By September, she was number three – the highest-ranked Belarusian player in the history of the women’s tour, two better than Natasha Zvereva. Now the 2007 US Open (with Max Mirnyi) and 2008 French Open (Bob Bryan) mixed doubles champion has secured her first singles Glam Slam title, with a comprehensive Australian Open triumph over fellow arch-grunter Maria Sharapova of Russia, and wrested number one spot from Caroline Wozniacki – who had held on to the position since October 2010 in spite of still seeking her own first Grand Slam victory.

Azarenka’s win made it a rare double: she was also the Australian Open junior singles champion in 2005, the same year she won the US Open junior title and was named the ITF Junior Girls World Champion. Her first career WTA title was the 2009 Brisbane International, and earlier this year, in the lead-up to the 2012 Australian Open, she won the Apia International Sydney tournament.

Dinara Safina signing autographs

Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anabel Medina visit Marbella’s Old Town

Winning style from Azarenka

A friend “very high up in the media world who has been tapping the phones in Australia House for many years” gave Barry Humphries an inkling. “I can’t tell you his name; he is married to a Chinese girl. He said it was between me and Julian Assange and it turned out to be me.”

In his acceptance speech after being named Australian of the Year in the UK, comedy legend Humphries borrowed a celebrated quote from that same unnamed friend’s comments to a British parliamentary committee on phone hacking in 2011, “This is the most humble day of my life.”

He won the award, presented at a ceremony at Australia House in London, after a 50-year theatre career, highlighted by his alter egos “priapic and inebriated cultural attaché” Sir Les Patterson, archetypal Aussie bloke Barry “Bazza” McKenzie and housewife “gigastar” Dame Edna Everage.  The latter would be jealous, he said. “Well it’s about time really, I think.”

Seventy-seven-year-old Humphries already holds the title of Officer of the Order of Australia. Wine writer Matthew Jukes was named Honorary Australian of the Year and the Young Australian of the Year award went to fashion consultant Yasmin Sewell.

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European Tour

Open de Andalucía: Aloha (Marbella) – 15-18 March

Open de España: Real Club de Golf de Sevilla – 3-6 May

Volvo World Match Play Championship: Finca Cortesín (Casares) – 17-20 May

Madrid Masters: Venue TBC – 20-23 September

Andalucía Masters: Venue TBC – and 18-21 October

Ladies European Tour

Open de España Femenino: Venue TBC – 20-23 September

European Senior Tour

Benahavís Senior Masters: La Quinta – 1-3 June

1 January: New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo)

6 January: Three Kings Day (Epifanía – Reyes Magos)

28 February: Andalucía Day (Día de Andalucía)

5 April: Easter Thursday (Jueves Santo)

6 May: Labour Day (Fiesta del Trabajo)

15 August: Assumption of the Virgin (Asunción de la Virgen)

12 October: National Spain Day  (Fiesta Nacional de España)

1 November: All Saints Day (Fiesta de Todos los Santos)

6 December: Spanish Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución Española)

8 December: Immaculate Conception Saint’s Day (Inmaculada Concepción)

25 December: Christmas Day (Navidad)

Seasons

Winter (Invierno): 21 December-19 March

Spring (Primavera): 20 March-19 June

Summer (Verano): 20 June-21 September

Autumn (Otoño): 23 September- 20 December

(PHOTOS: IMAGEN©TURISMO ANDALUZ S.A.)

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Born and raised in west London, Hollie became a professional actress, singer and model at a young age, before – at the behest of family friend and Slits singer Ari Up – joining the band as its “second singer” on tour and in the recording studio. Now solo, she sang two of the songs off her own album, Body Beat and Milk & Honey, on the long-running BBC music programme Later with Jools Holland in November. Hollie’s parents, Sex Pistols drummer Paul and nutrition consultant and raw food chef Jeni, have a home in Marbella and regularly visit the Coast to relax away from the spotlight.

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Spanish contingent in confident mood... (Photo: Fernando Herranz)

SEVE BALLESTROS went close in 1988. The late Spanish star finished second two shots behind Nick Faldo in the inaugural Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Six years later, he was again second, a bogey on the last hole leaving him one short of Bernhard Langer’s winning score and level with Vijay Singh. Miguel Ángel Jiménez was fourth that same year, having opened with a six-under 65 that included the first albatross carded in competition on Valderrama’s notorious 17th hole.

José María Olazábal finished third in 1989, five behind winner Ronan Rafferty. A decade later, Jiménez became the only Spaniard to win the Volvo Masters, but it had been moved to Montecastillo in Jerez, as Valderrama focused on more important matters (1997 Ryder Cup and 1999 and 2000 American Express World Golf Championship).

