Russian Vera Zvonareva, Czech Petra Kvitova and Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova -- names that are barely household names in their native towns let alone in the wider world -- earned their golden tickets to the semi-finals after a day of topsy-turvy tennis at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Three fancied players did succumb on a cheerless day.
Top seed Maria Sharapova overcame a second-set wobble to beat Tsvetana Pironkova 7-6, 6-7, 6-0 and reach the Wimbledon third round.
French Open champion Li Na retired injured from her first-round match against Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova at the Paris Open on Tuesday.
India's challenge in the singles event of the season's first Grand Slam was over in just an hour and 28 minutes, as Sania Mirza went down to Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets, in the first round of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, on Monday. Back after recovering from a knee injury, Sania showed glimpses of a fightback against Pironkova, but it was not enough. The world No. 105 Indian was beaten 4-6, 2-6.
Serena was scheduled to face Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.
Victoria Azarenka's career has been a rollercoaster ride since she since she returned to the tour in 2017 after taking time off to have her son, Leo. After three years away from the WTA Tour following the birth of her son Alexander, Tsvetana Pironkova, playing in her first event since 2017, claimed a shock upset at the US Open.
It took less than two brutal hours at Wimbledon on Monday to disprove the theory that Serena and Venus Williams could march back to continue their domination of the grasscourt slam having hardly swung their rackets in anger for months.
Serena Williams made a winning return to action after nearly a year out with victory over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova at Eastbourne on Tuesday.
Serena Williams was left all alone trying to crush an unlikely uprising on Wimbledon's hallowed lawns on Tuesday as sister Venus and Kim Clijsters suffered shock defeats in the women's quarter-finals.
British 13th seed Johanna Konta felt 'embarrassed' after recovering from a health scare at a humid US Open on Wednesday to claim her place in the third round with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova.
Maria Sharapova made a stylish return to the US Open when she walloped Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3, 6-0 to reach the second round on Tuesday.
Russian Vera Zvonareva beat unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in the semi-final on Thursday. She will now face defending champion Serena Williams in the summit clash.
Serena and Venus Williams' stranglehold of women's doubles was ended at Wimbledon on Wednesday when the American sisters were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Vera Zvonareva and Elena Vesnina.
Five-times champion and second seed Venus Williams was stunned 6-2, 6-3 by Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Top seed Dinara Safina survived a tough test of her title credentials before beating Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 7-6, 6-2 in the second round of the WTA event in Indian Wells on Friday.
Top seed Ana Ivanovic crashed out of the Italian Open in her first game on Wednesday, losing 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova.
A pep talk from dad Richard and a timely downpour over Roland Garros rescued Serena Williams from an embarrassing first-round exit at the French Open on Sunday.
Fourth-seeded Venus Williams outpowered Bulgarian Tatiana Poutchek 6-1 6-2 to move into the second round of the Istanbul Cup on Tuesday.
Sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, eighth seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy and India's Sania Mirza moved into the second round of the $1.3 million Qatar Open on Monday.
Italy's Flavia Pennetta advanced to her first Australian Open quarter-final with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 victory over ninth-seeded German Angelique Kerber.
Serena Williams said the work is never done for mothers who are also professional tennis players following her victory over fellow mom Tsvetana Pironkova in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Serena Williams was forced to dig deep to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 US Open quarter-final victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday, keeping alive her latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.
Juan Martin del Potro continued his encouraging buildup to the Australian Open by reaching the semi-finals of the Sydney International on Thursday, but women's contender Petra Kvitova was stunned by a Bulgarian qualifier in the last four.
Serena Williams sounded a warning for her fellow Australian Open contenders with a sleek win
Former champion Caroline Wozniacki reached the semi-finals of the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament with a 7-5, 6-1 defeat of Germany's Andrea Petkovic on Thursday.
Serena Williams showed glimpses of what lies in store for rivals this season
Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro underlined his status as a dark horse for next week's Australian Open by hammering Dmitry Tursunov to reach the final of the Sydney International on Friday.
Sam Stosur powered into the French Open quarter-finals with a 7-6(0), 6-3 win against Simona Halep in Paris on Tuesday, adapting better to damp and heavy conditions than her higher-ranked Romanian opponent.
IMAGES from Day 8 of the matches played at the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Monday
- At 18 years and 109 days, Bencic is the youngest player to win a premier-level title since Caroline Wozniacki won in New Haven almost seven years ago - Uzbek Istomin wins men's title
Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro stepped up his comeback from another wrist surgery by toppling top seed Fabio Fognini at the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Stanislas Wawrinka had to dig deep to beat Borna Coric at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday and conceded his thoughts had been far from tennis over the past few days.
Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro served notice of his strong form ahead of the Australian Open when he crushed defending champion Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the Sydney International on Saturday.
World number five Juan Martin del Potro began his 2014 season with a win, albeit a scrappy one over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut to advance to the quarter-finals of the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Top seed Andy Murray could meet Roger Federer or Kei Nishikori in the third round, while Serena faces tricky Belinda Bencic in opening round
Novak Djokovic continued his Wimbledon preparations by beating American Donald Young 6-2, 7-6(9) on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Aegon International tournament at Eastbourne.
Fans spent more time looking at the murky Parisian sky than watching tennis on Tuesday as French Open organisers were accused of "not caring about the players" after the event was disrupted by more rain following the previous day's washout.
Images from Day 5 of the Wimbledon tennis championships played in London, on Friday.
Images from Day 1 at the Australian Open.
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