Australian Open 2013 News

Leander Paes' doubles partner Radek Stepanek underwent spinal surgery on Monday and will be out for an indefinite period. Paes said Stepanek had a back problem from last year itself.

Australian Open champion Novak Djokivic retains top spot in the latest ATP rankings. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal has slipped out of the world's top four for the first time in more than seven years.

A master at playing to his audience, Djokovic came with several boxes of chocolates to his post-match news conference and then played host as he distributed them to a room packed with journalists.

Murray, US Open trophy in his cabinet and a veteran of six Grand Slam finals already, shed no tears for the loss against Djokovic and gave an assured speech in defeat.

Djokovic once had a reputation for retirements, seen graphically at the 2009 Australian Open when, as defending champion, he pulled out of his quarter-final with Andy Roddick citing exhaustion in the extreme heat. But Djokovic underwent a transformation.

Li became the first Asian to win a Grand Slam title when she triumphed at the French Open in 2011, but after that she struggled to adjust to her new status as a major champion.

Novak Djokovic wore down Andy Murray in a gruelling four-set final to clinch a hat-trick of Australian Open titles on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.

Now comes the rest of the season, and high on the list is improving her lopsided won one, lost 11 record against the mighty Williams, considered easily the best women's player when fit.

The Henan Evening News praised Li, 30, for her performance as one of the older players in top-flight women's tennis, saying: "That (Li) is still full of competitiveness is itself a miracle".

Li Na, 30, took the positives from her campaign, which included big wins over higher-ranked duo Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska, and hoped she could carry her resurgent form into the rest of the season.