Back at Valderrama one week later he was level with Tiger Woods after the 72 regulation holes of the 1999 WGC event but succumbed on the first extra hole of sudden-death.

Hapless Carlos Rodiles loses aim on Tour

In 2003, Carlos Rodiles was just as close, losing on the first hole of a play-off against Fredrik Jacobsen for the Volvo Masters title at Valderrama. He has never really recovered from that setback. This year he has played in only four European Tour events (three missed cuts and 16th in the Bankia Madrid Masters), failed to make the cut in three out of four Challenge Tour starts, and has slumped to a world ranking of 975. His chance to redeem himself at Valderrama will have to wait at least another year.

Then it was Sergio García’s turn to suffer Valderrama angst: he lost a play-off against Paul Casey for the 2004 Volvo Masters title, was second by two shots behind Paul McGinley in 2005, and was joint runner-up with Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington in 2006, one shot adrift of Jeev Mikha Singh.

Olazábal and Ignacio Garrido were members and Jiménez non-playing vice captain of the European team that captain Ballesteros led to victory in the 1997 Ryder Cup – but that doesn’t really count. The bottom line is that no Spanish player has won an individual strokeplay title at Valderrama since its European Tour coming out in 1988.

Last year, in the inaugural Andalucía Valderrama Masters (the 21st and final Volvo Masters – 16 at Valderrama and five at Montecastillo – was held in 2008), the best-placed Spaniard was Jiménez (joint seventh), while García and Olazábal shared 10th place.

Now, in the 20th European Tour event held at the celebrated course, this season simply the Andalucía Masters, 14 Spaniards in a field of 96 will be attempting to overcome the Valderrama hoodoo.

“Valderrama is an unforgiving course and you need to hit great shots with all the clubs in the bag,” said Jiménez on the eve of the tournament. “I’m striking the ball great, but not scoring my best. I haven’t had a win yet this season so it’s high time to start.” His last Tour win was the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September 2010.

Castelló Masters triumph for Sergio García

Buoyed by his 11-stroke victory in last week’s Castelló Masters, Sergio García is favourite to break his duck at Valderrama. “I’m delighted with my win at Castellón,” he said. “It’s been a great boost to my confidence. I love Valderrama. I’ve been three times runner-up on this course, and that really spurs me to try harder. I would love to win an event like the Andalucía Masters. I’m happy with my ball striking, although there’s always room for improvement.”

Also returning to form in Castellón after months of injury problems was Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, whose last Tour win was in the 2008 Insurance British Masters. “I feel pretty confident before this tournament, particularly because I did well last week,” he said. “Playing well at Castellón lifted a load off my shoulders. I needed to prove myself, and now I feel that I am really back on track. Having spent six months injured, it was great to finish second last week. We Spanish pros are like a big family with a great atmosphere. We enjoy travelling together. Every year we take this group photo at Valderrama and I keep them all as a nice souvenir.”

Álvaro Quirós, from the nearby village of Guadiaro and winner of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February, will have plenty of local support. “When you play so close to home it’s very special,” he said. “My family and a big bunch of friends will come to watch and support me, and I would hate to disappoint them. Hopefully things will turn out better this year.”

José María Olazabal not too serious about chances (Photo: Fernando Herranz)

Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal has not won since the 2005 Mallorca Classic and admitted his form would need to improve if he were to get into contention this week. “It’s always very special to come Valderrama, but I expect a tough tournament and I’m not playing well,” he said. “This course is very challenging and we have a strong field with (defending champion Graeme) McDowell, Sergio, and all the rest. Sergio’s win was sensational with such a fantastic score – it will mean a great step forward for him. Obviously Valderrama is an added motivation because of all the great tournaments played here. I shall never forget the ‘97 Ryder Cup under Seve. It was a very, very special week and I will treasure those moments forever.”

The other Spaniards in the field are 2011 BMW International Open champion Pablo Larrazábal (he beat García in a six-hole play-off in Germany), Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Santiago Luna, Carlos del Moral, Alejandro Cañizares, Ignacio Garrido, Manuel Quirós, Carl Suneson, Álvaro Velasco.

The field has been weakened slightly by the absence of top players competing in the 30-man Shanghai Masters, where the winner will receive a cheque for $2 million out of the total $5 million purse, though no world ranking points as the event is not sanctioned by any of the official tours. They include Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Padraig Harrington, and 2011 Volvo World Match Play champion (at Finca Cortesín) Ian Poulter.

