Melbourne  - Legend Rod Laver worries that Lleyton Hewitt's hip surgery may have robbed the former number one of some of his famed speed around the court.

"He's lost a step or two, mostly because he's had the hip injury," said the last man to win the calendar Grand Slam in 1969. "There's also the fact that you've had a career, won a Wimbledon and the US Open. Now all of a sudden everyone is saying, 'Hey, you're still a young man, you're gonna win an Australian,' or whatever it might be.

Melbourne, Jan. 27 : Defending champion Novak Djokovic has quit the Australian Open, retiring from his quarter-final against Andy Roddick on Tuesday.

Djokovic, the No. 3-seed, from Serbia, was trailing the No. 7 seed, from the United States, 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-2 2-1 when he quit the match, after two-and-a-half hours, apparently suffering from heat stress.

Melbourne - Andy Roddick beat the heat as he ended the Australian Open title defence of Novak Djokovic with the Serbian retiring to hand over a 6-7, (3-7), 6-4, 6-2, 2-1 victory in their Tuesday quarter-final.

The pair played in 31 degree Celsius temperatures on the first day of a Melbourne heat wave which was predicted to bring on temperatures 10 degrees warmer by Wednesday.

The retirement after two hours, 29 minutes was the fourth at a Grand Slam for the delicate Djokovic.

Melbourne, Jan 27 : Rumours are abuzz that tennis star Mark Philippoussis, who recently broke-up with Irish-Indian model Siobhan Parekh, has a new women in his life.

Philippoussis had a new beauty cheering on his comeback at Melbourne Park, reports the Daily Telegraph.

He was supported by stunning Melbourne hairdresser Chantelle Theos, who was sitting courtside with the Poo''s posse.

Watching Philippoussis play in the Legends series, Theos then accompanied the tennis ace to Melbourne hot spot Eve, where they were snapped dancing and drinking.

Melbourne, Jan. 27 : Jelena Dokic''s fairytale Australian Open campaign could still be derailed should her tyrant father Damir choose to land up.

As she prepares for her quarter-final against world No. 3 Dinara Safina tonight, there are fears Dokic''s estranged father Damir - and his sniping from 15,000 km away in Serbia - could affect her renowned mental strength ahead of a match that will stop the nation.

The 25-year-old has made it clear she wants nothing to do with the man who forced her to leave Australia in 2001.

Melbourne - Vera Zvonareva booked the first of the semi-final places at the Australian Open on Tuesday as the Russian moved towards a breakthrough top five ranking with a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of Marion Bartoli.

Zvonareva is the forgotten figure among her more prominent Russian colleagues, her low-key profile assuring she remains in the shadows of the sport.

But the 24-year-old took her biggest step at a major with the victory over France's 2007 Wimbledon finalist.