Henriques out of Windies ODI opener

Setback ... Moises Henriques' return to international cricket had been going well. Source: AAP

Moises Henriques has been ruled out of Australia's series-opening one day international with the West Indies, and remains in doubt for the second clash, after having surgery on his injured right index finger on Saturday.

Henriques underwent a minor surgical procedure on Saturday afternoon to alleviate concerns over increased swelling around the finger.

The 25-year-old will not be able to train for at least a week, certainly ruling him out of the opening clash against the West Indies at the WACA on Friday, and leaving him extreme doubt for game two at the same venue on Sunday.

It is a devastating blow for the talented allrounder, who ended a three-year exile from the international scene with his ODI call-up this month and is pushing his case for selection in next month's four-Test tour of India.

Henriques had his best performance in Australia colours in the fifth ODI against Sri Lanka in Hobart on Wednesday, taking three valuable wickets in the 32-run victory.

''Due to concern over increasing swelling and infection Moises was reviewed by a Sydney hand specialist this afternoon and has undergone a minor surgical procedure,'' NSW team physiotherapist Murray Ryan said.

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''Moises will be unable to play or train for at least one week. His availability for state and international cricket will be determined as the injury heals.''

Henriques sustained the injury initially when he was hit on the hand while training with the Australia team in the lead-up to last week's ODI against Sri Lanka at the Gabba.

He then aggravated it while batting for NSW in the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at Blacktown International Sportspark.

Henriques was struck on the hand during a brutal spell from Nathan Coulter-Nile on Friday, twice receiving treatment on the field while wincing in pain.

But he played through battering to score a crucial 71 and give NSW a 102-run first innings lead.

He will also miss the Blues domestic one day game on Wednesday against Western Australia.

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Victory win drama-filled Big Blue

Battle ... Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson (R) takes on Thyan Grant. Source: AAP

They may have come to see Alessandro Del Piero, but they left talking about Marco Rojas as Melbourne Victory put the rest of the A-League on notice with a 3-1 mauling of Sydney FC on Saturday evening.

The Victory bossed and battered a Sky Blues team which finished the match with nine men in a compelling display at a sold-out AAMI Park.

Second-half efforts from Archie Thompson and Rojas, following a 24th-minute deflected own goal from Sydney defender Seb Ryall, capped a dominant performance from the hosts.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Central Coast	18	11	5	2	17	38
2	Victory	18	10	3	5	3	33
3	Adelaide	18	10	2	6	4	32
4	Western Sydney	17	9	2	6	7	29
5	Heart	17	6	3	8	-1	21
6	Newcastle	17	6	3	8	-8	21
7	Sydney	18	6	2	10	-9	20
8	Perth	17	5	4	8	0	19
9	Brisbane	17	5	2	10	-2	17
10	Wellington	17	4	4	9	-11	16

Not helped by Tiago Calvano's sending off on the hour for flinging an outstretched arm to block Leigh Broxham, the Sky Blues were mainly undone by a committed Victory midfield display with Broxham, Billy Celeski and Mark Milligan outstanding.

But the silk came from Rojas, who would have impressed scouts from English Premier League club Liverpool and Italian giants Juventus in attendance with a magnificent display in the front third.

He scored a beautifully crafted goal in the 72nd minute - that was aided by heavy deflections off Sydney FC defenders - and was the architect of the opener.

The 21-year-old New Zealand international intercepted a Rhyan Grant backpass and his goal-bound effort cannoned off Ryall, wrong-footing keeper Vedran Janjetovic.

Del Piero was well held for most of the evening as Victory's midfield invaded his aura and bit around his ankles effectively.

The first half hour was all Victory.

The Victory had the majority of the best chances - coming closest to a second when Broxham forced a great diving save from Janjetovic on 28 minutes.

Sydney FC also lost Socceroo Brett Emerton midway through the half with a hamstring injury.

Once Calvano was sent off, all Sydney's hope looked gone - though their best chances and only goal came when they were down to 10 men.

They could have even equalised had Joel Griffiths not fluffed a great chance - from a Del Piero through ball - in the 66th minute as he shot across goal when it beckoned.

Thirty seconds later, the Victory were 2-0 up as Thompson found the net.

It was party time in the 72nd minute as Rojas scored a classy second, holding off a defender, turning and shooting off Adam Griffiths to make it 3-0.

Joel Griffiths grabbed a consolation on 75 minutes, but Sydney's night turned even worse when fullback Fabio was marched in stoppage time for a second yellow card.

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Re-live the drama, including highlights of both reds and all four goals, in our A-League Match Centre.

 

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Hughes key to SA chase against Vics

Chief destroyer ... South Australia's Joe Mennie rips through Victoria's top order. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

South Australia's lucky charm Phil Hughes will spearhead a chase for 155 more runs to snatch a comeback triumph against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide.

Chasing 189 to win, the Redbacks will resume on Sunday's final day at 2-34 with Hughes not out 17.

