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.

Murray is into his third straight Grand Slam final but he is rated by many observers as second-favourite to Djokovic, who has again shown his amazing resilience and played tennis of the highest order in Melbourne.

However, she said she was feeling positive about her tennis after reaching her first Grand Slam final since winning the 2011 French Open, in a return to form under new coach Carlos Rodriguez.

Azarenka drew criticism after her semi-final against Sloane Stephens, when she blew five match points and immediately called a medical timeout. When she returned, she broke the teenager's serve and won the match.

The Bryans now have six Australian Open titles to go along with four at the U.S. Open, two at Wimbledon and one at the French Open.

Australian Open runner-up Li Na and Serena Williams too are expected to rise in WTA rankings to be out on Monday.

This is the second Grand Slam victory for Victoria Azarenka, both Australian Open titles. Li Na won the French Open 2011, her only Grand Slam title.

Though Novak Djokovic leads Andy Murray overall, the Briton has risen in stature over the last year or so and the fate of the final thus hangs in a precarious balance.

Murray, with career prize money of $25 million, is now into his third straight Grand Slam final and his sixth overall, a rematch of last year's US Open decider and the 2011 Australian Open title match against Djokovic.