The first stop on Serena Williams' farewell tour came to a quick end as she fell to Belinda Bencic in second-round action at the Canadian Open on Wednesday a day after announcing her forthcoming retirement from tennis.
Simona Halep ended Beatriz Haddad Maia's dream run in Toronto
World No 1 Serena Williams was handed the best possible draw for her WTA Finals title defence with the 33-year-old American grouped with two injury doubts and avoiding the in-form players.
Darren Cahill is currently coaching Simona Halep on the telephone or via video link and has asked her to adopt the mindset of an Olympic athlete during an enforced layoff that could extend to the end of the year.
'I think what Venus and her sister have given our sport is absolutely tremendous. The way they've elevated women's tennis is truly inspiring'
Newly crowned French Open champion Maria Sharapova took her Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen trophy to the Eiffel Tower on Sunday.
Venus Williams will miss the upcoming US Open due to an injury, becoming the third U.S. female after her sister Serena and Sofia Kenin to announce on Wednesday they would not take part in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Kvitova to decide on participation on Friday
She will now play Dutch 15th seed Kiki Bertens, who saw off Australian qualifier Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-3, in Saturday's semi-final on the red Foro Italico clay.
However, the 30-year-old Russia belied her own self-doubt with an impressive three-set win over the Romanian to thrust the former world number one back into the spotlight as the toast of the Big Apple.
Images from Day 5 of the 2022 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Thursday.
American tennis ace Venus Williams has entered the top ten of latest WTA ranking following her victory in the Zhuhai Masters in China.
Awesome images from the world of Sport 2018.
Simona Halep produced a flawless performance to beat Serena Williams in last year's final but this week's cancellation of the grasscourt Grand Slam means she will not get to defend her title this summer.
The 20-year-old, looking to become the first unseeded woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since 1933, blazed her way to the final, hitting winners and errors with reckless abandon.
Romanian Simona Halep showed the full extent of her defensive skills to beat Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 and reach her second French Open final in Paris.
Djokovic said he was '50-50' about competing at the Tokyo Olympics
The veteran American set up a showdown with Romanian former world number one Simona Halep in Saturday's final.
World Number one Simona Halep and Japan's Naomi Osaka are among the players nominated for the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Player of the Year award.
Rafael Nadal toppled big-serving American Reilly Opelka to remain perfect on the year while unseeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic stunned world number six Matteo Berrettini.
Osaka also reached the final of the Western & Southern Open, which was held at Flushing Meadows this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had to withdraw against Azarenka due to an injury.
Andy Murray overcame a slow start and a third set service break to beat Taro Daniel 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of Indian Wells on Friday and notch his 700th career win.
Serena Williams withdrew before the start of her BNP Paribas Open.
Simona Halep is prepared for her second marathon of the tournament when she faces former champion Angelique Kerber
Three-time US Open champion Djokovic, who comes into the tournament having won his fifth Wimbledon title, is followed in the seedings by 2017 winner Rafael Nadal.
Romania's Simona Halep pulled out of her final warm-up event before the Australian Open on Tuesday, saying she was suffering from gastroenteritis.
Andy Murray will begin the defence of his Wimbledon title against a qualifier after the draw was made at the All England Club on Friday.
Images from Day 6 of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Second seed Caroline Wozniacki came through a late wobble to reach the Australian Open final for a first time with a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory over Belgian Elise Mertens on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.
'I think when I first started, you could win a lot of easy matches, then you're in the quarter-finals, that's when it starts to get a little more tough. Now, like, there's no easy match. Everyone's playing great. Everyone's just doing a lot better'
Angelique Kerber produced a polished display to claim her second straight win at the WTA Finals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Simona Halep on Tuesday, the world number one virtually booking a spot in the semi-finals of the elite eight-woman event.
Simona Halep was able to shake off the disappointment of a third consecutive early exit from the WTA Finals by focusing on a positive year that led to the 26-year-old old Romanian climbing to the top of the world rankings.
'During the grass court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games.'
Maria Sharapova had given warning that she was ready for a three hour French Open final - and she was true to her word, stopping the clock at three hours two minutes to lift the trophy.
Small details can be cruelly decisive in big matches as Simona Halep discovered after losing her composure following an umpire's call in Saturday's French Open final against Maria Sharapova.
World No 1 Serena Williams edged an enthralling battle with third-seed Simona Halep.
World number three Simona Halep refused to let illness beat her as she collected her ninth WTA Tour title by downing Timea Bacsinszky in the Shenzhen Open final on Saturday.
Dowse said that the women's competition will see 10 former Grand Slam champions, including 23-time major winner Serena Williams, along with 81 of the top 100. In the men's event, seven of the world top ten are competing.
Modric beats Djokovic to win Balkan athlete of year
Powerful Canadian Eugenie Bouchard overcame match-point jitters to claim an eventful 7-6(5), 6-2 victory over Romania's Simona Halep 7-6(5), 6-2 at Wimbledon on Thursday and reach a grand slam final for the first time.
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