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• Funeral for teenage Australian star killed by train

  - 2008-05-16

  MELBOURNE AFP — A teenage Australian actress and musician tragically killed when she fell and was struck by an oncoming train was buried in Melbourne on Friday. Seventeen-year-old Jessica Jacobs was known to global audiences for her roles in children's television shows such as "The Saddle Club". At...

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• Ivanovic up to second in women's tennis rankings

  - 2008-01-28

  PARIS AFP — Australian Open runner-up Ana Ivanovic has reached a career-high second in the ATP world rankings behind Justine Henin of Belgium. The 20-year-old Serb moves clear of Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia with her Serbian compatriot Jelena Jankovic staying in fourth and the winner in Melbourne, Maria Sharapova,...

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• Sister act wins Aussie Open women's doubles title

  - 2008-01-24

  MELBOURNE AFP — Unseeded Ukrainian sisters Alona Bondarenko and Kateryna Bondarenko made their breakthrough on the doubles circuit by storming to the Australian Open women's title Friday. The Kharkov-based duo came back from a set down to overwhelm Israel's Shahar Peer and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, the 12th seeds,...

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• Chinese pair inflict more pain on Serena

  - 2008-01-22

  MELBOURNE AFP — Chinese doubles pair Yan Zi and Jie Zheng inflicted more pain on the Williams clan Tuesday by beating Serena and Venus in the Australian Open quarter-finals. Serena backed up from her quarter-final singles loss to Jelena Jankovic just hours earlier to team with sister Venus as...

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• Don't write off the Williams sisters, warns Venus

  - 2008-01-22

  MELBOURNE AFP — Venus Williams vowed Wednesday that she and sister Serena would bounce back, warning it would be a mistake to think their era is over after a disappointing Australian Open. The American six-time Grand Slam champion was sent crashing out of the tournament in the quarter-finals by...

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• Venus hunts for elusive Australian title

  - 2008-01-11

  MELBOURNE AFP — Melbourne hasn't been a happy hunting ground for reigning Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, but she approaches the Australian Open this year in prime form. The six-time Grand Slam champion will be playing her ninth Australian Open, having made the final in 2003 and the semis in...

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• Williams proves critics wrong to take third Australian tennis title

  - 2007-01-26

  MELBOURNE AFP — An emotional Serena Williams swatted aside top seed and world number one Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open final to win her eighth Grand Slam and prove the critics wrong. Sharapova had no answer to Williams' booming serve and blistering returns as the American...

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• Unbreakable Williams gets grand slam show back on the road

  - 2005-01-29

  MELBOURNE, Australia AFP — On the eve of the Australian Open, above a story charting the dip in fortunes of the Williams sisters, a Melbourne newspaper asked in a headline: "Is the show almost over?" Two weeks later, her seventh grand slam title in the bag, Serena Williams provided...

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• Clijsters and Venus on collision course as seeds tumble

  - 2004-01-22

  MELBOURNE, Australia AFP ? Former world number one Venus Williams and a fast-improving Kim Clijsters stayed on course for a semi-final showdown as four more women's seeds tumbled out of the Australian Open. Williams, who is playing in her first tournament since losing last year's Wimbledon singles final to...

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• Henin-Hardenne ready for Williams shoot-out at Australian Open

  - 2004-01-17

  MELBOURNE, Australia AFP ? The imposing figure of Venus Williams is standing between Justine Henin-Hardenne and a third Grand Slam title as the Australian Open gets underway here. Injuries to former champions have decimated the women's field for the season's opening major, with last year's winner Serena Williams and...

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