Melbourne - The Australian Open diet of choice for Marcos Baghdatis certainly breaks a few training rules with the Cypriot currently unable to resist lashings of Greek food.

Team Baghdatis has visited a Greek deli on Melbourne's elite shopping-and-eating Chapel Street at least three times, according to the gossip press.

Local media reported the 2006 finalist and his coach have treated themselves to dishes including spit-roasted lamb and the melted cheese delight of saganaki - hardly the food of champions.

Melbourne  - Hard economic times have not come down too hard on Serena Williams with the second seed making a lightning raid on a Chapel Street boutique.

But the world number two might have tipped her hand that even she might be feeling the heat as she bought a pair of items from a rack filled with merchandise marked down to half-price.

Melbourne  - Russian Elena Dementieva charged Thursday to her 12th-straight victory in a stunning season start, powering into the third round of the Australian Open with 6-4, 6-1 ease over Iveta Benesova.

Fourth-seeded Dementieva, the Olympic champion, has won both of her WTA events this season in Auckland and Sydney to stand a perfect 12-0.

Melbourne, Australia  - Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian fans have threatened to ignite a Balkan boilover during early rounds at the Australian Open.

After a mini-riot on opening day in 2007, when 150 people were ejected from Melbourne Park and a police capsicum spray attack in the stands in 2008, this year's trouble was tame.

Tensions spilled over later at the beer tent with a few punches being thrown and several participants frog-marched out of the grounds by police officers.

Madrid  - The quarter-finals of the Spanish King's Cup produced two contrasting first-leg clashes on Wednesday: an epic 3-2 win for Valencia over Sevilla, followed by a colourless 0-0 draw between crosstown rivals Espanyol and Barcelona.

Holders Valencia came from 2-1 down to score a dramatic win, thanks to late goals from Ruben Baraja and Juan Mata.

Valencia had taken a sixth-minute lead through David Villa, taking advantage of a schoolboy mistake from Adriano.

Rome  - Striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo Wednesday began training with his new club Bologna after his transfer from Fiorentina.

"My options were (English Premier League side) West Ham (United) or Bologna," the club's web site quoted the 23-year-old as saying. "Both were interesting, but I chose Bologna.

"I know that the club and the fans expect a lot from me. I want to show my worth and possibly score a lot to lend the team a hand. Bologna are a great opportunity for me."