Melbourne  - Balkan passions played out on court while fans remained restrained as Serb Novak Djokovic posted a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win Friday over Bosnian-American Amer Delic to advance at the Australian Open.

While police reported that a handful of unidentified troublemakers were turfed out the gates of Melbourne Park for scuffles and chair throwing in the beer garden park, the atmosphere for the heated third-round match could only be classified as a low simmer.

Melbourne - Holder Novak Djokovic survived a struggle with Bosnian-American Amer Delic to win a battle of the Balkans 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) for a place in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.

Serbian Djokovic, seeded third and defending a major title for the first time, saved a pair of set points in the tenth game of the fourth which would have allowed lucky loser Delic to take the contest into a deciding fifth set.

Delic played well over his ranking of 127, hammering 16 aces in a contest stretching past the three-hour mark.

Melbourne, Jan. 23 : Outspoken Islamic cleric Abu Hamza has branded Australians as boozers who are hooked on gambling and prostitution.

In another sermon broadcast over the Internet, the Melbourne cleric urged followers to spread the word of Islam to save Australians, the Herald Sun reports.

Melbourne - Third seed Dinara Safina stayed on course for a shot next week at the number one WTA ranking, gaining a Friday win for the Safin family hours before her brother Marat was to face Roger Federer.

Safina, the losing finalist at the French Open, reached the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time in her career, posting a 6-2 6-2 win over Kaia Kanepi.

Safina is one of three women chasing Jelena Jankovic in the rankings with a title next Sunday enough to assure the 22-year-old of the breakthrough top spot.

Melbourne, Jan. 22 : Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has spoken out against the bookies' decision to rate Andy Murray, the world's fourth-ranked player, as equal favourite for the tournament alongside Roger Federer.

Djokovic, who eased through his second-round match against Jeremy Chardy in straight sets, believes that the three leading contenders for the title are the same players who won grand slam events last year: himself, Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

Melbourne - The Australian Open diet of choice for Marcos Baghdatis certainly breaks a few training rules with the Cypriot currently unable to resist lashings of Greek food.

Team Baghdatis has visited a Greek deli on Melbourne's elite shopping-and-eating Chapel Street at least three times, according to the gossip press.

Local media reported the 2006 finalist and his coach have treated themselves to dishes including spit-roasted lamb and the melted cheese delight of saganaki - hardly the food of champions.