Defending champion Serena Williams battled to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over world number four Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the Sony Ericsson Open final on Thursday. The American, who had to cope with back trouble along with the hot and humid conditions, is bidding to equal Steffi Graf's record of five title successes in the tournament.
Jelena Jankovic reached the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open after Elena Dementieva retired with a back injury.
Venus and Serena Williams kept up their semi-final date with commanding victories over Vera Zvonareva and Anastasia Rodionova respectively at the WTA Tier II Bangalore Open on Friday. Venus won 6-4, 6-3, while Serena was through at 6-1, 6-4.
Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek overcame a fighting Russian pair of Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva to book a semi-final berth in the US $ 600,000 WTA East West Bank Classic tournament in Los Angeles. The Indo-American pair, seeded second, pipped the Russian duo 6-3, 1-6, 10-8 in one hour and 14 minutes in the quarter-finals of the Tier II hard court event on Friday night.
The second seeds pipped the American-Russian duo of Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
The 26-year-old American, winner of eight Grand Slam titles, had pulled out of the event last year due to illness.
Eleni Daniilidou of Greece won the Hobart International on Friday after her opponent, Russian Vera Zvonareva, withdrew from the final because of an injury.
Second seed Vera Zvonareva overpowered Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-1 to set up a final with Greece's Eleni Daniilidou at the Hobart International on Thursday.
Karim Benzema made history at Real Madrid, the battle for the top four continues to heat up
Juve forward Cristiano Ronaldo had an unusually quiet game after scoring a hat-trick against Atletico in last year's competition, although he came within inches of grabbing a last-gasp winner when he sent a shot just past the far post.
Sania Mirza will have to beat world number five and top seed Russian Vera Zvonareva to claim the second WTA singles title of her career as the two players set up the summit clash in the USD 220,00 Pattaya Open on Saturday.
India's Jeev Milka Singh and Australian Richard Green shared the lead after the opening day of the Irish Open at Adare Manor on Thursday. Green, aiming for a place in next month's US Open, joined Singh at the top of the board with a six under par 66 in superb conditions.
Marco Asensio's strike earned Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol to send them top of La Liga and Thomas Lemar scored his first goal for Atletico Madrid in a 2-0 victory at Getafe on Saturday.
Holders Russia will play Spain in the Fed Cup final after both teams made light work of their semi-final opponents on Sunday.
Fifth seed Serena Williams reached the Family Circle Cup final by beating French teenager Alize Cornet 7-5 6-3 on Saturday. The 26-year-old next faces ninth seed Vera Zvonareva, who upset fellow-Russian Elena Dementieva, the fourth seed, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 in a wildly fluctuating semi-final.
Serena Williams reached the Family Circle Cup semi-finals on Friday by beating number two seed Maria Sharapova 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 while Vera Zvonareva upset top seed Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Sharapova, who won only nine of 35 points in a final set during which Williams made only one unforced error, lost to the American for the fifth time in seven career matches.
The Indian top seed's title hopes were dealt a blow after she lost her 12th and penultimate round game against Elena Tairova of Russia in the World Junior Girls' Chess championship.
Women Grandmaster and top seed D Harika kept herself in contention for the gold medal after beating compatriot Eesha Karavade in the ninth round of the World Junior Girls Chess Championship.
The best was saved for the last. After a day of mundane action and lopsided contests, China's Zi Yan showed tremendous grit to save three match points and oust eighth seed Maria Kirilenko in the first round of the WTA Tier II Bangalore Open on Tuesday night.
Serena and Venus Williams, top seed Jelena Jankovic and fourth seed Patty Schnyder have received first round byes in the tournament, which gets underway on Monday.
The Russian claimed her second title of the year when she defeated unseeded Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 in an all-Russian final in Doha.
Unheralded Igor Kunitsyn upset former world number one Marat Safin 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 in an all-Russian Kremlin Cup final to clinch his maiden title.
Top seed Ana Ivanovic survived a scare at the U.S. Open on Tuesday before scraping past Vera Dushevina of Russia 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round.
Roger Federer opens his title defence while Tim Henman starts another year of hope at Wimbledon on Monday.
La Liga leaders Barcelona moved 10 points clear with a 4-1 win at Real Betis on Sunday after second place Atletico Madrid slipped up at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in a 2-0 defeat.
The top seeded Indian was beaten by Jolanta Zawadzka of Poland in the 11th round of the World Junior girls' chess championship.
Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova reached her first Kremlin Cup semi-final in convincing fashion by crushing fellow Russian Vera Dushevina 6-2 6-2 on Friday.
Top seed D Harika scored a thumping victory over Sabrina Vega Gutierrez of Spain to reclaim sole second spot after the end of the eighth round in the World Junior Girls' chess championship in Yerevan, Armenia, on Friday.
Vera Zvonareva stunned sixth seeded Amelie Mauresmo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Kremlin Cup.
Holders Real Madrid were sensationally knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday after being thrashed 4-1 at home by an outstanding Ajax Amsterdam who overturned a first-leg deficit to reach the quarter-finals 5-3 on aggregate.
Following is a list of American Serena Williams' 22 grand slam singles titles as she equalled Steffi Graf's professional era record with victory at Wimbledon on Saturday
Serena Williams won her third title of the year by beating Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the Family Circle Cup final.
Plants like aloe vera, spider plant and neem act as the natural air filters.
Top Russian player and world number 21, Vera Zvonareva, would participate in the Bangalore Open, to be held from March three to nine.
Maria Sharapova will face Vera Zvonareva in an all-Russian final at the Qatar Open.
Unseeded Venus Williams marched into the Family Circle Cup semi-finals by beating Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4 7-5 on Friday.
Images from the football matches played across Europe on Sunday.
The Russian swept aside Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik at the Linz Open on Tuesday.
World number one Roger Federer moved closer to a Sony Ericsson hat-trick on Monday, easing into the fourth round of the Masters Series event with 7-5 6-3 win over Spain's Nicolas Almagro.
Daniela Hantuchova maintained her good form at Pacific Life Open with a gritty 6-2 5-7 7-6 victory over Israeli 11th seed Shahar Peer in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
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