolgopolov moved up to a year-end No. 15 ranking in 2011 and was aiming for his second ATP title, but was never in contention in the final.

He has now lost all three matches against Murray, including the Australian Open quarterfinals last year.

Dolgopolov strained his groin in his semifinal win over second-seeded Gilles Simon and wasn't at his peak against Murray.

"I'd like to say sorry for some boring tennis from me today," he told the crowd, "but that's the best I could do.

"I wasn't really fit and feeling good this week, but I made the final, so I'm really happy."

Murray wins Brisbane International title - Tennis Brisbane International

Brisbane International: Andy Murray Books Quarter Final Place With Win Over Gilles Muller

ANDY MURRAY continued to do it the hard way as he reached the last eight of the Brisbane International with a three-set win over Gilles Muller today.

The British number one went a set down for the second day in succession after a woeful final service game, but levelled after a second-set tie-break.

And he rampaged through the final set without dropping a game to complete a 4-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-0 success and set up a quarter-final against Marcos Baghdatis.

Muller comfortably held his opening service game and Murray responded in kind, despite double-faulting on his first game point.

Murray forced the match's first break point in game three but his opponent produced a big serve and went on to hold.

The match remained on serve as far as 3-3 and, though Muller was taken to multiple deuces in his next service game, he prevailed to move 4-3 up.

Murray followed his fifth ace with his second double fault but comfortably pulled level again, but he was left serving to stay in the set after Muller held once more.

And he was broken to love as Muller made the most of his increasingly dominant groundstrokes to close out the set 6-4.

While Murray's 64% first-serve success rate was solid, he had won just two of nine points on his second, exacerbated by those two doubles.

But he responded well to going a set behind, breaking in the first game of the second set courtesy of a superb return on second serve.

He defended the break and then pegged Muller back from 40-15 to deuce, but this time the Luxembourg player held firm.

And he broke back in the fourth game, with the aid of a fortunate cross-court winner off his backhand, and then held for a 3-2 lead.

An ace settled his next service game in his favour as the set score reached 4-3 and Murray was forced to dig deep when trailing 15-40 in the next game, two big serves denying Muller the chance to serve for the match.

It meant the world number four would instead have to serve to stay in it, but he did so to make it 5-5. A love hold for Muller forced him to repeat the feat, but he duly set up a tie-break and claimed an early mini-break.

Muller twice netted before Murray moved 6-2 up with an outlandish backhand winner, and he took his third set point to take the match into a decider.

He raced to a love hold in the opening game and followed it with another early break en route to a 3-0 lead.

A second break and a hold from 0-30 down meant Muller was the one serving to stay in the match - and he was unable to do so, Murray completing a final-set whitewash to seal a quarter-final spot.

Brisbane Accommodation at Metro Hotel Tower Mill

Perth Tourism News: The Hopman Cup is to Stay in Perth

THE official with the job of securing the operational rights of the Hopman Cup for Tennis Australia yesterday guaranteed the tournament's future remained in Perth.

Tennis Australia's commercial director Steve Ayles dismissed fears the national body, which has submitted a detailed proposal to the International Tennis Federation amid a review of the tournament, had any desire to downgrade or delete the event should it win the managerial rights.

He said Tennis Australia would happily accept any contractual requirements that would require the Hopman Cup, which will move from the Burswood Dome to the new Perth Arena next year, to be played in Western Australia under its current format.

"We have no interest in moving the week. We have no interest in moving the location," Ayles said.

"From our perspective it is an event that Perth really supports, really gets behind.

"We only have an interest in growing it, making it bigger and integrating it in with the Western Australian tennis community more than it currently is."

He questioned suggestions the field would be weakened if Tennis Australia, which runs the Brisbane International in the same week, were successful in its bidding.

Ayles said the Hopman Cup's history of hosting future winners of the Australian Open ensured quality players would always consider it an option.

Tournament director and founder Paul McNamee has lured 24 top-ranked players to Perth in its 24-year history.

"First of all, the players choose where they go for their preparation. Some players like the more relaxed nature of the Hopman Cup and some players prefer the more intense tour competition," Ayles said.

"The players will choose the best pathway to give them the best opportunity to win the Australian Open. That is what the Hopman Cup is about. That is what Brisbane is about . . . that is what those events do.

"Just look at the fields this year for both of the events. They have both attracted great fields and there is no reason why we can't grow that."

