MOSCOW, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble was flat

against the U.S. dollar for a fourth consecutive session on

Friday, as expectations of an easing of Russia-U.S. tensions

under President-elect Donald Trump, higher oil prices and

central bank forex sales offset the impact of new U.S. energy

sanctions.

The rouble traded at 102.50 to the dollar at 1130 GMT,

unchanged from the previous day, over-the-counter market data

showed. The rouble weakened by 0.2% to 13.94 against China's

yuan in trading on the Moscow Stock Exchange (MOEX).

One-day rouble/dollar futures, which trade on MOEX and are a

guide for the over-the-counter exchange rate, were down 0.2% to

103.46. The Russian central bank set the official exchange rate

at 102.38.