SHEF - Adelaide Oval

24 January 2013 - Day 3, Session 3

South Australia 2nd Innings

P. Hughes	17	15	2	0	113.33
N. Lyon	0	4	0	0	0

After a stunning six wicket haul from speedster Joe Mennie dragged SA back into the match, the in-form Hughes rode his luck late on Saturday's third day.

Hughes, on 10, survived a caught behind appeal from Will Sheridan's bowling which, when refused, left the Victorians gobsmacked.

In Sheridan's next over, Hughes, still on 10, was dropped at second slip by David Hussey.

And an over later, the Bushrangers were again bewildered when Hughes, on 13, survived a confident lbw appeal from James Pattinson's bowling.pePattinson's fury at the verdict was evident two balls later when he delivered a fierce bouncer which felled Redback opener Sam Raphael.

The fourth-gamer ducked into the ball and turned his head at last moment, suffering a frightful blow on the back of the helmet - he retired hurt, staggering from the ground with suspected concussion.

With SA veteran Michael Klinger already dismissed for two when trapped lbw by Pattinson, the Redbacks sent Nathan Lyon to the crease as nightwatchman - but he was dismissed for a duck in the final over.

"It's never nice losing two (batsmen) close to stumps," Mennie said.

"We have still got 150-odd runs to chase on a last day wicket, it's going to be a tough chase, both teams are still right in it."

On a topsy turvy Saturday, the Bushrangers collected innings points by bowling SA out for 267, some 52 runs behind.

But Victoria then crashed to 136 all out in their second innings with Mennie taking a superb 6-43 from 21 overs.

Mennie ripped through the Victorians, who were forced to rely on number nine James Pattinson top-scoring with 33 to stretch their victory target.

The next best Bushranger was Chris Rogers, who made 25 and featured in a 43 run opening partnership with Rob Quiney.

But Quiney (14) was the first man dismissed in a dramatic slide as the Victorians lost 8-50, before Pattinson helped the Bushrangers to eek out a valuable 43 runs for the final two wickets.

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Aussie pair into Open mixed final

Surprise packets ... Matthew Ebden and Jarmila Gajdosova. Source: Michael Klein / Herald Sun

Australians Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden are through to Sunday's Australian Open mixed doubles final after clinching a tight two-set semi-final on their fourth match point.

The Australians beat Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova and Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 7-5 7-6(7-5), coming from a break down in the second set to win it.

Ebden and Gajdosova grabbed the ascendancy late in each set.

In the first set, they broke Shvedova's serve in the last game.

In the second, they were down 2-4, but fought back by again breaking Shvedova's serve to level at 4-4.

Upon reaching the tiebreaker, they raced ahead 6-2 to give themselves four match points, but then faced some nervous moments.

An unfortunate deviation off the net cord caught Ebden off guard at the net on the first match point.

Unforced errors off groundstrokes from first Ebden, then Gajdosova, off the next two points left the Australians with just one match point up their sleeve.

But Gajdosova clinched the match by passing Istomin at the net with a well-hit backhand down the line.

Australian tennis legend Margaret Court was cheering the Australians on and Ebden said she had been a big help in his career.

"I want to thank her for helping me out and being a bit of a mentor to me," he said.

Gajdosova said Ebden had guided her through the tournament.

"He tells me what to do. I just make it happen. He's a good coach," she said.

The other semi-final, between Czech pair Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak and another Czech player Kveta Peschke, partnering Poland's Marcin Matkowski, was to be played later on Friday.

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Smith gives NSW first-innings lead

In the spotlight ... Steve Smith scores a timely half-century against WA. Source: Phil Hillyard / News Limited

A timely half century on a batting minefield should help thrust Steve Smith into the front of Test selectors thoughts as he and Moises Henriques gave NSW a 21-run first-innings lead in their Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia on Friday.

Prior to Smith (72) notching his fourth first-class half century of the summer, eight batsman from both teams at Blacktown International Sportspark had reached 20 but fallen short of 50.

SHEF - Blacktown International Sportspark

24 January 2013 - Day 2, Session 3

New South Wales 1st Innings

M. Henriques	62	105	5	1	59.05
S. O'Keefe	16	38	3	0	42.11

Smith and fellow Test hopeful Henriques (62 not out) combined to carry the Blues to 6-263, past WA's first innings total of 242 as they strengthened their cases for call-ups to the national team.

Smith showed tremendous patience in his 194-minute innings but also some spirited counter attacking which included nine boundaries, both qualities which will have the 23-year-old in contention for a spot on Australia's four-Test tour of India next month.

"It was nice to get 70 today and it was a little bit disappointing to get out when I did," Smith said.

"But we're in a good position so hopefully we can kick on.

"... I feel like I'm hitting them probably as well as I have this year, this season.

"It's obviously disappointing not to get a hundred yet, but I feel as if I'm hitting the ball really well. I don't think (a hundred) is too far away.''

That squad, expected to be announced on Thursday, will need to include a replacement for the retired Michael Hussey and a back-up batsman - roles for which Smith is being strongly considered, alongside the likes of Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, David Hussey and George Bailey.

