Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will be hoping to get the Australian Open off to a sizzling start when they play back-to-back on Rod Laver Arena on today.

The weather also looks set to do its part in keeping temperatures high from the off at Melbourne Park with peaks of 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit) forecast for the opening day of the year's first grand slam.

The two dominant players of last year, Djokovic and Williams are no strangers to the heat of the Australian summer, of course, but sweltering conditions might help expose any flaws in their early season form or fitness.

David Haye returned after a three-and-half-year lay-off with a first-round knockout of Mark de Mori in London.

Australian De Mori looked bothered by the first jab Haye threw and thereafter it was one-way traffic.

Haye, 35, set up the finish with huge overhand right and De Mori was unconscious before he hit the canvas with 49 seconds left in the round.

Leicester are hopeful of sealing a deal for Copenhagen's Daniel Amartey by the end of the week.

The Foxes are in talks with the 21-year-old defender as boss Claudio Ranieri seeks to bolster his squad for their shock title assault.

Real Madrid still plan to sign Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea this summer, despite having a FIFA transfer ban imposed on them last Thursday.

It is understood the Real hierarchy met that afternoon to discuss the ramifications of the ban on signing players, which covers two transfer windows, this summer’s and January 2016.

The Democratic Republic of Congo began their bid for a second African Nations Championship (CHAN) title with a comfortable 3-0 win over Ethiopia in the opening match of Group B.

DR Congo, who won the inaugural CHAN tournament in 2009, dominated the match in Butare, Rwanda, with Guy Lusadisu putting them ahead after 44 minutes.

After the break, the Leopards carried on where they had left off with Heritier Luvumbu heading in to make it 2-0 on 46 minutes, and Meschack Elia added a third nine minutes later.

The Ghana Weightlifting Federation (GWF) has commenced activities for the year in earnest after revising the various committees of the federation to drive its programmes.

Among the committees which have been revised are the events, and competitions, coaching and technical, as well as the research and development committees.

The others are finance, medical, marketing, sponsorship and media committees.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, has called for greater collaboration between his ministry and the family of the late Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey aka Coach Alloway, a former boxing trainer, in order to give him a befitting burial.

Dr Ahmed made the appeal last Friday when he led a delegation of sports officials, including the Deputy Director General of the National Sports Authority, Saka Acquaye, Gideon Quartey, president of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation, and the Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Xola Senaye, to visit the bereaved family of the legendary boxing trainer in Accra.

According to the late Dzanie Kotey's senior brother, Aaron Amon Kotey, who spoke on behalf of the family, the late Alloway (56) died on January 8 as a result of complications arising from diabetes.

The Africa campaign of Ashgold appears to be heading for danger in the wake of the failure of Anglogold Ashanti, the main financiers of the club, to strike a partnership with South Africa-based Rangold to revive the dwindling fortunes of the Obuasi Mines.

The decision has left Anglogold in a financial cul de sac with very little resources to spare and the development, according to insiders, has begun hurting Ashgold.

According to reliable sources, the monthly remmittances of the club have suffered a severe cut while the company has remained silent on the Africa Cup campaign even though the club’s Africa budget has long been submitted to the board of directors of the club.

“There appears to be no hope in sight and the troubling part of the whole situation is that the planned upgrading of the Len Clay Stadium to conform with CAF standards ahead of the Champions League campaign is still on the drawing board”, observed the source.

“Worst still, the renewa

Alhaji Karim Gruzah, chairman of King Faisal, has renewed his threat to exhaust all the legal processes available to seek justice as he heads to court with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on February 1 to press home his grievances.

Gruzah told Graphic Sports yesterday he would be praying the court to ensure the GFA would uphold its position to reinstate King Faisal in the Premier League should they come out as victors of their case against the GFA.

King Faisal dragged the football governing body to court two seasons ago after what they claimed was unjustifiable relegation from top flight football in the country.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski says he is "not passionate" about the Ballon d'Or but acknowledged his pride at being in the running with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

The Poland international finished fourth in the award for last year, behind winner Messi, runner-up Ronaldo and Neymar after an impressive 2015 for club and country.

Lewandowski helped Poland to Euro 2016 with a second-place finish in Group D while winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal with Bayern.

Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid put aside worries over a transfer ban by beating Sporting Gijon - but Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema picked up injuries.

Madrid were 4-0 up after 18 minutes, with Bale heading in the first and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring two, one either side of a Benzema volley.

The France forward ran in a fifth before the break, but both he and Bale later limped off.

Isma Lopez scored his first La Liga goal for Sporting after half-time.

The female Police Hockey team which won silver at the just-ended Africa Club Championship in Lusaka, Zambia were presented with medals for their exemplary showing.

The national champions, who made their first appearance in the tournament, beat the favourites to make Ghana proud.

Portugese handball instructor, Luisa Estriga, has taken 80 Ghanaian handball coaches through the rudiments of the game in three separate seminars in Accra.

More than 80 participants took part in the course, which focussed on how the game is played.

Earlier, Madam Estriga, who arrived last Thursday, told the Daily Graphic she intended to create awareness about the sport in Ghana insisting that talents abound in the country.

Lord Coe says public trust in athletics may not return until "way beyond" his four-year term as IAAF president.

Last Thursday, a World Anti-Doping Agency independent report said "corruption was embedded" within the governing body.

Its author, Dick Pound, said some athletes from Russia and Turkey who failed drugs tests then paid bribes.

"If there are athletes out there and they think they have been subject to extortion, come and speak to me," Coe told BBC

"We need to understand how far and how wide this thing goes. If it's the tip of the iceberg, then come forward and make those claims."

Leicester City are in talks with FC Copenhagen over the signing of Ghana international Daniel Amartey.

The Danish club has confirmed that the 21-year-old, capable of playing in defence and midfield, could move to the Premier League side in January.

It has been reported by BBC Radio Leicester that he could join Leicester for a fee of up to £6m.