Bryan Brothers jam out at Prince EXO3 Player Party

Twins Bob and Mike Bryan put up a great performance at the Prince EXO3 Player Party at the Southern Star Observation Wheel on the eve of the Australian Open.

Bob showed good form on the keyboard, while Mike gave the drums a good pounding.

Mike Bryan plays the drums.

Bob Bryan on the keyboard.

Guess what, Frenchman Gael Monfils also ended up on stage, taking over from Bob on the keyboard!

Vince Spadea and Gael Monfils

The Prince team organised the party for its players to take a spin on the Observation Wheel.

However Daniela Hantuchova missed the party at the very last minute.

Apparently she suffers from a form of motion sickness and did not want to risk a spin in the wheel on the eve of the Open.

(Via news.com.au)

Rendy Lu, Ai Sugiyama & Sania Mirza keep Asian hopes alive

Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama and India's Sania Mirza carried Asian hopes into the Australian Open second round on Monday.

However it was curtains down for comeback queen Kimiko Date Krumm.

In the men's singles, Taiwan's Rendy Lu Yen-Hsun also made it through to the second round with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci.

Rendy gets support from his fans at court 18.

With the strong crowd behind her, Sugiyama who is playing her 60th Grand Slam, battled past Canada's Stephanie Dubois 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) to continue her solid start to the season after making the semis in Sydney last week.

Some disturbing scenes from Sugiyama's court.

Thankfully Sugiyama doesn't dress like her supporters.

Ranked 26 here, the 33-year-old said she was encouraged by the start she has had to her 17th season on tour.

"I'm definitely very happy with the start I've had to the year," she said.

"My training has been good and I'm starting to play well.

"I started good today and won the first seven games in a row but then she got her rhythm and started hitting it deeper, and I struggled a bit."

Joining Sugiyama in round two is Sania who has suffered with injuries after a breakthrough 2005 when she reached the US Open fourth round.

Bad girl Sania sticks out her tongue.

Sania's signature move on court.

The 22-year-old went through a surgery on her right wrist in April ruining her 2008 season. She made brief comebacks before bowing out of the Beijing Olympics in tears.

Now she is back, hitting the ball harder than ever and hungry for success.

"It was a great way to begin after such a long break," Sania said after beating Poland's Marta Domachowska 6-1, 6-4.

"I've not played a match in almost six months now ... I'm just happy to have come through."

Aside from Sugiyama, Mirza and Lu, hopes for regional success lie with China's Zheng Jie and Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn.

Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan and Hsieh Su-Wei are also in the draw but have been drawn to face each other in the first round on Tuesday.

And of course there are also high expectations for Japan's Kei Nishikori who is scheduled to face Jurgen Melzer in the first round.

(Via channelnewsasia.com; Images via Yahoo! Sports, Rendy Lu's photos by Zahirah)

Fernando Gonzalez is ready to blow Lleyton Hewitt away

Fernando Gonzalez took time out to play a didgeridoo by the banks of the Yarra River during day one of the 2009 Australian Open.

Gonzo is scheduled to take on homeboy Lleyton Hewitt tomorrow.

Whether Hewitt will make it to the next round or not, I don't think it's a big deal for Australia anymore because the Aussies have found Hewitt's successor in atomic boy, Bernard Tomic.

Quoting from Forty Deuce, this 16 year-old boy wonder's future is so bright that he has to wear shades.

Tomic defeated Starace Potito 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 and will be facing an exhausted Gilles Muller in the second round.

Poor Muller had to overcome Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 4-6, 16-14 in a 4-hour, 23-minute match.

(Images by zimbio.com)

Andy Murray hires extras to make his practice session more fun

Ever since Andy Murray has signed a deal with Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment, we have seen a tremendous change in his image, from a skinny tennis player on a bad hair day into a tennis star who is more fun, buffed up and a favourite player that now share the limelight with the Top 3.

He shows off more skin and cheesy smile too and even impersonates the Incredible Hulk.

And in today's practice, he even have some extras to pose with him in photos, something that other players don't offer, yet.

Andy, I wonder what's next? I can't wait.

After his training session, the Aussie fans took the opportunity to get his autographs and photos.

Updates:
Actually these guys are from Kia Fan Photos. You can submit your best shots at AO to them.


(Images by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)