Henriques also did his Test ambitions no harm by passing 50, also withstanding a bruising spell from Nathan Coulter-Nile (2-58) to close out the day.

While Smith's innings was chanceless, Henriques' was more aggressive and he was afforded a life on 14 when dropped by Liam Davis off offspinner Ashton Agar, who claimed 2-82 on debut on a deck that always offered something for the bowlers.

Smith put that down to the wicket being slightly two-paced with variable bounce, and offering plenty of turn.

"It's one of those wickets (where) it's hard to get used to the pace of it," Smith said.

"You never actually feel in.

"... The spin was quite hard. Ashton Agar was bowling a few arm balls and they were turning quite sharply.

"I thought he bowled really well in his first game, he's one to look out for."

With Henriques on 17 he sent a scare through the Blues camp when he was thumped on the thumb by a Coulter-Nile short ball and tossed his gloves and helmet to the ground.

It was the same thumb which Henriques injured last week while in camp with the Australian ODI side, and the blow left him wincing in pain.

Coulter-Nile was the pick of the WA quicks, while Jason Behrendorff finished with 2-39.

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Aussies lose women's doubles final

Bridesmaids ... Barty and Dellacqua lost their Australian Open doubles final. Source: Joe Castro / AAP

Australian underdogs Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua have gone down fighting as Italian top seeds Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani clinched the Australian Open women's doubles title.

The Italians added the championship to last year's French Open and US Open trophies with their 6-2 3-6 6-2 win.

Barty and Dellacqua had been bidding to become the first all-Australian women's pair to win their home major since 1977, with no local duo having even reached the final since that year.

They were combatting an extreme experience gulf compared to the Italians, particularly 16-year-old Barty, who had played just one grand slam doubles match before this tournament and had never won a main draw match in a major in either singles or doubles.

It seemed set to be smooth sailing for the world's top-ranked doubles players when they raced through the first set and even moreso when Dellacqua's serve was broken for the third time in the match to give the top seeds a 2-1 lead in the second.

But the Australians grabbed their first break of the match next game then broke Errani again for a 5-3 lead, with Barty playing the leading role in gaining that advantage, before serving out the set.

The Australians further bolstered hopes of an unlikely victory, when they claimed another break of serve to open the third set.

But the favourites stepped up the pressure, breaking back immediately, then after the set was squared at 2-2, ripping through the last four games for the loss of just six points.

Barty and Dellacqua were the first all-Australian pair to reach the final since 1977, with Dianne Fromholtz and Helen Gourlay taking the title in January of that year while Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Gourlay reached the final in December of that year but it was washed out.

Earlier on Friday, Australians Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden booked a place in Sunday's mixed doubles final with a 7-5 7-6(7-5) sem-final win over Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova and Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.

They will play Czech pair Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak in the final.

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Judd seeks compromise on sponsor deal

Third-party deal ... Judd remains hopeful of a compromise with the AFL. Source: Julian Smith / AAP

Chris Judd's manager remains hopeful he can negotiate a compromise with the AFL over the dual Brownlow Medallist's third-party deal with Carlton's club sponsor Visy.

Judd's manager Paul Connors confirmed on Wednesday he'd had fresh talks with the AFL over the matter.

Connors is believed to be keen to avoid a formal grievance tribunal hearing that could result in a straight win-or-loss scenario.

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AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson informed Carlton in November that Judd's deal with Visy, which is estimated at $250,000 per season, would have to be included in the salary cap from 2013.

However, Anderson's departure from AFL ranks last month has prompted new discussions and a negotiated deal is now a likely outcome, the afl.com.au website reported.

Carlton chief executive Greg Swann was also part of the talks, the website added.

The 29-year-old Judd's six-year deal expires at the end of the 2013 season.

"I can confirm that I met with the AFL yesterday,'' Connors said on Wednesday.

The Blues had a scare on the training track on Wednesday when injury-prone key forward Jarrad Waite dislocated a finger, although a club spokesman claimed the injury wouldn't derail the 29-year-old's pre-season campaign.

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No way Jose: ABL laugh at rumours

Major Tweet League ... Jose Canseco wants to play Down Under. Source: Susan Walsh / AAP

Did you hear the one about fallen Major League star Jose Canseco joining the Australian Baseball League?

Leaders Canberra Cavalry general manager Tom Carter has - and he isn't laughing.

It pays to read disgraced two-time World Series winner Canseco's tweets with a grain of salt.

This is a man who listed 11 New Year resolutions for 2013 - including two numbered five.

They included "fighting Shaq (O'Neal) in a cage match'' and "get elected to a important political office in the US or canada to help all people and governments with there (sic) problems''.

Still, he managed to raise eyebrows in Canberra when it was revealed he had tweeted former teammate - Cavalry second-base Adam Buschini - that he was interested in playing in Australia.

Alarm bells should have started ringing when the ex-MLB slugger issued follow-up tweets listing his demands for an ABL move.

