Stosur stands alone in seeding

Linda Pearce Rankings dip means lone seed could meet any player in top eight as early as fourth round.

No-shows a go for the Open-minded

Linda Pearce The lead-up to the Australian Open has been notable for those who have been absent.

What, me Murray?

Linda Pearce For the reigning US Open champion the pressure to win a major is off, but he's sure that 2013 will bring new challenges.

Tennis

Near miss as Tomic gets a spot

Linda Pearce A stroke of luck for Bernard Tomic is a reprieve for a withdrawal-depleted Australian tournament.

New wunderkind in world tennis

Linda Pearce, Brisbane Grigor Dimitrov will contest his maiden ATP World Tour final at the Brisbane International.

Eight is enough

Linda Pearce Petra Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, was close to claiming top billing in the world a year ago, but she is content to be heading into 2013 as world No. 8.

Tennis

Azarenka foots cost of pedicure with forfeit in semi-final

Linda Pearce AN OVERZEALOUS pedicurist has been fingered for disrupting the Australian Open preparation of defending champion Victoria Azarenka, who withdrew from Friday night's Brisbane International semi-final...

Tennis

Injury forces Azarenka out of Williams clash

Linda Pearce A bad pedicure has been fingered for disrupting the Australian Open preparation of defending champion Victoria Azarenka.

Tennis

Woodbridge weighs Fed Cup role

Linda Pearce, Brisbane Alicia Molik and Rennae Stubbs are among the confirmed candidates for the Fed Cup captaincy vacated by David Taylor last month, with the possibility of a surprise late expression of interest from...

Tennis

Oh, Tomic, what a difference a year makes

Linda Pearce Bernard Tomic continues his winning run at the Hopman Cup on Thursday night with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over world No. 23 Andreas Seppi.

Tennis

Bright start, and the attitude is refreshing

Linda Pearce Bernard Tomic is showing the promising signs of some harsh lessons learnt and hard work completed.

Tennis

Hewitt finds plenty of positives in early exit

Linda Pearce LLEYTON HEWITT will head to Melbourne with a 1-1 record from his only two official tournament matches before the Australian Open, his body no longer giving him any pain but still with some work to do...

Bravo to Tomic for a makeover well done

Linda Pearce In recent months it has seemed that the only possible upside to Bernard Tomic's undignified stumble through the second half of the year was that it would temper Australian Open expectations as a...

Hewitt prevails against fellow veteran

Linda Pearce Australia pushed to three sets by world No.162 Igor Kunitsyn at Brisbane International.

Gajdosova's luck runs out as she returns to erratic ways

Linda Pearce IF JARMILA GAJDOSOVA was considered lucky to avoid a second-round meeting with injured world No. 2 Maria Sharapova at the Brisbane International, and instead play replacement Lesia Tsurenko, the...

Tennis

One Australian's luck runs out as Hewitt waits

Linda Pearce, Brisbane Jarmila Gajdosova leaves in a flurry of errors, the last Australian woman to exit main draw.

Eagle gets nod as coach

Linda Pearce, Brisbane Queenslander appointed Davis Cup coach as part of a strategic overhaul.

Tennis

Home courts not only a problem for Stosur

Linda Pearce How does Stosur avoid another grim ending to what is looming as a depressingly familiar script?

Tennis

Monkey gone, Murray more at ease

Linda Pearce Andy Murray was a little worried that his pleasant life would be upended by his US Open win.

Tennis

Year of woe ends on a low for Wozniacki

Linda Pearce BY A quirk of the calendar, Caroline Wozniacki's opening match of the season fell on the last day of a year to forget. Or regret, perhaps. From first to 10th in 12 months.