World number one Angelique Kerber got the birthday gift she wanted Wednesday by making the Australian Open third round, but she had to work hard against fellow German Carina Witthoeft.
Roger Federer dug himself out of a late slump to fend off American qualifier Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3) on Wednesday and draw vital confidence for a tough third round clash against 10th seed Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a record seventh Australian Open title on Tuesday with an impressive 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over hard-hitting Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
Roger Federer made a winning return to competitive tennis after six months out of the game on Monday, thrilling a packed Rod Laver Arena as he beat qualifier Juergen Melzer 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Australian Open second round.
Angelique Kerber said her dreams came true in just over two hours on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday when she upset defending champion Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win the Australian Open.
Gilles Simon will carry the distinction of being the first man to prise a set off Novak Djokovic at this year's Australian Open but the lion-hearted Frenchman was crushed after going down in a five-set classic on Sunday.
Former champion Maria Sharapova found inspiration in a change of dress to put away unseeded American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-0 at the Australian Open on Friday and set up an intriguing fourth round match with rising Swiss talent Belinda Bencic.
Former golden girl Eugenie Bouchard's hopes of rehabilitation at the Australian Open came to a swift end on Wednesday as wily Agnieszka Radwanska sent the Canadian spinning out of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat in the second round.
IMAGES from the Australian Open final played on Sunday
Three-times Grand Slam winner Murray has struggled to regain form since undergoing hip surgery last January and was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday having said the tournament could be his last as a professional.
"I told my coach before the match and yesterday that I was mentally completely dead and no battery," he told reporters.
After booking a much-anticipated semi-final with his Australian Open title usurper Stan Wawrinka on Wednesday, Novak Djokovic wasted little time reminding the Swiss of the heavy burden of being defending champion.
Venus Williams blamed an injury time-out by Madison Keys for robbing her of rhythm
Eugenie Bouchard was unable to match the semi-final appearance from her maiden Australian Open last year and will now focus on sorting out her coaching arrangements after being blasted off the court by Maria Sharapova on Tuesday.
This is the first time that the towering Croatian has made the final of the Aus Open
Defending champion Roger Federer argued with an umpire but mostly let his racket do the talking as he beat Tomas Berdych for the ninth time running to reach the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov kept cool in the Rod Laver Arena maelstrom to knock home favourite Nick Kyrgios out of the Australian Open in a fourth-round thriller on Sunday.
Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro became the first player through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open as she dug herself out of a hole to beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit 4-6, 6-4 ,8-6 on Sunday.
Relief was at hand, however, with a cool change blowing over the city and the temperature expected to fall back below 30 by the evening.
Gael Monfils said playing Novak Djokovic in temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday was a 'risk' to health and that the 25-second rule between points should have been relaxed.
Rediff.com presents the early surprises at the year's first Grand Slam.
Serena Williams' relaxed outlook on life spilled over even in defeat on Saturday when she appeared to be almost as happy that Angelique Kerber had won her first Grand Slam final as the German herself.
Serena Williams underlined the difference in class and power between her and the rest of the women's field with a 6-0, 6-4 demolition of fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday to reach her seventh Australian Open final.
Australian Bernard Tomic has hit back at Roger Federer's suggestion that he is a long way from being a top 10 player, saying the 17-times grand slam champion faced a quality deficit of his own compared to Novak Djokovic.
World number one Novak Djokovic is a red hot favourite to overcome all opponents and clinch another Australian Open title this year, although extreme temperatures will be a wild card the Serb has to watch out for.
Serena Williams said it was a 'great feeling' to surpass Steffi Graf as the most prolific grand slam champion of the open era at the Australian Open on Saturday and was not prepared to put a number on the haul of titles she might end up with.
Grigor Dimitrov reached his first grand slam quarter-final in over two years on Monday by defeating an injury-hampered Denis Istomin 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-1 to end the Uzbek wildcard's fairytale run at the Australian Open.
Top seeded Briton Andy Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round on Sunday, losing 7-5 5-7 6-2 6-4 to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev on Rod Laver Arena.
A rampaging Roger Federer delivered a stunning reminder of his class at the Australian Open on Friday with a crushing 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 win over Tomas Berdych to storm into the fourth round.
Serena Williams outplayed Maria Sharapova to claim the 2015 Australian Open championship in straight sets on Saturday.
Defending champion Angelique Kerber battled her nerves and blew a match point in the second set before finally overcoming Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to reach the second round.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic eased his way into the Australian Open semi-finals, brushing aside Canada's Milos Raonic with a 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2 victory.
A relieved Rafael Nadal felt the confidence come flooding back in a first-round romp at the Australian Open on Monday.
Novak Djokovic pronounced himself fit and raring to go in search of his fifth Australian Open title on Sunday after overcoming a bout of illness that had prompted social media users to suggest he was in doubt for the tournament.
Rafael Nadal easily avoided the embarrassment of a back-to-back first round exits at the Australian Open on Tuesday, ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.
The battle to stay at the top of men's tennis is like a fight to keep hungry wolves at bay, Novak Djokovic said on Sunday after clinching a record-equalling sixth Australian Open title.
Champion Novak Djokovic did not bother with a practice hit before his showdown with Kei Nishikori and his "less is more" approach paid off with an easy 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win on Tuesday to set up a blockbuster Australian Open semi-final with Roger Federer.
It was third time lucky for Wozniacki following her runner-up finishes at the 2009 and 2014 US Opens.
Madison Keys is determined to take an extra step at the Grand Slams
Serena Williams took some coaching advice from a fan during her fourth round match.
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