Apparently, the ideal club would have on offer a beach, a casino, money, fans and a chance to play cricket.

"Thinking about going down under,'' he tweeted.

"Is cricket hard to hit? Doesnt look too hard the bat is so big.

"And there are no foul balls!

"Can you play both pro cricket and pro baseball in Australia? I do like to wear white.''

ABL operations manager Ben Foster reportedly claimed he was flattered by the tweets and believed it showed the credibility the young league was starting to develop.

But Cavalry boss Carter was more blunt.

"He is an unapologetic steroid user. He calls himself the Godfather of Steroids - that is not the message we are trying to send,'' he told AAP.

"He wrote a book called 'Juiced' on how he used steroids to get a competitive edge.

"We certainly don't want to bring anyone here that is known for cheating.

"We are interested in bringing high-profile athletes out here but only ones who can be role models and play the right way.''

Not that the 48-year-old Canseco will be short of things to do if his unlikely ABL recruitment campaign falls flat.

After dabbling in life as a reality show actor and celebrity boxer, he has tried to make good on his New Year resolutions.

The former American League MVP aimed to run for mayor of Toronto.

Despite an alarming support base in Toronto, he had to abandon his plan - because he was not a Canadian citizen.

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'If it goes the distance, Geale wins'

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Rivals ... the Real Deal and The Man are set to fight it out once and for all. Source:AAP

"I've been around the block man. I've got nothing else to prove.

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"But I tell you what, once I win this, no critic, no knocker, no man can say, that I am not the man. That's what I'm gonna do; I'm gonna prove that I'm the best.''

These are the words of three-time world champion Anthony "The Man" Mundine, spoken just over a week out from his highly anticipated rematch with compatriot Daniel "The Real Deal" Geale, to be held on January 30, at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

The pair first met centre ring back in 2009, when Mundine claimed a controversial split decision win over Geale, taking his IBO middleweight world title in the process.

Four years on, and much has changed in the careers of both fighters – the one constant, however, has been their overwhelming dislike for each other.

Over a career spanning 29 fights, Geale's only loss has been suffered at Mundine's hands. Since then, he's gone on to win both the WBA and IBF middleweight world titles on foreign soil, beating Sebastian Sylvester and Felix Sturm in their own backyards.

During that same time, Mundine has gone on to achieve, well, not a whole lot. After dropping down to junior middleweight, he pursued an at times laughable bid to land a shot at pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. - culminating in a seventh round stoppage of 41-year old Bronco McKart, a guy whose best years were left well and truly back in the 90s.

"You ask the other guy, he thinks he's the favourite. I'm going in there with a level head, I know what I need to do. I'm not worried about bookies or anything like that," Mundine says.

"I'm in control, and I've just got to go in there with my plan and make it come through."

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Geale is happy to let Mundine do all the talking outside of the ring – an attitude that has seen him win over the Australian public in spades.

"I love fighting in Australia, I love fighting in front of a home crowd, and I'm going to have plenty of support at this one,'' he points out.

And he will. No Australian sportsman has ever divided his country the way Mundine has. While his talent, footwork and speed speak for themselves, the quality of opponent he has chosen to fight in recent years, perhaps speaks louder.

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Watch the bout LIVE on Main Event from 8pm (EDT) on Wednesday, January 30.

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In 2012, Mundine backed out of a deal to fight undefeated WBA champ Austin Trout – a fight which, had we won, would have seen him propelled back onto the world stage.

Now 37, Mundine has been gifted another chance to take a world title from Geale. "He's done great things," Mundine acknowledges. "But when he steps in that ring with me, I'm the best fighter he's ever been in with.

"I hurt him more times in our first fight than in both his world title fights … I told you, him at his best, mentally and physically, and me at my best? I'll beat him one hundred times out of one hundred.

"Geale can't beat me. I'm faster than him. I'm stronger than him. The only thing he does consistently and probably better than me is work rate.

"But this ain't the amateurs baby, this is the pros. So you judges and you people out there – when he's hittin' air and gloves, and I'm hittin' face and ribs, score that."

Geale's long time promoter is American Gary Shaw, a man who has well documented connections with the International Boxing Federation. From the moment this rematch was agreed to, Mundine has questioned Shaw's relationship with the IBF, suggesting the only way he will lose a decision to Geale is if the judges are in Shaw's pocket.

"It's just another tactic to try and throw me off," argues Geale. "You know what he's like, he's going to make up all the excuses under the sun.

"And you know what? That's fine. That's the way he goes about things, and once he gets beat, then guess what, there's gonna be another excuse there too."

For his part, Geale just wants to avenge the only loss in an otherwise solid career. It's why he's prepared to risk it all for a fight that could very well go either way.

Both men possess hand speed in buckets, but the advantage there would have to go to Mundine. Both men are defensively brilliant, but again, Mundine may be slightly slicker.

