17 January 2005	Monday	06 Zilhaj 1425

MELBOURNE, Jan 16: Former champions Andre Agassi and Lindsay Davenport declared themselves certain starters for the Australian Open but Russian Elena Dementieva remained in doubt on Sunday as she battled to recover from heat illness.

Serena Williams, the 2003 women's champion in Melbourne, opens the action on Monday against Frenchwoman Camille Pin in an injury-hit women's singles draw which is without last year's finalists Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters.

Defending champion Roger Federer is to follow Williams on to Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, where he will begin his title defence against French veteran Fabrice Santoro.

With Henin-Hardenne, Clijsters and former champion Jennifer Capriati all out injured, organisers of the season-opening grand slam breathed a sigh of relief when Davenport gave them the thumbs up after a bout of bronchitis in Sydney last week.

Davenport, the top seed and 2000 Australian Open champion, managed only one match at the Sydney International but said she had recovered after two days of rest and some practice.

The American is due to take on 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez of Spain in the first round on Tuesday. Sixth seed Dementieva was far less certain after falling victim to scorching Australian summer temperatures and pulling out of the Sydney International on Friday.

The French and U.S. Open runner-up spent two days in bed trying to recover but was still unable to hit a ball by Sunday afternoon. Dementieva is due to play Ukraine's Alyona Bondarenko in the first round on Tuesday but said she would not make a decision on her fitness until Monday.

With the Open marking its 100th year, Agassi gave organisers reason to celebrate when he confirmed he had overcome a hip injury suffered in a warm-up even last week.

Agassi, whose late-blooming love affair with Melbourne began in 1995 with the first of his four titles, is seeded eighth this year and will face German qualifier Dieter Kindlmann in the opening round on Monday.

The hip injury sparked concern that 34-year-old Agassi had played his last match in Melbourne but he came through a hastily arranged exhibition match against Briton Tim Henman on Saturday and pronounced himself ready to go.

With the Federer express showing no signs of slowing, most of the pre-tournament attention has focused on who would be able to derail the Swiss right-hander's bid to win a second Australian title.

Hewitt, who lost all six of his matches against Federer last year, is seeded to meet the Swiss in the final, with the Australian again carrying the hopes of a host nation without a home grown men's champion since 1976. -Reuters