Over 1 million pilgrims benefit from golf cart service at Grand Mosque during Ramadan    Visitors welcomed with Eid initiative at Thee Ain Heritage Village in Al-Baha    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Messi's bodyguard banned from touchline at Inter Miami games    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Le Pen vows to appeal political ban, calls verdict a 'denial of democracy'    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 2,719 as rescue efforts continue    Russia, Ukraine trade blame over new energy strikes    Putin orders Russia's largest military call-up in over a decade    Albania hosts MWL chief for Eid sermon at largest mosque in the Balkans    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Serena and Venus in same half
By John Pye
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 01 - 2010

The Williams sisters are on one side of the Australian Open draw. Most of the early intrigue is on the other side, with Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.
Defending champion Serena Williams can't meet her sister, sixth-seeded Venus, until the semifinals at the Australian Open, which starts Monday.
If Henin is to get that far in her Grand Slam comeback, she could have to beat Olympic champion and fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva in the second round and US Open champion Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals. That's if Henin gets past fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in the first round.
“Every match – first round and then potential second round and third rounds – it's arguably some of the best tennis we're going to see for a long time,” tournament director Craig Tiley said at Friday's draw at Melbourne Park.
It was Clijsters' run to the US Open title in only her third tournament back from retirement – including a semifinal win over 2008 champion Serena Williams – that inspired Henin to return to the tour.
On the same side as Clijsters and Henin but in the bottom section, 2008 champion Maria Sharapova could meet No. 2-ranked Dinara Safina, routed by Williams in the final here last year, in the fourth round and No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the reigning French Open champion, in the quarters.
Sharapova was unable to defend her title at Melbourne Park last year following surgery on her right shoulder that kept her off the tour for 10 months.
Roger Federer is on top of the men's draw, on the same half as No. 3 Novak Djokovic. The other leading contenders are on the other side: defending champion Rafael Nadal and Britain's Andy Murray are in the same section; US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick are in the same quarter.
Federer will play Igor Andreev of Russia in the first round, could face former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt or 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis in the fourth round, and someone like Fernando Verdasco or sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko in the quarters before a chance at Djokovic in the semis. Davydenko beat Federer last week in Doha, and has won six titles since August.
Djokovic had an upset win over Federer in the 2008 Australian Open semifinals, then won the final. He hasn't won another major since.
Federer, meanwhile, won his 14th and 15th Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon last year to break Pete Sampras' record for most men's singles majors.
Federer won three Australian titles and lost to the winner here three other times over the last six years.
Last year, it was Nadal in the final, when the Spaniard was ranked No. 1 and won a major for the first time on hardcourts.
Andy Murray lost rankings points by not defending his Doha title this year and it cost him. He dropped out of the top four for the first time since 2008, meaning he couldn't avoid having one of the top players in his section. He'll have to beat Nadal to make the semifinals.
Serena Williams, the defending champion and No. 1 seed, will take on Urszula Radwanska of Poland in her first-round match and could play Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, who had an upset win over Venus in the second round here last year, in the third round.
Her likely quarterfinal rivals are No. 7 Victoria Azakrenka of Belarus or 2008 Australian runner-up Ana Ivanovic.
“It's the strongest field we've had for a long, long time,” Ivanovic said at the draw. “It's exciting to be part of ... so many former No. 1 players. If you're going to win a Grand Slam, you want to deserve it.” Ivanovic is among the eight former No. 1-ranked players in the 128-strong women's draw. Along with Serena and Venus Williams, the others are: Henin, who spent a total of 117 weeks at the top and quit when she was ahead in May 2008, Clijsters, Safina, Sharapova and eighth


Clic here to read the story from its source.