Neither guy is known for their power though, so you get the feeling Geale v Mundine II is once again going the distance. And that is where Geale has the advantage; he's six years younger than Mundine, and unlike many boxers, he doesn't take time off during rounds.

Geale's fitness is such that he is able to keep coming forward, and keep working for every minute of every round. Mundine, on the other hand fights in patches.

Mundine has fought just once in the past 15 months, while Geale fought twice in 2012, beating Sturm for the WBA middleweight title in his most recent outing.

So not only does Geale have age and work rate on his side, he also knows Mundine hasn't really been tested since their first fight in '09 – a mental edge that may be enough to get him home come Wednesday.

In any case, this was not a fight Geale needed, it was a fight he wanted: "Everything has gone to plan. We've been working very, very hard in the gym. Everyone knows we're not taking this fight lightly … But we're very confident, and I can't wait to get in there."

And we can't wait to see it.

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Rafter, Tomic bury the hatchet

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Stern ... Pat Rafter expects Bernard Tomic to move on from their feud. Source: Ibrahim Ot / AAP

Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter says he and Bernard Tomic have buried the hatchet and is hopeful of having the resurgent youngster back for Australia's second-round qualifying tie in April - if his weakened line-up makes it.

Tomic remains suspended from Australia's qualifying tie in Taiwan from February 1-3 after Rafter disciplined the 20-year-old last month for his poor attitude and dreadful end to 2012.

In a seemingly tit-for-tat response, Tomic earlier this month said he had no interest in speaking with Rafter until September, when Australia are hoping to contest another World Group playoff.

But after announcing his line-up for Taiwan on Monday, Rafter said Tomic had since recommitted to the Cup cause after the pair cleared the air following Tomic's third-round Australian Open loss to Roger Federer.

"It's the first time I made contact with him since early November. We had a great conversation," Rafter said.

"Obviously I spoke to him about just going forward, what he thinks about Davis Cup in the future, if he wants to be part of the team.

"It was really important for us to have contact straightaway ... obviously he's playing great tennis and it's a shame not to have him available for the first one in some ways.

"But in other ways we have to stand firm on our decision not to have him in this team.

"When the April tie comes around, providing we win, mind you, I hope he'll be available. He'll be part of the selection team like everyone else.

"But obviously if he's playing like he was at the back end of last year it would be hard to put him in.

"If he's playing like he is now, obviously he'll be a starter for sure."

Rafter admitted Tomic "didn't jump out of his skin" in putting his hand up.

"The proviso I put on to it was obviously we need to work things out," he said.

"Hopefully we're still on, not great terms, but good terms. I think our last conversation was that.

"He needs to respect me and I need to respect him in that manner. If we have a breakdown, then obviously that's not a good thing."

With Tomic out, Rafter named Lleyton Hewitt, Marinko Matosevic, Matt Ebden and doubles specialist Chris Guccione to face Taiwan, while Luke Saville will also travel as a hitting partner and standby player.

Rafter has no regrets about suspending Tomic, who bounced back to record 10 straight wins before Federer ended his summer campaign at Melbourne Park.

"The reason we left him out was hopefully to teach him a lesson," Rafter said.

"He came back at us pretty well. I think he used that anger, channelled it and played some great tennis here.

"I don't mind how he gets up to playing great tennis ... whatever spurs him on."

New Cup coach Josh Eagle, who has replaced Tony Roche - who will stay on as a team mentor - said Tomic's suspension was not dissimilar to Matosevic's for Australia's World Group playoff in Germany last September.

"The great thing about Marinko, that really hurt him last year," Eagle said.

"He thought just by winning matches and getting his ranking to 60 around the US Open, he thought he was a walk-up starter for the Davis Cup tie in Hamburg.

"Pat made it very clear to him due to his poor behaviour when he was representing Australia that he wouldn't be selected.

"That sends a great message to these guys. He went away, responded magnificently and finished the year top 50.

"Ultimately, what we want is people to be proud to represent Australia." 

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Black Caviar sizzles in trial

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Comeback ... Black Caviar is nearing a return to racing after a successful 800-metre trial. Source:AAP

Black Caviar's return to the racetrack appears a step closer after an impressive jump-out this morning.

Peter Moody's champion sprinter was part of a nine-horse field that ran 800m at Sportingbet Park on Tuesday morning.

As expected, Black Caviar made light work of those also in 'Trial 6' - cruising home to win in the impressive time of 45.58 seconds - but of more interest was how the six-year-old looked in her action.

She jumped quickly from the gates, assumed a front position and cornered wide but still cruised to the finish more than three lengths clear of her nearest rival.

Black Caviar's likely comeback race is the Group 1 Lightning Stakes - which has been renamed the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes - on February 16.

Moody has also floated the idea of his superstar running in the Newmarket Handicap on March 9.

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Dellacqua, Barty into doubles semi

Young star ... Ash Barty is still in the hunt for an Australian Open title. Source: Joe Castro / AAP

As the senior partner in a blossoming Australian doubles partnership, Casey Dellacqua senses the opportunity for something special at the Australian Open this week.

