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 MADRID (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal issued a statement on Thursday saying he had met all his fiscal obligations after a Spanish website published details about several companies linked to the world number two it said had been set up to drastically trim his tax bill. The website Primeran (www.primeran.com) said the companies had been created with their domicile in the Basque region to take advantage of special tax rules designed to help local firms and had been used to radically cut the amount of tax paid on income from Nadal's image rights. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic waged war against Rafa Nadal for almost six hours in the longest grand slam final ever played to claim a third Australian Open title and leave the tortured Spaniard empty-handed yet again. The world number one, who has now beaten Nadal in the last three grand slam finals, looked dead and buried in a dramatic fifth set but dragged himself back from the brink to close out the match 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic waged war against Rafa Nadal for almost six hours in the longest grand slam final ever played to claim a third Australian Open title and leave the tortured Spaniard empty-handed yet again. The world number one, who has now beaten Nadal in the last three grand slam finals, looked dead and buried in a dramatic fifth set but dragged himself back from the brink to close out the match 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal soothed his disappointment at yet another loss to Novak Djokovic in the longest ever grand slam final by declaring he was at least free of the mental chokehold the Serb had placed him under throughout last year. The Spaniard threw everything at world number one Djokovic in the Australian Open final but still came up agonizingly short to lose 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5 in the early hours of Monday at Rod Laver Arena. ...
(Reuters) - Factbox on Novak Djokovic, who won his third Australian Open title at Melbourne Park on Monday, beating Spain's Rafa Nadal 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5 in the longest grand slam final ever. EARLY CAREER * Born: Belgrade, May 22, 1987 * Began playing tennis aged four. * His father was a professional skier and wanted his son to be a skier or professional soccer player but changed his mind when Djokovic excelled at tennis from an early age. MAKING HIS MARK * First full year on tour in 2005, made grand slam debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open, losing to Marat Safin in the first round. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic's powerful forehand finally started to find its range as he levelled the Australian Open final against Rafa Nadal at one-set each by grabbing the second set 6-4 on Sunday. The error-ridden first set had lasted 80 minutes, just two minutes shorter than the entire women's final on Saturday, and while Djokovic discovered his rhythm in the second the set still lasted 66 minutes. The Serb also put pressure on Nadal's serve at every opportunity and broke in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Victoria Azarenka sank to her knees in disbelieving triumph after winning her first grand slam singles title with a one-sided victory over Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final on Saturday. The 22-year-old simply bullied Sharapova into submission in a 6-3 6-0 victory lasting 82 minutes. Her dominance in Melbourne will be reflected in the world rankings on Monday when she takes top spot from Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek upset Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 6-2 to win the Australian Open doubles title on Saturday and foil the American twins' bid for a record 12th grand slam crown. India's Paes and Czech Stepanek, playing in their fourth tour event, broke the Bryans early in the second set and cruised to victory in front of a small but vocal crowd at Rod Laver Arena. Paes beat the Bryans for the first time in a final after five straight losses, including three at Melbourne Park, and completed a career grand slam of men's doubles titles. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Former world number one Maria Sharapova spent three years working her way back near the top of women's tennis following a shoulder injury in 2008. In 82 shambolic minutes, as she lost the Australian Open to Victoria Azarenka on Saturday, the Russian inspired little confidence that she might ever reach her halcyon days again. Fourth seed Sharapova's insipid 6-3 6-0 loss to the 22-year-old Belarusian followed her straight-sets thrashing by Petra Kvitova in last year's Wimbledon final. ...
