Just when British sports fans thought the jibes, digs and abuse over their lack of success Down Under over the last few months might finally slow to a mumbled trickle, their athletes gave their colonial brothers further ammunition on Monday. Already smarting from a 5-0 thrashing in the Ashes cricket series, British hopes in the women's singles draw at the Australian Open ended before they got going with Laura Robson and Heather Watson knocked out in the first round. On top of that, the pair's losses to 18th seed Kirsten Flipkens and 31st seed Daniela Hantuchova respectively, came less than 24 hours after the England cricket team were humbled at the neighbouring Melbourne Cricket Ground in the opening one-day international against Australia. RIDING WAVE Their first round losses seemed a far cry from six months ago when British sports fans were celebrating a British and Irish Lions test series victory in Australia, an Ashes win, their second successive Tour de France winner and Andy Murray breaking a 77-year hoodoo to win the Wimbledon men's title. More...