There are, however, several 2011 European Tour champions in the field: Martin Kaymer, the highest world-ranked player (seventh) teeing up at Valderrama (winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January); three-time 2011 winner Thomas Bjorn (Commercialbank Qatar Masters, Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and Omega European Masters); dual winner Alexander Noren (Saab Wales Open and Nordea Masters); Raphaël Jacquelin (Sicilian Open), David Horsey (Trophée Hassan II in Morocco), Nicolas Colsaerts (Volvo China Open), Mateo Manassero (Maybank Malaysian Open), Thomas Aiken (Open de España in Barcelona), Robert Rock (BMW Italian Open), Thomas Levet (Alstom Open de France), Kenneth Ferrie (Austrian GolfOpen).

Graeme McDowell will be attempting to win his first title since last year’s Andalucía Valderrama Masters; while also hoping to end their 2011 drought are brothers Francesco and Eduardo Molinari, Peter Hanson (winner of the 2005 Open de España at nearby San Roque) and Ross Fisher (2010 Volvo World Match Play champion at Finca Cortesín).

Former Volvo Masters champions (at Valderrama) in the field are Paul McGinley (2005), Justin Rose (2007) and Søren Kjeldsen (68th) (2008).

RACE TO DUBAI

The Andalucía Masters is the last opportunity in Europe for players to improve their positions in the Race to Dubai before the Tour moves to Asia, South Africa and the Middle East. Only the top 60 on the order of merit will gain a place in the season grand finale, the $7.5 million Dubai World Championship in December.

War of Attrition (2010)

RESULTS: García wins Spanish dual against Jiménez

(Photos: Fernando Herranz)

IN AN INNOVATIVE twist on the traditional “Week of…” gastronomic extravaganzas, Barceló Málaga Hotel is offering diners a fusion of art and cuisine from 31 October to 5 November.

David Sanmartín, chef of the hotel’s award-winning El Andén restaurant, has used works of art on display at the Carmen Thyssen Museum in Málaga as the inspiration for a week-long “From Canvas to Plate” menu.

Contemplating a painting and savouring a dish of food have a common exponent, he explains. “They are both experiences for the senses, with personal sensitivities playing a a key role.”

The first “brushstroke” is ajoblanco, a traditional Andalucian cold soup served with grapes, inspired by “La fuente de Reding”, an oil painting by Guillermo Gómez Gil.

The next aperitif is a mini-hamburger of oxtail, alluding to “Picador herido” by Marià Fortuny i Marsal; followed by a salad consisting of purple-coloured potatoes, bacalao (cod) petals, spring onion and elderberry flowers, and imitating the colour palette and geometric shapes of Juan Gris’s “Mujer sentada”.

The natural colours featured in Claude Monet’s “La maison vue du jardin aux roses” inspired a deer steak dish accompanied by green mustard and rose petals.

Finally, for dessert, Sanmartín took inspiration from Henri Matisse’s  “La Conversation sous les oliviers”, to create a colourful dish of chocolate flakes, pistachio and lemon mousse.

The menu costs €35 (including wine) and is available for hotel clients as well as members of the public. The wine served at a special presentation lunch for the media was Codorniu 1551, Solear sherry and Enate red from Somontano.

SPAIN’S PREMIER food channel has joined Málaga restaurant La Reserva del Pastor to create the first Bar Canal Cocina in Andalucía.

Launched in Madrid last year with the slogan, “Unidos por una misma pasión: la comida” (“United with the same passion: food”), the initiative will be presented in other Spanish cities after concluding in Málaga on 30 November.

Thursday is the key day for Bar Canal Cocina, with “multiple surprises” and gifts for clients visiting the restaurant (in C/ Sánchez Pastor), as well as a free tapa courtesy of Canal Cocina. Various other activities are featured on the website CanalCocina.es, including a competition offering dinner prizes.

The only channel in Spain specialising in gastronomy, Canal Cocina is – according to presenter Mandi Ciriza – aimed at viewers who enjoy food and are interested in learning about new gastronomic trends. The schedule includes programmes on travel, “eco-cuisine”, nutrition and healthy cooking, reality shows, and series featuring Spanish and international chefs such as Jamie Oliver.

Canal Cocina in Málaga

Oh yes… and the winner was Leila Lopes from Angola. Miss Australia Scherri-Lee Biggs, who was also reprimanded by the organisers for an “offensively see-through” evening gown and a “way too sexy” bikini, finished in the top 10.