(Reuters) - Factbox on Victoria Azarenka after she beat Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-0 in the final of the 2012 Australian Open on Saturday. Azarenka will become world number one when the latest rankings are released on Monday: - - - - EARLY LIFE * Born July 31, 1989 in Minsk, Belarus * Turns professional in 2003 * At 14 moves to Scottsdale, Arizona to train, where she was helped by NHL goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin's family to assimilate to the U.S. * Win's Australian Open and U.S. Open junior singles titles in 2005. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Having waited for years to shake up the tennis establishment, Novak Djokovic clung jealously to his throne as he marshaled his forces to put down an attempted coup by Andy Murray at the Australian Open on Friday. The Serbian's 6-3 3-6 6-7 6-1 7-5 semi-final win at the Rod Laver Arena ensured at least another few months of grand slam exile for the fourth-seeded Briton Murray, but also showed the price of power for world number one Djokovic. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva ground down the Italian pairing of Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani 5-7 6-4 6-3 to win the Australian Open women's doubles title on Friday. The unseeded Russians captured the decisive break in the second game of the third set at Rod Laver Arena and survived five break points before closing out the match on the third match point. The win secured the Fed Cup team mates their first grand slam doubles title in their first tour final, though each had won major doubles titles separately. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva ground down the Italian pairing of Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani 5-7 6-4 6-3 to win the Australian Open women's doubles title on Friday. The unseeded Russians captured the decisive break in the second game of the third set at Rod Laver Arena and survived five break points before closing out the match on the third match point. The win secured the Fed Cup team mates their first grand slam doubles title in their first tour final, though each had won major doubles titles separately. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Brief biographies of the women's finalists at the 2012 Australian Open on Saturday (prefix denotes seeding): - - - - Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) Age: 22 Seeded: Three Playing her first grand slam final, the previously hot-headed Belarusian admits to still having "meltdowns" but has tempered her behavior. Left home in Minsk at the age of 14 to train in Arizona. A tall, powerful right-hander, she is the first female grand slam finalist from Belarus since Natasha Zvereva reached the final at Roland Garros in 1988. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - There was no title at stake and no trophy to lift but Rafa Nadal's victory over Roger Federer in the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday added another glorious chapter to the greatest rivalry in tennis. While never quite reaching the epic highs of the classic 2009 final at Melbourne Park that reduced Federer to tears, Nadal's brilliant 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-4 win after three hours, 42 minutes was the perfect end to Australia Day at Rod Laver Arena. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - With queries over his form, fitness and motivation dogging him in the runup to the Australian Open, Rafa Nadal did not dream he would make the final. After a thrilling 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-4 win over his great rival Roger Federer at a tension-charged Rod Laver arena on Thursday the Spaniard credited his ability to defy the "impossible" for reaching a fourth consecutive final. "I think he started playing aggressive, very, very high level at the beginning of the match," Nadal told reporters after defeating the Swiss maestro. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - There was no title at stake and no trophy to lift but Rafa Nadal's victory over Roger Federer in the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday added another glorious chapter to the greatest rivalry in tennis. While never quite reaching the epic highs of the classic 2009 final at Melbourne Park that reduced Federer to tears, Nadal's brilliant 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-4 win after three hours, 42 minutes was the perfect end to Australia Day at Rod Laver Arena. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal had to console his great friend and rival Roger Federer the last time he beat him at the Australian Open in the 2009 final. No such consolation was necessary Thursday as the Swiss picked up his bag, waved to the crowd giving the duo a standing ovation after Nadal's 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-4 semi-final victory, and disappeared down the players' tunnel. "I prefer to walk off this way than having to go through the trophy ceremony after losing," Federer told reporters. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Fourth seed Maria Sharapova overcame a second set rally by second seed Petra Kvitova to advance to her third Australian Open final with a 6-2 3-6 6-4 victory on Thursday. Sharapova will now meet third seed Victoria Azarenka in the women's final on Saturday after the Belarusian beat 2011 champion Kim Clijsters 6-4 1-6 6-3 earlier.
