Serve improvements key to ending grand slam wait - Murray

PERTH, Jan 2 (Reuters) - World number four Andy Murray admits he still needs to improve his serve if he is to break his grand slam duck at the Australian Open later this month.

The Scot, who was beaten in the final at Melbourne Park by Roger Federer last year, begins his 2011 season on Monday at the Hopman Cup, where he and Laura Robson will represent Britain in the mixed team event for the second successive year.

Looking fit and strong after a month of training in Miami, Murray said the form of world number one Rafa Nadal and 16-times grand slam champion Federer meant it would be even tougher to win one of the sport’s four biggest events.

“Last year’s Australian Open was one of the best events I’ve played in my life,” Murray said at a press conference on Sunday.

“I played some of my best tennis so I’ll have to play even better if I want to win because Rafa and Roger are playing so well just now.”

Murray, whose other grand slam final appearance came at the U.S. Open in 2008, said he had been focusing on particular areas of his game in the short off-season.

Sharapova serves notice of return to the top

AUCKLAND, Jan 2, 2011 (AFP) - - Three-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova takes another step in her bid to regain her former glory when she starts as top seed in the Auckland Classic women’s tennis tournament here on Monday.

It has been a long journey back for the Russian former world number one who slumped as low as 126 during the past two years because of a shoulder injury.  The Auckland tournament, a forerunner to the first slam of the year in Australia, has drawn one of its strongest fields. In addition to Sharapova, the line up also includes another women’s former number one Dinara Safina and a former number two and two-time grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova as well as Yanina Wickmayer, a US Open semi-finalist. But most interest is on Sharapova who sees regaining her once lethal serve as the key to improving on her current ranking of 18th in the world and has been concentrating on technique as her shoulder improved.

“I’ve had to change it a few times because of the shoulder and obviously that’s not the best case scenario when you’re in the middle of your career and you’ve had a great serve before.”

The Russian star is confident she will get back to her best but it may take some time. “I have come back from an awful lot, something that could have taken me away from the game. I am back on the court, going well and I have to build on it little by little.” Sharapova opens in Auckland against 22-year-old Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.

Defending Auckland champion Wickmayer is drawn to play Safina in the first round while Kuznetsova plays unseeded New Zealander Sacha Jones. Wickmayer, ranked 23 in the world, said Safina, who has slipped to 63rd in the rankings, holds no fears for her. “Safina is a great champion and had a couple of great years. I think it’s the toughest (match) in the draw but I’m really looking forward to it. I think it will be a really good and exciting match,” she said.

The Belgian is also not concerned that all the pre-tournament attention has been on the three Russian stars Sharapova, Safina and Kuznetsova.

“I have no problems with that. I’m just here to play my matches, not to be in front of the others.”

Nadal beats Federer to win Abu Dhabi exhibition

ABU DHABI (AFP) - World number one Rafael Nadal claimed his first title of the year when he battled past Swiss ace Roger Federer to win the Mubadala world tennis championship exhibition tournament here on Saturday.

The Spaniard needed two tie-breaks before coming through 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) against world number two Federer.

The rivalry between the two tennis icons is set to continue next week when they compete in the Qatar Open.

Swede Robin Soderling won his third-place playoff against Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).