Reigning champions Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic are looking forward to the challenge they will face when they return to Dubai this month to defend their titles at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

The region's leading tennis event not only offers an incredible $4 million in prize money but almost every top player in the world, so both know they will have to once again overcome the best there is if they are to repeat their 2009 successes.

Both players' confidence levels have been boosted by a good start to the season, with both blazing their way to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and Djokovic rising to number two on the increasingly-tight ATP World Tour rankings.

SA Tennis Open, Johannesburg

Third seed Feliciano Lopez ended his 5-year wait to return to the winners circle at the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg on Sunday. The 28-year old Spaniard, overcame some tough resistance from Frenchman Stephane Robert in the opening set, before rattling off 7 games in a row to take control of the contest.

Robert, ranked an even 100 in the ATP Tour rankings, is playing the best tennis of his life at the prime young age of 29. Competing in his first ever ATP final, the Frenchman showed no signs of nerves as he hung in under severe examination from the left-handed Lopez to stay on serve in the opening set. Robert's luck ran out in the final game of the first set as Lopez broke him a 5-6 to take a 1-0 lead.

Defending champions Italy advanced to the semi-finals of the Fed Cup with a 4-1 demolition of Ukraine. Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone sealed a place in the last four with a win each on Day 2 over the Bondarenko sisters, Alona and Kateryna respectively. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci then teamed up in the doubles to complete the rout.

Italy's opponents in the semis are the Czech Republic, who narrowly overcame Germany 3-2. Lucie Hradecka had given the Czechs a 2-1 lead in the morning with a 6-1, 7-6 (5) win over Andrea Petkovic before Anna-Lena Groenefeld fought back from a set down to beat Petra Kvitova to bring the tie level at 2-2. Hradecka and Kveta Peschke were, however, too strong for the Germans in the deciding doubles, running away with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Groenefeld and Tatjana Malek.

Australia has defeated Spain in the crucial fifth rubber in the Australia-Spain Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group II tie at Memorial Drive in Adelaide tonight. The Australian doubles combination of Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs has defeated the Sony Ericsson Championship doubles pairing of Nuria Llagostera and Maria-Jose Martinez, 6-4 6-2, in a closely fought battle.

The win means Australia progresses to a World Group Play-off tie in April with a win there advancing Australia to the World Group for the first time since 2004.

Post match, Stosur said she was just pleased to be a part of the win. "It is a great way to finish the summer here in Australia and to be a part of the team again and to do it here is a great feeling."