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OPEN SECRETS

Agencies, undated
A record number of people flocked to the Australian Open this year with more than bOO.OOO pouring through the turnstyles and over 30 million visits to the tournament website, organisers said.
In total, 605,735 fans visited Melbourne Park, some 50,000 more than last year.
It is the ninth consecutive year that the season-opening Grand Slam has attracted more than half a million spectators.
Day four saw another record set with the highest ever Grand Slam day/night combined attendance when 62,885 poured through the gates.
Record numbers of people logged onto the official website, www.australianopen.com, with more than 6.6 million people making more than 30 million visits over the course of the tournament.
This was up 50 percent from 2007.
Of these, more than 30 percent
were from Europe, with 22 percent from the United States, 16 percent from Australia and 14 percent from Asia.
The favourite player profiles among fans on the website were world number one Roger Federer and losing women's finalist Ana Ivanovic, followed by French sensation Jo-Wilfrivd Ixonga and champion Maria Sharapov a.
Among famous faces at Melbourne Park this year were Australian actresses Nicole Kidman, Rachel Griffiths, and Miranda Otto, as well as Police frontman Sting and cricketer Shane Warne.
KEEPING THE FAITH
British bookmakers are keeping their faith in Roger Federer in the face of the Swiss master's semifinal defeat at the Australian Open.
Ladbrokes said that the loss to Novak Djokovic in straight sets does not dull their own optimistic predictions for the world number one, including passing Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles.
"We don't see this as anything more than a minor blip in Federer's career," said a spokesman. "We are still odds-on about him winning a Slam event in 2008 and eventually eclipsing Pistol Pete's haul."
Federer's Grand Slam tally currently stands at 12.
"Federer struggled to find his rhythm throughout the Aussie Open. And 2/1 chance Djokovic saw plenty of support prior to the start of their semi final."
Current odds show Federer 5/2 to win a Grand Slam event this year, and 2/7 to surpass Sampras'record. ISRAELIS ATTHE GULF Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram may have their sights set on breaking down a barrier by competing in the Barclays event in Dubai from March 3-8. The pair, who defeated Frenchmen Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra for the Australian Open men's title, hope that their potential entry could help ease tensions in the volatile Middle East.
The Gulf emirate has hosted an ATP event for a decade and a half, but Israelis have never entered due to diplomatic problems.
But a plan by Israeli woman Shahar Peer to play in the WTA Doha event from February 18 and support from the WTA may mean that things are changing. The November women'syear-end final is to be staged in Qatar for the next threeyears. "That's one of our plans," Ram said after the doubles triumph. "We talked about it. We didn't decide 100 per cent yet. But definitely it's something new we want to do.
"I believe it's going to be safe for us. The ATP will do all they can do to provide us the right security. All the top 20 players always play there, the best doubles teams."
The men's Dubai event attracts a world-class field, with Roger Federer winning four of the last five titles and Rafael Nadal taking the oilier one in 2006.
"It's a big tournament to play, we want to play there," said Ram. I heard it's a great country. I don't sec a reason why not to go there and play."
The Israeli said he has no intention of mixing sport with the current troubled situation in the region.
"We don't have to involve, like everybody says, politics with sport. Arab country, Israelis ... I don't think we have to involve anything in sport according to politics or religions."
Under normal circumstances, passports with Israeli visas are not allowed into the emirate. But ihat could clash with tennis rules allowing any eligible competitor to enter an event.
Ram and Erlich also got a message after their title from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
“He left a message for us to call him back, he couldn't reach us," Ram said.
"It's big for a small country like Israel to get Shahar Peer in the women's finals, us winning the title. You don't see US/\ in the finals here, not in doubles, not in mixed, not in singles (and they are) like an empire. Sol think it's big."