Dan Evans beats Bjorn Fratangelo to reach the main draw of the Australian Open for the first time while Laura Trott and Emily Nelson pick up medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Hong Kong.
Dan Evans admitted the pre-season work was paying off after reaching the Australian Open main draw for the first time in his career.
The 25-year-old beat Bjorn Fratangelo 7-5, 4-6, 6-0 in the third round of qualifying in Melbourne to take Britain’s singles representations for the Australian Open to six in the main draw.
Evans converted six of his nine break-point chances to knock out the American, and will now face Spain’s world number 19 Feliciano Lopez in the first round.
"It's nice [qualifying for the main draw]," Evans said. "I worked hard in pre-season in La Manga, even in the summer when I was playing in England in the Futures I was trying to work pretty hard. It was playing tennis and staying professional.
"I think that's the difference, just staying focused on court and staying more interested and focused on just playing tennis rather than all the other stuff, and that's pretty much what I did."
Britain’s Jamie Murray and partner Bruno Soares tasted success in the Apia International in Sydney thanks to a straight sets win over Roham Bopanna and Florin Mergea.
The duo were playing only their second tournament together after Murray ended his partnership with John Peers.
But they appear to be forging a strong understanding ahead of the Australian Open as they triumphed 6-3, 7-6 over Bopanna and Mergea.
Laura Trott says everything is geared towards more Olympic Games success after she helped Great Britain get off to a strong start at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Hong Kong.
Two-time Olympic champion Trott claimed silver in the scratch race while there was also a medal for Emily Nelson who took bronze in the points race.
"I'm just using this weekend to get some experience again I guess," Trott told British Cycling. "For me the World Championships and the Olympics are obviously the most important thing so to try and get as much race experience is what I'm here for.” Read more here.
Elise Christie insists she will be looking at the bigger picture when she takes to the ice at next week’s short track speed skating European Championships.
Christie was crowned overall European champion in Dordrecht last year and is strongly tipped to feature at this year’s edition in Sochi from January 22-24.
The Championships will also double up as vital preparation for March’s World Championships.
And Christie, who has managed to pick up three World Cup medals this season despite damaging ankle ligaments and tendons last summer,
I'm working on things that are going to make a big difference at the World Championships," Christie told BBC Sport.
"But the injury has taken me back. I'd have serious disbelief if [I won the world title] now.
"Obviously I want to retain at least one if not all of my [European] titles but the tactics at the Europeans won't necessarily bring success at Worlds.
"Before the injury I was saying I wanted to be world champion and I believed I could.
"But it's been almost like starting my season again.
"The first week back on the ice I thought there's no way I'll even be able to win medals again.
"I still have pain now but it's a lot better than it was and once I've finished the season I can rehab it properly and next year it won't be a problem."
Dave Ryding admits confidence is on the rise after seeing the fruits of his labours in recent seasons.
Ryding has enjoyed some of his career best form of late, including a 12th place at the Val d’Isere World Cup in France and 13th in Santa Caterina, Italy.
He competed for Team GB at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics as well as in Sochi four years later and he believes those experiences were a key learning experience.
“Vancouver was very much an experience and I was honestly crushed by the big guys, so that made me realise I needed to put more hours in the gym," he told BBC Sport.
"In Sochi I finished 17th and I'm now at that age where I'm coming into my prime as a slalom skier, so I feel like I'm in a good position now to mix it with the best guys.”
Sportsbeat 2016