The 27-year-old West Australian and 16-year-old Queenslander Ashleigh Barty powered into the women's doubles semi-finals at Melbourne Park with an emphatic straight sets win over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-2 6-3.

For Barty, a Grand Slam semi-final is uncharted territory and the excitement is building and bubbling over.

So too for Dellacqua, who already has a Grand Slam mixed doubles title under her belt.

She won the 2011 French Open with American Scott Lipsky, and has been in the women's doubles semi-finals before at the Australian Open - with Francesca Schiavone four years ago when the duo lost.

But she believes the prospect of her and Barty being able to achieve something special at their home Grand Slam is now a real one.

"I think this is a great opportunity for Ash and I," Dellacqua said.

"I didn't think I'd win the mixed doubles at the French Open, but you keep taking it match by match. Before you know it, you're in the final. then anything can happen.

"It's a great opportunity, and we're making the most of it.

"I didn't expect to be in the semi-final of a Grand Slam. We're both pretty pumped."

Dellacqua and Barty have already won a doubles title together, winning in Toyota, Japan late last year.

Already the duo have knocked out the No.3 seeds at Melbourne Park - Maria Kirilenko and experienced Lisa Raymond - and now face American Varvara Lepchenko and Zheng Saisai of China in the semis.

Barty, from Springfield near Ipswich, has already impressed in the Hopman Cup to kick-start her year and with understandable teenage exuberance, is relishing the opportunity for a Grand Slam title.

"It's unbelievable. We played well, we're pretty excited," she said.

"To be in the semis, to give ourselves a chance to be in the final, it's unbelievable."

Italy's Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, the top seeds, play Russian duo Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the other semi-final.

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Tomic Jnr out of Aussie Open

Brave fight ... Bernard Tomic's sister, Sara, bows out. Source: Mark Dadswell / AAP

An encouraging text from big brother Bernie wasn't enough to help Sara Tomic upset German fourth seed Antonia Lottner in the second round of the Australian Open junior girls tournament.

Wildcard Tomic tested Lottner, who was a semi-finalist at both the French Open and US Open juniors last year, before succumbing 6-1 2-6 6-3.

The 14-year-old sister of Australia's top men's player Bernard said she was happy to take a set off her 16-year-old big-serving rival.

"I'm proud of the way I played,'' said Sara.

"I had some chances in the first set that I didn't take and the same in the third but overall I feel like I'm progressing really well the last couple of months and that's the main thing for me.''

Former Australian Open junior champion Bernard, who was eliminated by grand slam guru Roger Federer last week, flew out of Melbourne and missed Sara's match.

But he sent her a text to inspire her for the challenge.

'He said 'Work hard, focus on what you need to do and you can do anything'.

"I had tears in my eyes with him saying that.''

She said she intended to seek him out for some tips on improving her court movement - something notably better in his recent game.

Despite bowing out early, Sara, who is also intent on being the world No.1, said the Tomics rated the Open as a success.

"My mum is so proud of my brother and me.

"We're working so much harder and we're improving a lot.''

In other junior results by Australians, wildcard Oliver Anderson almost caused a boilover against top seed Nikola Milojevic in their second round match.

The 14-year-old pushed the Serb before bowing out 6-2 1-6 8-6.

Marc Polmans lost to Croatian 11th seed Borna Coric 6-1 6-1 and another wildcard Akira Santillan fell to Japan's 14th seed Yoshihito Nishioka.

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Marsh credits Langer for recall

Big Basher ... Marsh was a key figure in Perth's run to the Big Bash final. Source: Daniel Wilkins / News Limited

Shaun Marsh no longer feels he's in a dark place and Australia's Twenty20 selectors have agreed by naming him in their squad for the series against Sri Lanka.

Marsh, whose talents have been overshadowed by a series of alcohol-related incidents, says he can thank Western Australia coach Justin Langer for resurrecting his career with a combination of tough love and an even tougher training workload.

Australia chairman of selectors John Inverarity announced a 12-man squad for the two-match series which starts on Saturday at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

Marsh topped the runscoring list in the BBL with 412 runs at 58.85 for runners-up the Perth Scorchers.

The 29-year-old No.3 has played seven Tests and was dropped 12 months ago, while he's been out of the T20 side for 11 months and hasn't played a one-day international since 2011.

Marsh scored a century on his Test debut in September 2011.

But less than five months later, the talented left-hander was dumped from the team after managing just 17 runs at an average of 2.83 in Australia's home series against India.

Worse was to come for Marsh, who was caught up in the Scorchers' boozy night out in the T20 Champions League before being sent back to grade cricket in October.

''We sort of sat down and set a few goals out. He (Langer) was pretty tough with me,'' Marsh said on Monday.

''He's been a big influence, along with (fitness coach) Steve Smith.''

Not only is Marsh back in Australia's T20 side, but the Scorchers have qualified for the lucrative Champions League for another year and Inverarity is publicly hoping his fellow West Australian can one day return to Test cricket.

