Azarenka seemingly scores an initial victory in custody dispute

Victoria Azarenka's child custody dispute kept her from playing the Australian Open, but she may have taken a big step towards getting back on tour.

Azarenka has been prevented from traveling with her one-year-old son, Leo, while the dispute was in court, but has now received a ruling in her favor, says celebrity gossip website *TMZ*.

According to the story, the judge issued a 65-page decision saying the case should not be brought in California, or elsewhere in the United States.

The child's father, Azarenka's ex-boyfriend Billy McKeague, has three weeks to appeal. McKeague filed for custody in LA, where Azarenka trains, but the Belarusian argued that it belonged in a court in Belarus.

Azarenka has been off the tour since the court order limiting her travel was issued, withdrawing from several tournaments.

Read Joel Drucker and Nina Pantic on TENNIS.com as they report from the Australian Open, and watch them each day on The Daily Mix:

JANUARY: THIS MONTH ON TENNIS CHANNEL PLUS

NEW SEASON, MORE TENNIS! Get Tennis Channel Plus now at BuyTCPlus.com

A LOT of tennis action will be played on Tennis Channel Plus from January through June

Don't miss out on the coverage of the Australian Open over the next two weeks!