World number one Victoria Azarenka was knocked out in the fourth round of the French Open when she slumped to a 6-2, 7-6 defeat by Slovakian 15th seed Dominika Cibulkova on Sunday.
Despite boasting 34 Grand Slam singles titles between them, Serena Williams and Roger Federer were forced to share the spotlight with a 15-year-old at the US Open on Tuesday as all three advanced to the second round.
Williams sisters Serena and Venus had been hoping to provide fans with the first all-Williams sisters clash at a Grand Slam since the 2009 Wimbledon final in the semi-finals.
IMAGES from the matches played on Day 4 of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Thursday
IMAGES from Day 8 of the US Open on Monday
Angelique Kerber's build-up for next week's Australian Open suffered a setback with the German world number one going down in straight sets to Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the Sydney International.
Top seed Elena Dementieva reached the semi-finals of the Family Circle Cup on Friday when Dominika Cibulkova retired in the second set because of a left thigh strain. The Russian, who had lost only four games in her two previous matches, was leading 6-4 1-0 in the quarter-final when the seventh-seeded Slovakian retired. Olympic champion Dementieva will next meet Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, who beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-2 6-0.
Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova and Dominik Hrbaty ripped up the form book to win the Hopman Cup with victory over Russia in Perth on Friday.
Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo slumped to her second first-round defeat by Slovak teenager Dominika Cibulkova in a week when she lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the China Open on Monday.
Top-seeded Maria Sharapova advanced to the semi-finals of the Amelia Island championships after a 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko. The Australian Open champion will meet former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport. The American beat Hungary's Agnes Szavay 6-4 7-6, while Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova will play Alize Cornet in the other semi-final. Cornet beat Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-2 while Cibulkova beat France's Amelie Mauresmo 6-1, 7-6.
Halep, the beaten finalist in the French Open last week, is the latest top player to pull out from the event after Czech world number three Karolina Pliskova opted to rest her injured elbow ahead of Wimbledon.
Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki battled back after a mid-match slump to beat Angelique Kerber of Germany on Friday and book a place in the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open.
Li Na, who won her second Grand Slam title and first Australian Open title said that she was ready to work hard to become World No 1.
Chinese tennis ace Li Na reportedly had her fans roaring with laughter with her wisecracks during her speech following her Australian Open victory on Saturday at Melbourne Park.
Asked which thoughts, the world number two from Constanta said: "The only one, very tough thought is one set, 3-0 up, that I couldn't take that game.
Serena Williams stayed on track for an eighth Wimbledon title as she fought back to beat Italian Camila Giorgi 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a fiercely contested quarter-final.
French Open runner-up Simona Halep was awarded a wildcard entry to feature at the Aegon International in Eastbourne next week, organisers said on Thursday.
World number one Novak Djokovic received a free pass into the third round of the U.S. Open when Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic withdrew from their match on Wednesday due to a left forearm injury. The walkover provided the top-seeded defending champion with an extended break to improve his niggling left wrist injury before his next match against either Guido Pella of Argentina or Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.
With rain having washed out Wednesday's play, Federer along with champion Rafael Nadal and top seed Novak Djokovic all face playing back-to-back matches on Thursday if they want to reach the quarter-finals.
Li Na is destined for more grand slams and a place in the Hall of Fame after the Australian Open win cemented her position as the most influential female player of the last decade, said former great Chris Evert.
In the men's draw, the "Big Four" look poised to scrap it out for yet another Grand Slam crown over the next week after Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all won on Monday to join Novak Djokovic in the last eight.
Picking up her racquet bag and marching straight out of Rod Laver Arena without a nod or a wave, Maria Sharapova's abrupt exit after her fourth-round loss to Dominika Cibulkova on Monday spoke volumes of her disdain for a forgettable Australian Open.
Simona Halep has moved back to the top five in the latest women's tennis world rankings issued by the WTA, after clinching her first title in over a year at the Madrid Masters.
Big names and young guns turn up the heat at US Open
The 23-year-old Wimbledon champion, who climbed to the top of the WTA rankings on Monday, hardly broke sweat against the Frenchwoman, ranked 20th in the world, on her way to victory in an hour and 20 minutes.
Agnieszka Radwanska needed eight match points to finish off Li Na on Thursday but confirmed her fine pre-Australian Open form by maintaining her perfect start to the year and reaching the final of the Sydney International.
Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov edged out South Africa's Kevin Anderson 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) in a three-hour slugfest to claim his second career title with victory in the Acapulco International final on Sunday.
Sania Mirza dug deep into her reserves to overcome a fighting Anne Keothavong 6-4, 7-5 and progress to the singles quarter-finals of the $ 220,000 Pattaya Open, on Thursday.
Former world number one Serena Williams returns to Grand Slam action for the first time in over 15 months, when she goes up against Czech Kristyna Pliskova in the French Open first round.
Garbine Muguruza emerged as a favourite to win the Italian Open after beating Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko to reach the third round after world number one Angeliquer Kerber had earlier bowed out to Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit.
US Open champion Naomi Osaka fought back tears and rallied from a set down to outlast Zhang Shuai 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the China Open quarter-finals on Friday.
Fourth seed Kei Nishikori's hopes of making another magical U.S. Open run came to a quick end on Monday as last year's runner-up fell at the first hurdle, falling 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Comeback queen Serena Williams crushed Germany's Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-2 to move into the final of the Stanford Classic on Saturday.
Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Saturday.
Fifth seed Maria Sharapova, the last giant left in the women's draw, powered into the Wimbledon semi-finals after being head and shoulders above diminutive Slovak Dominika Cibulkova in a 6-1, 6-1 demolition on Tuesday.
Maria Sharapova powered into the Wimbledon semi-finals with an awesome display every bit as spectacular as the thunder claps that rattled the All England Club on Tuesday. The Russian fifth seed, the stand-out name in an unfamiliar looking last eight, roared to a 6-1, 6-1 win over shell-shocked Dominika Cibulkova under Centre Court's roof and now only wildcard Sabine Lisicki stands between Sharapova and her first final here since she won the tournament in 2004.
World No 1s Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber have been named top seeds for the first major of the season, Australian Open, which will commences on January 16.
Williams, a record 23-times Grand Slam champion, will be returning to the All England Club for the first time since giving birth to her daughter last September.
A self-confessed tennis buff, Sachin Tendulkar was among a host of sports stars, including former West Indian cricket captain Brian Lara, who packed the royal box on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
Senior Associate Editor Bikash Mohapatra looks at an inglorious club of seven players who have been ranked No. 1 without a major title to their credit.
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