Iran coach Carlos Queiroz expressed confidence on Saturday that his side possessed the "heart and soul" to end their 39-year wait for a fourth Asian Cup title.

Team Melli take on Bahrain in their Group C opener in Melbourne on Sunday with key defenders Hashem Beikzadeh and Pejman Montazeri ruled out through injury.

Venus Williams bounced back from defeat after a disastrous first set to beat top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the Auckland Classic final on Saturday.

It was the 46th career title for the seven-time Grand Slam champion, who showed her guile in the showdown between the two former world number ones to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in just under two hours.

FIFA presidential hopeful Prince Ali bin Al Hussein on Saturday called world football's governing body "secretive" and expressed confidence he would oust Sepp Blatter in May.

Top Asian officials have been dismissive of the Jordanian royal's election challenge, but Prince Ali predicted his manifesto to clean up FIFA's tarnished image would persuade members to vote for him in the May 29 election.

A minute's silence will be observed at football grounds throughout France this weekend as a mark of respect for the 12 people killed in the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Thursday.

"Following the terrible attack yesterday at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, the French Football Federation has decided to observe a minute's silence in all fields of the Hexagon (France) this weekend, at national and regional matches," the FFF said in a statement.

Hosts Australia showed impressive firepower to beat Kuwait 4-1 in their Asian Cup opener on Friday after talisman Tim Cahill kick-started them following an early scare.

Massimo Luongo, Mile Jedinak and James Troisi were also on target for the Socceroos, who could have scored six or seven and were serenaded with a chorus of "Oles" by a sell-out crowd of 30,000 in Melbourne.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki fought back from a set down Friday to scrape through to the finals of the Auckland Classic and a showdown with third seed Venus Williams.

Wozniacki lost the first set and the first serve of the second before recovering to beat Czech fourth seed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 4-6,6-3, 6-4 in two hours 35 minutes.

India's enduring doubles specialist Leander Paes began his 25th year on the tennis circuit this week eyeing a seventh Olympics appearance in 2016, when he will be 43.

"It will be great to make it to Rio (de Janeiro) for one more. That is on my mind," Paes told Agence France Presse on the sidelines of his home event, the season-opening ATP Chennai Open.

South Korea coach Uli Stielike Friday warned a hot afternoon kick-off could put his team at a disadvantage as they prepare to take on desert-hardened Oman at the Asian Cup.

The German said he would have preferred a later start as players arriving from wintry South Korea or Europe face a difficult adjustment to the Australian conditions.

Australia will search for championship-winning form and the spark to ignite football interest in the country when they open the Asian Cup against Kuwait on Friday.

A sell-out crowd is expected at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium when Ange Postecoglou's Socceroos stride out for what is the biggest football tournament ever held in Australia.

Top seed and world number three Simona Halep breezed past Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunic in straight sets Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Shenzhen Open.

Halep, last year's French Open runner-up, made short work of her opponent, winning through 6-3, 6-3 in 62 minutes.