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.

Here’s sad news for the Indian fans.

Sania Mirza bowed out of the singles event at the Australian Open singles event as the Indian teenager went down in straight sets to Russia’s Nadia Petrova.

Sania failed to reproduce her round one form, where she defeated Marta Domachowhska 6-1, 6-4.

Sania Mirza crashed out singles event following a 3-6, 2-6 second round loss to World number 10 Petrova, thus bringing down the curtains on India's singles challenge in the process. The 10th seed Petrova took just 70 minutes to beat the 22-year-old Indian girl from Hyderabad.

Melbourne - The slanging match between Casey Dellacqua and former Lleyton Hewitt coach Roger Rashed has intensified with the player insisting she is not overweight and out of shape as charged.

Rasheed, now the coach of Gael Monfils and a commentator at the Australian Open for the Seven network, said the Australian was not maximizing her fitness.

While Dellacqua certainly cannot be classified as svelte like contemporaries Alize Cornet or Dominika Cibulkova, the Perth player went ballistic when confronted with Rasheed's assessment that she was unfit.

Melbourne - Venus Williams might have been driven to distraction at the Australian Open, but the tribulations were nothing compared to the American's trials experienced on Melbourne roads.

Williams has been trying her luck with left-lane driving and gaining some experience in a city where tram lines make for difficult conditions, as they say on court.

"I drive everywhere," said the 28-year-old with seven Grand Slam titles. "I drive to Fitzroy. I've driven to St Kilda. I've driven downtown.

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 - 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.