Tennis-Kuznetsova to warm up in Sydney for Australian Open

SYDNEY, Nov 18 (Reuters) - French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova will launch her 2010 Australian Open campaign at the Sydney International.

The 24-year-old Russian joins Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka as the fifth player in the women's top 10 rankings to sign up for the Jan. 10-16 event.

"I really enjoy visiting Sydney. It is a beautiful city and a great place to begin the new season," she said in a statement on Thursday.

Next year's Australian Open starts in Melbourne starts on Jan. 18.

(Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by Ian Ransom; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)