American tennis player Serena Williams is all set to make her comeback at the Australian Open, organisers confirmed.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
The 16-year-old backed his aggressive backhand throughout the contest and went on to win 17 of his 23 points at the net to seal victory in 61 minutes.
Williams said the number 24 is becoming an obsession for the media who talk of little else
Less than a month after her run to the Wimbledon final, where she lost to Spain's Garbine Muguruza, 37-year-old Williams again had to turn back time against a young challenger.
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.
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.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are top seeds at the major starting Monday
World number one Novak Djokovic saw off Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-4 to win his fifth Paris Masters title on Sunday in a warning to his rivals ahead of the ATP Finals, while Ashleigh Barty finished the season in style by beating defending champion Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3 to add the WTA Finals title to her end-of-year world number one rank.ing
Olympic champion Andy Murray restored some order at the Western & Southern Open by cutting down South African giant Kevin Anderson to reach the quarter-finals on an upset-filled Thursday in Cincinnati.
World number one Novak Djokovic fended off a resurgent Rafael Nadal 7-5, 7-6 (4) in a pulsating battle on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open.
Images from the matches played on Day eight of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Monday
American teenager Amanda Anisimova, fresh off an impressive run at Indian Wells, beat China's Wang Qiang 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 at the Miami Open on Tuesday to set up a second round clash with Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza.
The circuit agreed last year an extension to cover this year's race, which was held in August and without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after fears it would drop off the calendar.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
Former world number one Andy Murray won his first ATP tour singles match in nearly nine months with a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-1 victory over American Tennys Sandgren in the opening round of the Zhuhai Championships.
World number eight Caroline Wozniacki pulled out of her first match at the Sydney International with a wrist injury on Monday.
World No 1 Sania Mirza and her Czech partner Barbara Strycova were ousted from the women's doubles event after losing to top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets in the quarter-final of the US Open, in New York.
Russia, last year's runners-up, were unable to call on world number six Maria Sharapova who was injured
Nadal needed all his experience to keep Pouille at bay in the decider and the match looked to be heading for another tiebreak before he pounced to break Pouille's serve for the first time to go 6-5 up in the third.
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.
Victoria Azarenka said the prospect of winning a third straight Australian Open title is an inspiration, not a pressure, after booking her place in the third round.
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.
Four-time champion Serena Williams made an excellent start to Wimbledon on Tuesday, coming through an athletic first-round match against Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova that was tougher than the 6-2, 6-4 scoreline would suggest.
Sania Mirza and Nuria Llagostera Vives progressed to the semi-finals of the China Open, coming from behind to beat Julia Goerges and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, in Beijing, on Thursday. The fifth seed Indo-Spanish pair overcame the fighting German-Czech pair 4-6, 6-4, 16-14 in 94 minutes.
Roger Federer glided to victory on another hot, steamy day at the US Open, the envy of a clutch of men's players made to work overtime on Tuesday at the season's final Grand Slam.
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.
A member of French player Aravane Rezai's family has been banned from WTA events and is under investigation because of a "serious safety matter" affecting her "health and well being", the tour said on Sunday.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki breezed into the third round of the Family Circle Cup with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova on Wednesday.
Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was bundled out of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Saturday, piling up unforced errors in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 loss to Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round. Twice champion and former world number one Kim Clijsters of Belgium had a much easier time on a sunny afternoon in the California desert, cruising into the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
Nick Kyrgios needs to improve his fitness to have a chance of winning Grand Slams, former world number one Jim Courier said on Wednesday.
Leander Paes and Martina Hingis won their mixed doubles opener at the Australian Open tennis tournament on Sunday.
Defending champion Serena Williams is the top seed in the women's draw. The American will be looking to equal Steffi Graf's Open era record by sealing a 22nd Grand Slam triumph.
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka won a battle of former girls' champions at the Australian Open by easing past Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday to advance to the fourth round at Melbourne Park.
American qualifier Sachia Vickery completed an astonishing comeback to stun third seed Garbine Muguruza 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in a second-round win at the BNP Paribas Open in California on Friday.
Naomi Osaka eased into the second round of the Italian Open on Monday with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over former world number one Victoria Azarenka, on a day in which local favourite Roberta Vinci called time on her career.
Images from Day 10 of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Tuesday.
From potential dark horses to former champions, here are the players who were knocked out of the Australian Open on Thursday
The 31-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion had not played a competitive match since losing to Sam Querrey in last year's Wimbledon quarter-finals and opted to have right hip surgery five months ago.
Belarusian ninth seed Aryna Sabalenka held off a spirited challenge from American Alison Riske to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 and successfully defend her Wuhan Open title on Saturday.
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