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Victoria Azarenka reached her first grand slam final with a 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory over defending champion Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open on Thursday. Azarenka overpowered the Belgian from the baseline in the first set but her game fell apart early in the second. However, the 22-year-old Azarenka regathered her composure with a strong deciding set to wrap up the semi-final in two hours, 12 minutes. "I felt like my hand is about 200kg and my body is about 1,000 and everything is shaking," said the Belarussian, emotion etched over her face. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Victoria Azarenka reached her first grand slam final with a 6-4 1-6 6-3 victory over defending champion Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open on Thursday. Azarenka overpowered the Belgian from the baseline in the first set but her game fell apart early in the second. However, the 22-year-old Azarenka regathered her composure with a strong deciding set to wrap up the semi-final in two hours, 12 minutes. "I felt like my hand is about 200kg and my body is about 1,000 and everything is shaking," said the Belarusian, emotion etched over her face. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Champion Novak Djokovic overcame a leg strain and breathing difficulties to grind down David Ferrer 6-4 7-6 6-1 at the Australian Open on Wednesday and set up an intriguing re-match of last year's final with Andy Murray. Leading 2-1 in the second set of his quarter-final against the Spaniard, Djokovic lurched awkwardly when chasing a ball to defend a break point, and grimaced in pain as he clutched his left leg. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic survived an energy-sapping streetfight with David Ferrer and Andy Murray cut Kei Nishikori down to size to reach the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday. Defending champion Djokovic appeared to tweak a hamstring early in the second set as he lunged along the baseline but ground out a 6-4 7-6 6-1 win in two hours, 44 minutes. Briton Murray had a far less taxing time against Japanese Nishikori, who was walking tall after a shock win over world number six Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Andy Murray shrugged off a sore neck to end Kei Nishikori's brilliant run at the Australian Open on Wednesday, carving up the Japanese with a dominant 6-3 6-3 6-1 victory to stroll into his third successive semi-final at Melbourne Park. Nishikori, the first Japanese man through to the last eight in Melbourne for 80 years, won support from kimono-clad fans as the underdog at sun-bathed Rod Laver Arena, but left with his tail between his legs after a two-hour 12-minute spanking. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Kei Nishikori's Australian Open adventure came to an abrupt halt against Andy Murray on Wednesday, but the fleet-footed Japanese was pleased with his "fantastic" week and promised to come back stronger. The slim-built 22-year-old had set himself a target of making the top 20 in 2011 but will have to raise his goals after already achieving the milestone with his superb quarter-final run at Melbourne Park. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Li Na and Peng Shuai's early exit from the Australian Open will effect its television penetration in China this year, but organizers are confident their long-term Asian strategy can offset the effects of any 'great switch off'. Li's progress to last year's women's singles final witnessed a massive increase in cumulative television figures in China from 59 million in 2010 to 135 million in 2011, with almost 18 million tuning in for the title decider against Kim Clijsters. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Russia's Maria Sharapova booked her spot in the last four of the Australian Open on Wednesday with a surprisingly straightforward 6-2 6-3 win over compatriot Ekaterina Makarova. Makarova had stunned five-times champion Serena Williams in the fourth round but her performance against the world number four was a major let down as Sharapova closed out the win in a little under 90 minutes. She will now get the chance to avenge her 2011 Wimbledon final defeat to Petra Kvitova after the Czech bounced Italian Sara Errani out in their earlier quarter-final encounter. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Caroline Wozniacki must grit her teeth and go toe-to-toe with the power players of women's tennis because they are not going away anytime soon, says former world number one Martina Hingis. Wozniacki was bundled out of the Australian Open by champion Kim Clijsters in the quarter-finals Tuesday and consequently will lose the world's top ranking at the end of the tournament, having been battered by the powerful Belgian. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A fired-up Rafa Nadal survived a huge scare from big-hitting Czech Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open on Tuesday to prevail 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-3 and set up a mouthwatering semi-final with great rival Roger Federer. A set down and facing set point in the second, Nadal dug himself out of a cavernous hole then roared to victory after a taxing four-hour tussle under the lights at a frenzied Rod Laver Arena. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - David Ferrer has moved almost unnoticed into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open but world number one Novak Djokovic knows the serious threat the Spaniard will pose Wednesday. The fifth-seeded Ferrer has been shunted on to the outside courts in his four matches so far at Melbourne Park, attracting little attention despite coming into the tournament having already won the Auckland Open. