April 16 (Reuters) - Australian shares are likely to open lower on Monday, tracking losses on Wall Street on Friday as investors brace for the week ahead following a spike in tensions over Syria after Western strikes and calls for fresh sanctions against Russia. The local share price index futures fell 0.1 percent, or 6 points, to 5,810, a 19.1-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark rose 0.2 percent on Friday. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.1 percent, or 8.78 points, to 8,405.99 in early trade at 2209 GMT. (Reporting by Mensholong Lepcha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Cooney)