''It's been a pretty big turnaround. A few months ago I wasn't even picked for WA,'' Marsh said.

''I was doubting myself. I was in a pretty dark space there for a few months.

''I've worked really hard with Justin (Langer) and Steve Smith and went away and did some boxing with a mate of mine.

''I knew things were going to turn around for me if I was going to keep doing that.''

Marsh admits he needs to improve his first-class output to challenge for a Test spot after averaging only 10.16 in the first half of the Shield season.

''He's very focused and you can tell by someone's fitness what their attitude is like,'' Langer said.

''He's worked through a really dark time.''

Inverarity could find no room for Marsh's former drinking partner Luke Pomersbach, who has turned his back on his own former wild ways to smash 397 runs at 44.11 for BBL champions the Brisbane Heat after leaving WA.

Adam Voges, James Faulkner, Ben Laughlin and the uncapped Ben Cutting have also been added to the national T20 squad.

''The batting positions were pretty tight and Ben Rohrer and Luke Pomersbach both received very strong consideration,'' Inverarity said.

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No ban for Warner over SCG dissent

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Death stare ... David Warner reprimanded for dissent at the SCG. Source: Rick Rycroft / AAP

Australia opener David Warner has received an official reprimand after pleading guilty to showing dissent towards umpire Marais Erasmus during the fourth one-day match against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Warner was furious after Erasmus gave him out lbw and headed for the SCG changing rooms shaking his head and swearing to himself as replays clearly showed the left-hander had inside-edged the ball.

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He was hit with a breach of the ICC code of conduct charge and accepted a reprimand from match referee Javagal Srinath.

The match was abandoned due to rain.

The 26-year-old is free to play in the final ODI in Hobart on Wednesday, a game Australia need to win to square the series 2-2.

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Lance a pathological liar: Gripper

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Pathological liar ... Lance Armstrong. Source: Oprah.com / AAP

Triathlon Australia chief executive Anne Gripper, a key figure in the Lance Armstrong doping saga, has derided him as far worse than a drug cheat.

Armstrong wants to return to sanctioned triathlons and marathons, but Gripper hopes that will not happen.

She also doubts the 41-year-old will be able to return in the short term by negotiating a substantial reduction to his life ban.

Her opinions on the Armstrong saga and its fallout are particularly significant, because she set up the anti-doping unit at cycling's world governing body in the wake of the 2006 Operation Puerto scandal.

She was running the unit at the UCI at the start of Armstrong's 2009-11 comeback before leaving in March 2010.

"If he was just a drug cheat, I always believe you should do a sanction and have the right to come back to the sport,'' Gripper said.

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"He's not a drug cheat - he's a bully, he's a manipulator, he's been incredibly unfair to a whole lot of people and he's a dead-set liar.

''(He's) not a single, one-off liar, he's a pathological liar.

"I don't want those people in our sport.''

Asked if she thought Armstrong might now be able to reduce his ban so he can return to triathlons in the next couple of years, Gripper replied: "I think he's got Buckley's (chance), really''.

Armstrong was preparing to compete in last year's Hawaiian Ironman world championships when the findings from the US Anti-Doping Agency investigation abruptly ended that campaign.

Gripper believes Armstrong when he said he rode clean during his cycling comeback, saying there was nothing in his test results when she was at the UCI to suggest abnormal blood values.

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But she remains extremely curious why the US federal investigation into his doping abruptly ended in early 2011.

"I just put it down to this inordinate influence that Lance Armstrong had ... that was the only explanation I could come up with,'' she said.

"It would be interesting whether there is some review of that investigation.''

Armstrong denies having helped influence the decision to stop the federal investigation.

Gripper also backs UCI president Pat McQuaid, who is under siege as a result of Armstrong's downfall. She established cycling's biological passport program, which Armstrong said was a key reason why he did not dope during his comeback.

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"My relationship with the management and Pat as president ... was they were absolutely committed to the elimination of doping,'' Gripper said of the UCI.

But Gripper adds it is now crucial that the sport finds out for certain if the UCI has had any involvement in cycling's doping culture.

Gripper said she initially thought Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey would be farcical, but found it compelling.

She added that the confirmation of Armstrong's doping was a landmark moment for the sport.

The big one was always Lance - I always knew the sport could never, never really move forward until the festering bubble that was 'did he or didn't he?' ... had been fully exposed,'' she said.

Gripper is confident the sport is cleaner than when Armstrong retired in 2005, but said the necessary cultural change among riders and teams had only started.

"The 2011 Tour de France was a bit of a landmark ... the fact that Cadel (Evans) won, that was the cherry on top of the cake,'' she said.

"But there were all sorts of other things that happened in that Tour ... to indicate a much more level playing field.''

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Wanderers complete Roar sweep

Whitewash ... The Wanderers were forced to come from a goal down in Brisbane. Source: AAP

Western Sydney Wanderers continued their excellent run in their debut A-League season, scoring two late goals to edge hapless Brisbane Roar 2-1 at Suncorp Stadium.

