Melbourne, - Former world number four Jelena Dokic on Wednesday kept her dream of an Australian Open wild card place alive, reaching the quarter-finals with a straight-set victory,

Dokic, 25, and fighting through a comeback in the sport, beat Victorian teenager Marijia Mirkovic 6-4, 6-2, riding a 4-0 lead in the second set to the win.

"I was happier with my match today, I played a bad match yesterday," said Dokic, who lost on Tuesday but stayed alive thanks to the round-robin format of the competition.

Los Angeles - Tracy McGrady showed how good the Houston Rockets can be when he's healthy.

China's Yao Ming scored 32 points while McGrady posted his fourth career triple-double - the first of the season - with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists as the Rockets cooled off the Denver Nuggets, with a 108-96 home-court victory on Tuesday night.

Perth, Dec. 17 : A desperate Australian captain Ricky Ponting has instructed pace bowler Brett Lee to taken on a leadership role in attacking the South African batters during their series Down Under.

Lee, who has played 74 Tests and taken over 300 wickets, Ponting has been asked to make an instant impact in the absence of his injured new-ball partner Stuart Clark.

"Brett''s really up for the challenge. I''ve singled him out in the team meeting yesterday (Monday) as the leader of the attack," the Daily Telegraph quoted Ponting as saying after training.

"I know he really enjoys that role so I''ve put it back on to him to make sure he''s leading the way right from the start of this series," he added.

London - Wimbledon might be hoping to lure Tim Henman back onto court at a May test event to mark the completion of a three-year project to put a roof over Centre Court.

The British player who was famously done in by rain on several occasions during his career at the All England Club - never emerging past the semi-finals on four heart-breaking attempts - might be part of the public trial, British press reports said.

The unspecified competition is to fall five weeks before the start of the championships on June 22.

London, Dec 17 : English footballer David Beckham has left a number of people curious after he appeared in an Armani underwear ad, including AC Milan striker Marco Borriello.

Melbourne, Dec. 17 : The top-order batsmen for Australia and South Africa will hold the key for who will be the victor, as both sides have good new-ball bowlers, says former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.

In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Warne says that this is where the series will be won or lost, and added that South Africa versus Australia battles have always had hype, but the Proteas have never lived up to the billing and have not been able to deliver.