Melbourne, Jan. 28 : The New Zealand one-day team, which arrived in Australia on Tuesday, has warned that it aims to extend Australian captain Ricky Ponting''s misery during the remaining part of the summer.

With Ponting''s side reeling from Test and one-day series losses to South Africa and Australia battling to retain its No. 1 ranking, the Black Caps feel that this could be the ideal time to take on the world champion.

Melbourne, Jan. 28 : Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds may just get away with a fine for his abusive radio rant on New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman Brendon McCullum.

According to Fox Sports, the troubled cricketer can be fined 5750 dollars and may not be suspended for more serious offences under the Code of Conduct provisions.

His most serious breaches include turning up drunk for a one-dayer during the 2005 Ashes and being sent home from Darwin last year in the aftermath of the infamous "gone fishing" affair.

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.

On Tuesday, at Melbourne Park, Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles were successful into reaching the Australian Open doubles semi-finals as they presented Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco a strong defeat.

A total of 88 minutes were taken by the third seeded Indo-Bahamian pair to defeat the Spanish duo 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in their quarter-final clash.

Bhupati-Knowles were able to sail to the next level, even when Lopez-Verdasco showed some resistance in the second set, winning it 6-2.