Agassi, Serena to defend titles

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Andre Agassi and Serena Williams will defend their titles at next month's Australian Open.

Williams is coming back from a quadriceps injury that forced her to miss the late part of the 2003 season and lose her No.1 ranking.

Agassi will try to win a fifth Australian Open title. He will face three first-time Grand Slam winners from 2003 -- No. 1-ranked Andy Roddick, No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Tennis Australia said Friday that only three of the top 100 women are not committed to the year's first Grand Slam event -- No. 50 Iroda Tulyaganova; No. 71 Virginie Razzano, who is injured; and No. 60 Monica Seles, a four-time Australian Open winner.

The tournament runs from Jan. 19 to Feb. 1 in Melbourne.