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A fired-up Rafa Nadal survived a huge scare from big-hitting Czech Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open on Tuesday to prevail 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-3 and set up a mouthwatering semi-final with great rival Roger Federer. A set down and facing set point in the second, Nadal dug himself out of a cavernous hole then roared to victory after a taxing four-hour tussle under the lights at a frenzied Rod Laver Arena. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Given the avalanche of criticism Caroline Wozniacki received for being world number one without winning a grand slam, the Dane could be forgiven if she never wanted her top ranking back. But Wozniacki, who was dumped out of the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday by Kim Clijsters and is now set to be dethroned at the top of the women's rankings, says it is just a matter of time before she reclaims her crown. The Dane's reign as number one has been a constant source of debate over the last two years. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Roger Federer thrashed Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4 6-3 6-2 to reach the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday, exorcising a grand slam demon against the Argentine in his 1,000th tour match. The Swiss, chasing a 17th grand slam crown and fifth in Melbourne, was never seriously threatened in their first meeting in a major since losing the 2009 U.S. Open final. But in scorching heat at Rod Laver Arena, the third seed wobbled when serving for the second set, perhaps mindful of how he surrendered the title at Flushing Meadows from exactly the same position. ...
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm has some simple advice for Kei Nishikori as he prepares for his Australian Open quarter-final against world number four Andy Murray on Wednesday. Concentrate only on what you can do on court. And enjoy it. Nishikori is the standard bearer for Japanese and Asian men's tennis having reached number 26 in the world. On Wednesday, when he faces Briton Murray, he will become the first Japanese man to play in the Australian Open quarter-finals since Ryosuki Nunoi and Jiro Satoh in 1932. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Champion Kim Clijsters ended Caroline Wozniacki's Australian Open title hopes and her hold on the world's top ranking on Tuesday when she beat the 21-year-old 6-3 7-6 to advance to a semi-final against Victoria Azarenka. The Dane had needed to reach the semi-finals at Melbourne Park to have a chance of retaining the number one ranking, and is now projected by the WTA to slip to at least number three at the conclusion of the tournament. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Third seed Victoria Azarenka roared back from a set down to beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-7 6-0 6-2 and reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday. The Wimbledon semi-finalist, who beat the Pole on the way to winning in Sydney earlier this month, looked in trouble when she lost a first set tiebreak 7-0. However, Azarenka turned the tables in the second set, running Radwanska ragged from the baseline, before carrying the momentum into the third and sealing the win in a little over two hours. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Third seed Victoria Azarenka roared back from a set down to beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-7 6-0 6-2 and reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday. The Wimbledon semi-finalist, who beat the Pole on the way to winning in Sydney earlier this month, looked in trouble when she lost a first set tiebreak 7-0. However, Azarenka turned the tables in the second set, running Radwanska ragged from the baseline, before carrying the momentum into the third and sealing the win in a little over two hours. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Five-times champion Serena Williams lost for the first time in four years at the Australian Open Monday but Novak Djokovic moved into the quarter-finals despite picking up a few battle scars against Lleyton Hewitt. The American, a dominant force at the year's first grand slam for the past decade, showed signs of wear and tear as she crashed 6-2 6-3 to world number 56 Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round, ending a 17-match winning streak here. Maria Sharapova was also staring into the abyss against Sabine Lisicky before surviving for a 3-6 6-2 6-3 win. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic weathered a gallant challenge from a tenacious Lleyton Hewitt to send the last Australian in the draw packing and make the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday. The 30-year-old Hewitt rode the crowd's emotion at the packed Rod Laver Arena to poach a set off the world number one before going down fighting 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-3. ...
 MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic weathered a gallant challenge from a tenacious Lleyton Hewitt to send the last Australian in the draw packing and make the quarter-finals of the Australian Open Monday. The 30-year-old Hewitt rode the crowd's emotion at the packed Rod Laver Arena to poach a set off the world number one before going down fighting 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-3. ...
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