The Roar looked set to get their title defence back on track after two straight losses by leading 1-0 midway through the second half but the Wanderers turned the match on its head with two goals in four minutes.

The Roar seemed in control before Western Sydney marksman Mark Bridge fed off Jerome Polenz to lock up the scores in the 65th minute, silencing the 11,917-strong crowd.

And the Suncorp Stadium faithful were on their feet in the 69th - for all the wrong reasons - after Japanese import Shinji Ohno appeared off-side in the lead-up to Youssouf Hersi's match-winner.

There were more headaches for Roar coach Mike Mulvey - both prized marksman Besart Berisha and Shane Stefanutto earned their fifth yellow cards in the match to ensure they will miss the next A-League round.

Brisbane had grabbed a 22nd minute lead via a Mitch Nichols goal set up by the impressive Luke Brattan before hitting the ground running in the second half.

After a nightmare lead-up in which the Roar lost captain Matt Smith (hip), prized import Jade North (fitness) and key midfielder Erik Paartalu (Chinese Super League) the home side had looked the goods until the last-quarter capitulation.

It marked the third straight win over the Roar for newcomers the Wanderers and their third consecutive victory overall as they all but locked up a top-four spot.

The second-last Roar are now just one point clear of cellar-dwellers Wellington.

It continued Mulvey's horror run as replacement Roar coach this season.

He has lost four of six games since taking over from Rado Vidosic last month.

Check out the goals and stats at Match Centre!

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'It's time to break up the Roar'

Tough times ... can Besart Berisha find the goalscoring touch to lift Brisbane? Source: DAVE HUNT / AAP

While Sydney FC - and Alessandro Del Piero - were the undoubted stars, there were plenty of other story-lines from round 17 of the A-League.

Brisbane Roar 1 lost to Western Sydney Wanderers 2

Bozza says: Wanderers didn't play at their best but still came away with the three points - and that's a sign of a champion team. You just have to see the spirit there, not only among the players but also the connection with the fans. Any of the top four teams can win the title. As for Brisbane, there is something not quite right there at the moment. Something is going on behind the scenes that we are not privy to.

Robbie Slater says: Wanderers are in with a big shot to make the top two. They are just getting better and better. This wasn't a performance which was their best, but it was professional. The self-belief seems to have disappeared from Brisbane this season. They look a team of individuals whereas last season they were a magnificent unit. I think it's time to break the team up. Not all of it, but I think they need to add something new and also let some other players go.  

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Perth Glory 0 lost to Melbourne Victory 1

Bozza says: I thought Victory deserved this win. With all the huffing and puffing Perth did, I never thought they would ever score. I actually think Victory should have finished them off in the second half. You could say from a territorial viewpoint that Perth were really pressing, but once again, for me, they had nothing really clear cut until Ryo Nagai came on towards the end. I thought he looked dangerous. The win for Victory was the stuff of potential champions for me.

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Sydney FC 7 d Wellington Phoenix 1

Bozza says: This was definitely Sydney's best performance of the season - and they are a completely different side with the addition of Joel Griffiths up front. Alessandro Del Piero hit the nail on the head when he said the win over Heart last weekend, especially when they were 1-0 down and staring at the end of their season, has given them a massive lift. That was their season-defining effort. This game was over at half-time and they could have easily taken their foot off the pedal, but they kept on going forward. For Phoenix boss Ricki Herbert, when you suffer a defeat like this, it takes of a lot of explaining to your board.

Mark Rudan on Alessandro Del Piero: If you haven't yet, you must go and see this guy live because you don't get the chance too watch too many World Cup winners play on our shores. The guy is sheer class - an absolute winner. His teammates describe him as an absolute gentleman, but at the same time has a real burning desire to win at all costs.

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Central Coast Mariners 0 drew with Newcastle Jets 0

Bozza says: This was an unbelievable game considering the conditions. Congratulations to both sides as they really approached the game in the right manner. They went at each other hammer and tongs and it was only a mixture of some bad finishing, bad luck and some excellent goalkeeping that this stayed at 0-0. A draw was a fair result. It took the Mariners a while to adjust when they lost Griffiths and Simon in recent times. The same can be said for Tomas Rogic. When you lose a player of his caliber, it's difficult.

Mark Rudan says: Attack was the best form of defence for the Jets. There were lots of positives for Newcastle out of this. I really liked the way they played and they really took the game to the Mariners.

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Melbourne Heart 2 d Adelaide United 0

Robbie Slater says: The story of the game for Adelaide was too many individual mistakes, a lack of discipline and poor concentration - something they are normally so good at. You look at the stats and think Adelaide were a bit unlucky, but it was far from the truth. They were second best and Heart deserved their victory. We all know about Heart's good first halves - but this was more about their second-half effort. They came straight out of the blocks and got that second goal. Richard Garcia, for me, was again one of the best on the pitch. We looked for Adelaide to mount a comeback but it didn't happen.

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