Maria to bypass Sydney

Both Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams have reorganised their schedules and will not play in the week before the Australian Open.

"We were trying hard to talk to Venus into coming, but she's chosen not to play that week," said Sydney International tournament director Craig Watson. "Maria doesn't want to play the week before (Melbourne) either."

But Sharapova and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, are the only major absentees for Sydney. The January 6-11 tournament has attracted the top four women - Justine Henin (1), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2), Jelena Jankovic (3) and Ana Ivanovic (4).