Roger Federer dug himself out of a late slump to fend off American qualifier Noah Rubin 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3) on Wednesday and draw vital confidence for a tough third round clash against 10th seed Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a record seventh Australian Open title on Tuesday with an impressive 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over hard-hitting Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
Roger Federer made a winning return to competitive tennis after six months out of the game on Monday, thrilling a packed Rod Laver Arena as he beat qualifier Juergen Melzer 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Australian Open second round.
Serena Williams' relaxed outlook on life spilled over even in defeat on Saturday when she appeared to be almost as happy that Angelique Kerber had won her first Grand Slam final as the German herself.
Serena Williams underlined the difference in class and power between her and the rest of the women's field with a 6-0, 6-4 demolition of fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday to reach her seventh Australian Open final.
Australian Bernard Tomic has hit back at Roger Federer's suggestion that he is a long way from being a top 10 player, saying the 17-times grand slam champion faced a quality deficit of his own compared to Novak Djokovic.
World number one Novak Djokovic is a red hot favourite to overcome all opponents and clinch another Australian Open title this year, although extreme temperatures will be a wild card the Serb has to watch out for.
Rafael Nadal easily avoided the embarrassment of a back-to-back first round exits at the Australian Open on Tuesday, ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.
A marauding Rafael Nadal ended Stefanos Tsitsipas's trailblazing run at the Australian Open on Thursday, thrashing the 20-year-old Greek in a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 masterclass to reach a fifth final at Melbourne Park.
Australian Open runner-up Marin Cilic queried the decision to close the roof at Rod Laver Arena for the men's final on Sunday and said it had contributed to his slow start in defeat to Roger Federer.
Nightmares loom for players dreaming of Grand Slam success if they have the misfortune of running into bespectacled bogeyman Chung Hyeon in coming years, according to his coach Neville Godwin.
Edmund is no flash Harry, on or off the court
Rafael Nadal's Australian Open quarter-final curse struck again on Tuesday, an injury forcing the top seed to retire in the fifth set against Croatia's Marin Cilic.
The 2016 champion's next opponent may be far more to her liking than Hsieh, whose dazzling marksmanship left Kerber shrieking in frustration throughout much of the two-hour and eight-minute clash.
Djokovic, playing his first tournament for six months because of an elbow problem, dropped his opening two service games and although he battled back to break Monfils twice he wavered again as scrappy opener went his opponents' way.
Change might be afoot though, according to American great John McEnroe
Glancing up at the legends of tennis can make 17-times Grand Slam champion Roger Federer push too hard for the "wow" factor, so new coach Stefan Edberg can expect a cold shoulder from the cool Swiss when watching from the stands.
Spain's Rafael Nadal was at his dominant best against Pablo Carreno Busta on Saturday, brushing aside his compatriot 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to move into the fourth round at the Australian Open. Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Photos from matches on Day 2 at the Australian Open on Tuesday
Andy Murray won 23 consecutive points in an inspired passage of play to emerge from a hole and roar to a 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 victory over qualifier Vincent Millot at the Australian Open.
Photos from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.
Madison Keys is determined to take an extra step at the Grand Slams
Serena Williams took some coaching advice from a fan during her fourth round match.
Eugenie Bouchard will spend Monday 'cramming' for one of the toughest exams of her fledgling career when she faces second seed Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Serena Williams weathered an early challenge from Russian Vera Zvonareva before the former World No 2 crumbled to lose 7-5, 6-0 in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.
Champion Novak Djokovic did not bother with a practice hit before his showdown with Kei Nishikori and his "less is more" approach paid off with an easy 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win on Tuesday to set up a blockbuster Australian Open semi-final with Roger Federer.
Sloane Stephens was keen to swat away any references to a controversial clash against Victoria Azarenka at last year's Australian Open as the American advanced to a possible fourth-round clash against the two-times champion on Monday.
Serena Williams said it was a 'great feeling' to surpass Steffi Graf as the most prolific grand slam champion of the open era at the Australian Open on Saturday and was not prepared to put a number on the haul of titles she might end up with.
The 20-year-old became the youngest semi-finalist at Melbourne Park since American Andy Roddick, also 20, at the 2003 tournament.
Maria Sharapova's dreams of a sixth Grand Slam title were ended by Serena Williams and her wrecking ball serve in the Australian Open final on Saturday, but the Russian was adamant she would someday have the American's measure.
With the year sprinting to a close, we bring you, in pictures, some of the best action from the sports world.
This is the first time that the towering Croatian has made the final of the Aus Open
Defending champion Roger Federer argued with an umpire but mostly let his racket do the talking as he beat Tomas Berdych for the ninth time running to reach the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday.
Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro became the first player through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open as she dug herself out of a hole to beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit 4-6, 6-4 ,8-6 on Sunday.
Gael Monfils said playing Novak Djokovic in temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday was a 'risk' to health and that the 25-second rule between points should have been relaxed.
IMAGES of the all the action from Day 2 of the Australian Open played at Melbourne Park on Tuesday
With another Australian Open title having slipped through his fingers after a tournament plagued by off-court dramas, Andy Murray could not wait to see the back of Melbourne Park after losing his fifth final on Sunday.
IMAGES from the Australian Open final played on Sunday
Three-times Grand Slam winner Murray has struggled to regain form since undergoing hip surgery last January and was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday having said the tournament could be his last as a professional.
Mischa still finds time to tease 'Sascha', despite his little brother's rapid ascent up the tennis rankings.
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