Reuters Sports Schedule at 1430 GMT on Friday, Jan 27

Reuters sports schedule at 1430 GMT on Friday (times GMT):

TENNIS

Australian Open (to 29)

MELBOURNE - World number one Novak Djokovic edged past number four Andy Murray in an epic battle to set up a meeting with Rafa Nadal in Sunday's final. (TENNIS-OPEN/ (WRAPUP 1), moving shortly plus sidebars, pix, by Greg Stutchbury, 800 words)

- -

MELBOURNE - Victoria Azarenka is fed up with the hubbub surrounding her serial grunting but admits the noise from her Australian Open final against Maria Sharapova will be heard far and wide. (TENNIS-OPEN/AZARENKA , moved, pix, by Peter Rutherford, 400 words)

- -

MELBOURNE - Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova have trodden a similar path to the Australian Open final, though neither is prepared to accept the Russian's greater experience on the big stage will be a factor. (TENNIS-OPEN/WOMEN (PREVIEW), moved, pix, by Greg Stutchbury, 700 words)

- - - -

CRICKET

Australia v India, fourth test (to 28)

ADELAIDE - Hapless India reached 166 for six at the close as Australia neared a series sweep. (CRICKET-INDIA/, moved, pix, by Nick Mulvenney, 500 words)

- -

Pakistan v England, second test, Abu Dhabi (to 29)

ABU DHABI - Monty Panesar ripped through Pakistan's top order to reduce the hosts to 125 for four at the close of the third day of the second test on Friday, 55 runs ahead of England's first innings total. (CRICKET-ENGLAND/, expect final take shortly, pix, by Matt Smith, 500 words)

- - - -

GOLF

Abu Dhabi Championship

ABU DHABI - Former world number one Tiger Woods gave clear evidence he was back to his best after carefully plotting his way to a second-round 69 to move within two shots of the lead. (GOLF-EUROPEAN/, moved, pix, 500 words)

- -

PGA Tour: Farmers Insurance Open, San Diego (to 29)

SAN DIEGO - Little-known Americans Kyle Stanley and Spencer Levin will take a joint one-shot lead into the second round at Torrey Pines after opening with sizzling 10-under-par 62s on the North Course. Three-times champion Phil Mickelson trails by a distant 15 strokes. (GOLF-PGA/, expect first lead by 2300, pix, by Mark Lamport-Stokes, 400 words)

- - - -

SOCCER

African Nations Cup, Equatorial Guinea & Gabon (to Feb. 12)

Niger v Tunisia, Libreville (1600)

Gabon v Morocco, Libreville (1900)

LIBREVILLE - Co-hosts Gabon and 2004 winners Tunisia can reach the quarter-finals if they win their Group C games which would leave Morocco as the tournament's second major casualty after Senegal's exit. (SOCCER-AFRICA/NATIONS, expect by 1800, pix, by Brian Homewood and Mark Gleeson, 400 words)

- -

English FA Cup fourth round

Watford (II) v Tottenham Hotspur (1945)

Everton v Fulham (2000)

LONDON - Tottenham Hotspur kick off the weekend's fourth round FA Cup matches against Championship (second division) club Watford before Everton host Fulham in an all-Premier League clash. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/CUP, expect by 2145, pix, 400 words)

- -

Bundesliga

Hanover 96 v Nuremberg (1930)

Copy on merit

- -

Dutch championship

PSV Eindhoven v Vitesse Arnhem (1900)

Copy on merit.

- - - -

OLYMPICS

LONDON - London marked a mere six months to the start of its Olympic Games on Friday by focusing on the minutiae of putting on the show now that the monumental stage has been built. (OLYMPICS/LONDON, expect by 1200, pix, tv, graphic, by Alan Baldwin, 500 words)

- - - -

ALPINE SKIING

World Cup: Women's super-combined, St Moritz, Switzerland (0945/1245)

ST MORITZ, Switzerland - American Lindsey Vonn triumphed after holding her nerve in the tricky slalom leg. (ALPINE SKIING-WOMEN/, moved, pix, by Patrick Lang, 400 words)

- - - -

NFL

Once the centre of attention, wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has become the forgotten weapon in the New England Patriots offensive arsenal as the AFC champions prepare to take on the New York Giants in a Super Bowl rematch. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/OCHOCINCO expect by 2100, 400 words)

- -

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - A Giant turnaround propelled New York's old established Big Blue into the Super Bowl for a rematch against the New England Patriots, who they upset four years ago for the National Football League title. (NFL-SUPERBOWL/GIANTS, expect by 1900, by Larry Fine, 600 words)

- -

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - The New York Giants ramp up preparations for their clash against the New England Patriots in next week's Super Bowl, hoping to get up to full speed in their second day of practice. (NFL-SUPERBOWL-GIANTS/ , expect by 2300, by Larry Fine, 400 words)

- - - -

FIGURE SKATING

European championships

Copy on merit.

- - - -