Petra Kvitova completed her preparations for an assault on a third Grand Slam title in triumphant style on Friday by downing fellow Czech Karolina Pliskova 7-6, 7-6 to win the Sydney International title.
Serena Williams squandered four match points and blew a 5-1 lead in the decider to fall to seventh seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4 4-6 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Serena Williams is chasing Australian Margaret Court's record 24 Grand Slam singles titles
A look at the records of Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova and Japan's Naomi Osaka before their semi-final match at the Australian Open on Thursday (prefix number denotes seeding):
World number two Karolina Pliskova beat Croatia's Petra Martic 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the inaugural Zhengzhou Open on Sunday to win the 15th WTA singles title of her career and her first in China.
Venus Williams produced a vintage display full of guts and determination to grind out a 7-5, 6-7(3), 7-5 victory over Jelena Ostapenko at the WTA Finals on Tuesday to set up a White Group decider for a semi-finals berth against Garbine Muguruza.
The Czech Republic defended their Fed Cup title on Sunday as Karolina Pliskova became the home team's hero with a starring performance in their thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Russia.
Novak Djokovic destroyed a woeful Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-2 to book his place in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters.
Anett Kontaveit handed Czech Karolina Pliskova a 6-4, 6-0 drubbing to become the first player to qualify for the semi-finals while Garbine Muguruza came from behind to defeat Barbora Krejcikova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico on Friday.
A summary of Friday play at the French Open.
Images from Day 5 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
List of Wimbledon women's singles champions after Iga Swiatek beat Amanda Anisimova in the final on Saturday:
Novak Djokovic began his French Open campaign with a comfortable win.
It was Kristyna's first win over a top-five ranked player and she will go on to play fellow Czech Barbora Strycova in the quarter-finals.
US Open champion Coco Gauff cruised past fellow teen Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-3 6-0 at the Auckland Classic on Thursday, setting up a quarter-final against Varvara Gracheva in the Australian Open warm-up event.
The Finals, contested by the world's top eight singles players and eight doubles teams, was moved out of China's Shenzhen after last year's event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Images from Day 2 at the US Open played at Flushing Meadows in New York on Tuesday
Naomi Osaka said ahead of the Qatar Open that the only way was up from here.
IMAGES from the matches played on Day 3 of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Wednesday
Germany's second seeded Angelique Kerber beat Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to win the US Open final on Saturday, and collect her second Grand Slam title of the year.
IMAGES from Day 7 at Wimbledon on Monday
Muchova says Grand Slam hunger behind another Sakkari upset in Paris
A summary of Day Three's matches at the Wimbledon Championships.
World number one Ash Barty became the first Australian woman to win the Wimbledon singles title for 41 years on Saturday when she defeated Czech Karolina Pliskova in the final.
Rafael Nadal continued his impressive return from a long injury layoff with a 6-1 6-2 demolition of wildcard Jason Kubler to reach the quarter-finals at the Brisbane International on Thursday ahead of this month's Australian Open.
Order of play on the main show courts at the French Open.
A disbelieving Magda Linette continued her dream run at the Australian Open on Wednesday with a stunning victory over former world number one Karolina Pliskova to move into the semi-finals.
Czech Karolina Pliskova rose to the top of the WTA rankings without striking a ball on Tuesday as results at Wimbledon saw her overhaul Germany's Angelique Kerber.
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Angelique Kerber claimed her first grasscourt title with a 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(4) victory.
Serena Williams crashed out of the US Open after losing in the semi-final to Karolina Pliskova costing her a shot at a 23rd Grand Slam title and resulted in her losing her record 187th straight week at number one.
Runner-up Pliskova will move into the top-10 of the world rankings for the first time in her career
Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni could barely contain her joy after reaching the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday, 19 years after her only previous singles match win at Melbourne Park prior to her remarkable run.
Wild card Caroline Wozniacki, another former champion and returning mother, will play 20th seed Magda Linette.
Ashleigh Barty stunningly lost her chance to regain the number one world ranking when the Australian was beaten in straight sets by Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.
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.
Karolina Pliskova ruined any chance of another Flushing Meadows sister showdown as she claimed a dramatic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) win over sixth-seeded Venus Williams on Monday to reach the US Open quarter-finals.
Angelique Kerber has yet to lose a set in Flushing Meadows, but she has not faced the service firepower possessed by KarolinaPliskova, who has led the WTA Tour in aces in the last two seasons as well as at the US Open this year.
Roger Federer reached the Rogers Cup semi-finals on Friday after coming to the net early and often in a straight sets victory over Roberto Bautista Agut on a windy day in Montreal.
World number one Ash Barty became the first Australian woman to win the Wimbledon singles title for 41 years on Saturday when she defeated Czech Karolina Pliskova in the final.
Therapy and motherhood have, she has said, helped her on her mental health journey and she appeared to be having a lot more fun on court in Brisbane.
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