The Tennis Australia guarantee comes as McNamee yesterday said he feared for the future of the long-running event if the ITF chose to change management.

McNamee transferred ownership rights to the ITF, which is expected to decide on the rights to the tournament at a meeting in March, in 2002 in the belief it would secure its long-term future.

"I've been heavily involved since the beginning. I love the tournament," McNamee he said.

"There always needs to be transition and succession and everything else. That's normal. But I feel like I've earned the right to have a say in that transition."

The Hopman Cup is to Stay in Perth

No Longer a Work in Progress, Stosur Returns as a Star

Last year, when Sam Stosur began her campaign at the Brisbane International, her second round departure would be a harbinger for a meagre showing over coming weeks. At least she escaped before the rain engulfed centre court.

Defeat in her home town was followed by a third-round exit at the Australian Open in Melbourne. It was a disappointing return following an undisputed breakout season, where she made the final of the French Open and raised the expectations of Australian fans who hadn't hailed a female Grand Slam champion since Evonne Goolagong in 1980.

Even so, her near thing at Roland Garros didn't mean she was the star attraction in her home city's event. Her doubters remained to be convinced and with players of the quality of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin in the draw, Stosur wasn't to enjoy top billing.

Last night, the reigning US Open champion star strode out onto Pat Rafter Arena like she owned the place, confidently surging past Anastasiya Yakimova 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round in Brisbane.

She floated on a surge of emotion from a sold-out crowd that gave the top seed and world number six the most rousing of receptions. Stosur dismantled Yakimova with power and precision in the first set, before overcoming some rust and resistance in the second to advance to the next round, where she will face Czech Iveta Benesova.

If Stosur was nervous – and she said she was – she's one hell of a poker player. In the opening games, she peeled off winner after winner. From that point, with Yakimova clearly outgunned, it was always just a matter of time.

Stosur looked assured, focused and in total control of her game. She played like a woman who has finally found the missing piece to a puzzle she has been trying to complete since she was a teenager.

Brisbane's event has been elevated up the WTA food chain and the women's draw is stronger than ever. The presence of Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Clijsters and Andrea Petkovic has given organisers more than enough marketing ammunition.

Fans crowded into Pat Rafter Arena to see Samantha Stosur play last night. Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

But it is Stosur they came to see. The same tennis fans who were glued to their screens as Stosur soared – and Williams exploded – in New York last year paid up to get their seats to watch the show in the flesh.

“It's always nice to come home, play in front of a home crowd; where I'm from in Brisbane, a full house. If you're going to come out and play another match, why not start it like that?” Stosur said.

I've been looking forward to coming out and getting the year started so I'm happy with the way the first one went.”

Things have changed since Stosur upset Williams to win the US Open and the result has been a huge boost for tournament organisers. A crowd of 12,595, which was a record for any day of any year of the event, was testament to how much Stosur's dramatic victory has rekindled the interest of Australian tennis fans.

“Always when I come home, I get a great reception. Whether I'm in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, it's always a nice experience. Now I get recognised a lot more and more people know who I am and want to come out and watch. It probably shows – a first round, night session, it's pretty much sold out. The atmosphere was great,” Stosur said.

“If that's the impact that a player can have on a home tournament, then that's fantastic. I think, when you've got a player that's doing well, it feeds down.

“There are not many tournaments in the world that you can go to and you have a sold-out first couple of days. It shows how popular tennis is becoming again in Australia. To have a crowd like that first day, it can't get any better.”

Stosur has had little choice to embrace the big picture and her growing celebrity but she remains focused on improving her record in Australia, starting in Brisbane. She has never been past the second round but beat Benesova twice last year, in Rome and Paris.

She looks in immaculate physical shape and has clearly put in a rigorous pre-season to give herself every opportunity to fire. She did that last night, being aggressive from the first ball and continuing her attack even as she fended off five break points in the seventh game of the second set.

“I've done everything I possibly could to get in the best shape I can be. My pre-season went very well. I really felt like I was ready to start. What I learned over the past few years has really made me aware of what I need to get done,” Stosur said.

“Hopefully this will mean I'll stay fitter and stronger and healthier for the whole year.”

Shoulders loosened and homecoming match complete, Stosur is on her way to what she hopes are big things on friendly courts. That could include a semi-final against Williams at this event if the pair keeps winning.

For that rematch, they might have to build an extra stadium.

Quality Brisbane Accommodation available at Metro Hotel Tower Mill

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