Melbourne  - Hard economic times have not come down too hard on Serena Williams with the second seed making a lightning raid on a Chapel Street boutique.

But the world number two might have tipped her hand that even she might be feeling the heat as she bought a pair of items from a rack filled with merchandise marked down to half-price.

Melbourne  - Russian Elena Dementieva charged Thursday to her 12th-straight victory in a stunning season start, powering into the third round of the Australian Open with 6-4, 6-1 ease over Iveta Benesova.

Fourth-seeded Dementieva, the Olympic champion, has won both of her WTA events this season in Auckland and Sydney to stand a perfect 12-0.

Melbourne, Australia  - Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian fans have threatened to ignite a Balkan boilover during early rounds at the Australian Open.

After a mini-riot on opening day in 2007, when 150 people were ejected from Melbourne Park and a police capsicum spray attack in the stands in 2008, this year's trouble was tame.

Tensions spilled over later at the beer tent with a few punches being thrown and several participants frog-marched out of the grounds by police officers.

Melbourne, Jan 21 : Former Aussie cricketer Shane Warne may not be a shy man, but he stayed mum when about any re-ignited romance with ex-wife Simone Callahan at a recent press conference.

Warne, who participated in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship for his sponsor 888poker, preferred not to comment on the state of their relationship.

However, he did say that Callahan wouldn''t be at Crown for the poker championship.

"She''s down at the beach with the kids," the Herald Sun quoted Warne as saying.

Melbourne, Jan. 21: Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds has been cleared to make his comeback from a knee injury this weekend - for club side Gold Coast.

Symonds, who underwent knee surgery after struggling through the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, returns to Queensland training tomorrow morning before suiting up for the Dolphins against Redlands on Saturday.

If he comes through that match unscathed, Symonds, 33, is in with a chance of playing for the Bulls in next week''s Sheffield Shield match against the Western Australia.

Melbourne, Jan. 21: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked Cricket Australia to hand back USD 100,000trophy given to the No. 1-ranked team.

Though Ricky Ponting''s side is still topping the list, Cricket Australia has been forced to return the ICC Test Champion trophy to Dubai after holding it for all eight years of its existence - apart from four months in 2003 when South Africa briefly claimed it.

Australia''s coming Test series in South Africa will decide which team has the No. 1 ranking and instead of waiting until the conclusion, the ICC has decided to take back the trophy now in anticipation that it could change hands.