Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Agassi and Davenport give Open thumbs up
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-17 09:19

Former champions Andre Agassi and Lindsay Davenport have declared themselves certain starters for the Australian Open but Russian Elena Dementieva remains in doubt as she battles to recover from heat illness.

Serena Williams, the 2003 women's champion in Melbourne, opens the action on Monday against Frenchwoman Camille Pin in an injury-hit women's singles draw which is without last year's finalists Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters.

Defending champion Roger Federer is to follow Williams on to Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, where he will begin his title defence against French veteran Fabrice Santoro.

With Henin-Hardenne, Clijsters and former champion Jennifer Capriati all out injured, organisers of the season-opening grand slam breathed a sigh of relief when Davenport gave them the thumbs up after a bout of bronchitis in Sydney last week.

Davenport, the top seed and 2000 Australian Open champion, managed only one match at the Sydney International but said she had recovered after two days of rest and some practice.

"I'm feeling better and I'm 100 percent playing," said Davenport, who seemed almost certain to retire after her Wimbledon semi-final loss to Russian Maria Sharapova but who ended the year as number one after a golden run of form.

VETERANS MEET

"I've definitely got some more energy the last few days, gotten most of my voice back, so much better," she said.

The American is due to take on 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez of Spain in the first round on Tuesday.

Sixth seed Dementieva was far less certain after falling victim to scorching Australian summer temperatures and pulling out of the Sydney International on Friday.

The French and U.S. Open runner-up spent two days in bed trying to recover but was still unable to hit a ball by Sunday afternoon.

"This is the first day I've been able to get out of bed," Dementieva told Reuters. "I feel like I'm getting better but I'm still not 100 percent."

Dementieva is due to play Ukraine's Alyona Bondarenko in the first round on Tuesday but said she would not make a decision on her fitness until Monday.

With the Open marking its 100th year, Agassi gave organisers reason to celebrate when he confirmed he had overcome a hip injury suffered in a warm-up even last week.

AGASSI READY

Agassi, whose late-blooming love affair with Melbourne began in 1995 with the first of his four titles, is seeded eighth this year and will face German qualifier Dieter Kindlmann in the opening round on Monday.

The hip injury sparked concern that 34-year-old Agassi had played his last match in Melbourne but he came through a hastily arranged exhibition match against Tim Henman on Saturday and pronounced himself ready to go.

"I pulled up pretty well after two hours of play yesterday so that's a good sign," Agassi said.

"I'm a 100 percent starter and I'll be out there giving it everything I've got," he said.

With the Federer express showing no signs of slowing, most of the pre-tournament attention has focused on who would be able to derail the Swiss right-hander's bid to win a second Australian title.

Hewitt, who lost all six of his matches against Federer last year, is seeded to meet the Swiss in the final, with the Australian again carrying the hopes of a host nation without a homegrown men's champion since 1976.



Peng Shuai wins over Nadia Petrova
League Cup: Man Utd 0-0 Chelsea
Australian Open to kick off next week
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Cross-Straits jets ready for take-off

 

   
 

'Go-west' speeds up in next five years

 

   
 

80 officials entangled in bank loan swindle

 

   
 

Japan maps plan to defend southern islands

 

   
 

Party issues outline to fight corruption

 

   
 

Unpredictable year ahead for stock market

 

   
  Rockets edge Spurs, 73-67
   
  Curry layup puts Bulls over Knicks 86-84
   
  Man United beats Liverpool in Premier
   
  Beijing lists 8 criteria for 'high level' Olympics
   
  Ren Hui cruises to Winter Universiade win
   
  Sports stars play charity games for tsunami relief
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产综合色在线精品| 欧美aaaaaa级爽激情会所| 国产乱弄免费视频| videos性欧美| 国产麻豆精品精东影业av网站 | 欧美黑人xxxx性高清版| 四虎在线最新永久免费| 黑白禁区在线观看免费版| 国产精品爽爽va在线观看无码| jizz在线免费观看| 成人毛片在线播放| 久久九九国产精品怡红院| 最新无码a∨在线观看| 亚洲国产成人久久综合碰| 法国性经典xxxxhd| 人妻丰满熟妇av无码区| 精品一区二区三区在线视频| 国产1区2区3区在线观看| 露脸自拍[62p]| 国产成人免费午夜在线观看| 福利视频导航网站| 国产精品白嫩在线观看| 99精品全国免费观看视频| 女女同恋のレズビアン漫画| 两个人看的www视频日本| 无码一区二区三区免费| 久久亚洲欧美国产精品| 日韩免费中文字幕| 久久精品视频7| 日韩黄a级成人毛片| 久青青在线观看视频国产| 欧美18videos极品massage| 亚洲国产精品人久久电影| 欧美精品一区二区久久| 亚洲精品无码不卡在线播放 | lisaannxxxxx| 娇妻当着我的面被4p经历| 一级片一级毛片| 很黄很色裸乳视频网站| 中国好声音第二季免费播放| 成年人黄色毛片|