In the Australian Open on Thursday, Mahesh Bhupathi chose to downplay his being on the edge of a career Grand Slam and what could have been a sparkling summit clash against Leander Paes.

Bhupati said after partnering Mark Knowles of the Bahamas to reach the men’s doubles final in the year’s first major, “I still have one more match to go.”

In the semi-finals, third seeded Bhupati and his partner Knowles beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Oliver Marach of Austria 6-3, 6-1.

Melbourne, Jan 30: Indian Pair Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi entered the finals of Australian Open mixed doubles after beating Czech duo Iveta Benesova and Lukas Dlouhy in straight sets.

The Indian pair beat their Czech rivals 6-4 6-1, and made into the finals of Australian Open for second consecutive year. They lost last year's final at the Melbourne Park.

Trailing in the opening set 1-3, Sania and Bhupathi stormed back to seal the match in just 54 minutes.

Melbourne, Jan. 30: World Number One Rafael Nadal has said that he will be wary when facing Fernando Verdasco and Nadal in today's semi-final, which has just begun.

Nadal, the French Open master and Wimbledon champion, is the world No. 1 and the greatest player Spain has produced and has not lost to Verdasco in six meetings. Verdasco has not reached anything like those heights but is in career-best form, having beaten tournament favourite Andy Murray and crowd favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The two Spaniards are great mates, both are left-handers and both have impressive, heavily top-spun, forehands.

Melbourne, Australia - Serena Williams set the stage on Friday for what she hopes is a multiple-title performance at the Australian Open as she and sister Venus won the women's doubles crown.

The Americans defeated Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-3, 6-3 for their eight major trophy together. It took just over an hour and a quarter.

It was their first at Melbourne Park since winning the team event in 2001 and 2003.

Melbourne, Jan. 30: Swiss tennis great Roger Federer swept to the brink of grand slam immortality by outclassing American Andy Roddick on Thursday night in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

Federer, 27, is within three winning sets of landing his 14th major and his fourth Melbourne Park crown after whipping Roddick 6-2 7-5
7-5.

Melbourne  - Jelena Dokic made more than a run to glory with her surprise Australian Open quarter-final. The comeback player also headed straight for the bank - the result of a new 680,000-dollar sponsor contract.

The 25-year-old, who nearly quit the game two years ago due to depression after a flame-out as a teenaged star and a split with her dominating father, has signed a deal with Australia's Jetstar airlines.