Simona Halep's brave Australian Open campaign but the exhausted Romanian hit a dead end in the final as she crumbled in a thriller against Caroline Wozniacki.
Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki will compete for high stakes in Saturday's Australian Open final, having each needed to save match points to prevent a premature exit at Melbourne Park.
Konta, Sharapova fall at Rogers Cup in Toronto
Earlier, Ukraine took a 2-0 lead over Japan as world number five Elina Svitolina took the first point of the Billie Jean King Cup era.
Novak Djokovic enjoyed a stress-free return to US competition following a two year absence
French favourite Kristina Mladenovic skidded out of a storm-struck French Open on Tuesday, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Timea Bacsinszky in a rain-interrupted quarter-final in Paris.
As another Grand Slam crown looks set to be snaffled by a man in his thirties this weekend, tennis fans lamenting a dearth of dynamic up-and-comers need not worry, says former world number one Mats Wilander.
Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Saturday.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday
"I think she will win a Grand Slam. Which one and when I don't know, but definitely clay is a good surface for her."
No wonder Caroline Wozniacki could not stop hugging the trophy she referred to affectionately as 'Daphne' on Saturday after outlasting Simona Halep to win the Australian Open title.
Keys and Stephens to put friendship to grand slam test
Images from Day 2 at the US Open played at Flushing Meadows in New York on Tuesday
World number one Naomi Osaka was beaten in her opening match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, losing to France's Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-3 on her return to competitive action after winning last month's Australian Open.
Djokovic, the ninth seed, was originally scheduled to play Australian Open semi-finalist Chung Hyeon but the 22-year-old South Korean withdrew with a back injury about an hour before the match was due to start.
Regarded as the Oscar of sports, the nominations for 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards were finalised following a ballot by the world's sports media.
Images from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club in London on Sunday.
It was Novak Djokovic's first match this year after his Australian Open hopes were dashed when he was deported following an 11-day saga revolving around his decision not to have a COVID-19 vaccination.
Images from Day 4 of the US Open in New York on Thursday.
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.
With five of the top 10 in the current rankings aged 28 or older, form suggests another pair of seasoned campaigners could contest the title match at the French Open, which starts in Paris on Sunday.
Serena Williams sounded a warning for her fellow Australian Open contenders with a sleek win
Following Iga Swiatek's victory over Coco Gauff in the final, here's a list of French Open women's singles champions:
IMAGES from Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Friday
Simona Halep trailed by a set and 5-1 against Elina Svitolina but somehow dug herself out of a hole before storming to victory to set up a semi-final against Karolina Pliskova.
Serena Williams rallied to avoid a stunning upset and secure a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 semi-final win over Czech qualifier Marie Bouzkova at the Rogers Cup on Saturday, setting up a title showdown with local teenager Bianca Andreescu.
Earlier on Wednesday, Czech Karolina Pliskova was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a viral illness.
Images from the French Open women's semi-final matches played at Roland Garros on Thursday
Garbine Muguruza roared into the French Open semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition job of Maria Sharapova on Wednesday.
Under the lights on the stadium court, Williams smashed 39 winners to defeat Azarenka 7-5, 6-3 in a rematch of the 2016 final, which the Belarusian won.
A summary of sports events and sportspersons, who made news on Tuesday.
Images from Day 3 of the 2020 French Open at Roland Garros, in Paris, on Tuesday.
As Serena Williams sits out a fourth straight Grand Slam, Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova will join Caroline Wozniacki in a quest for a major breakthrough in Australia.
IMAGES from Day 6 at Wimbledon on Saturday.
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.
The absence of expectant mother Serena Williams and a failure by any of the other top women to produce the kind of dominance the American seven-times champion has consistently delivered makes this year's Wimbledon the most open in years.
Nick Kyrgios clinched his maiden tour title on home soil in a big confidence boost ahead of the Australian Open, beating Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-2 in the Brisbane International final.
Six-time champion Novak Djokovic's hopes of turning around his season at the Miami Open ended in the second round when he was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Images from Day 5 of the 2022 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Thursday.
A ruthless Sorana Cirstea took full advantage of Karolina Pliskova's patchy form at the China Open on Thursday, reaching the quarter-finals as she consigned the recently dethroned world number one to a 6-1, 7-5 defeat.
