Melbourne, Australia  - Elena Dementieva kept her dream of a possible number one WTA ranking alive as she stormed past Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday and into her first semi-final at the Australian Open.

"It only took me ten years to get here," joked the Russian fourth seed who spent just over 90 minutes in burning 39.5 degrees Celsius heat as summer weather took hold in Melbourne,

Melbourne  - Aussie-to-be Jarmila Gajdosova, born a Slovak, is running out of patience with the glacial pace of the Down Under bureaucracy.

The 21-year-old has been in the queue for citizenship in her intended tennis nation after moving to Melbourne to demonstrate her good faith.

"We've done everything we could, and it's (the government's) decision now. Tennis Australia is very confident the answer will be yes," she told local media. "I'd love to be playing as an Australian through the whole year."

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.