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.
Maria Sharapova-led Russian brigade captured four of the round of 16 berths at the Australian Open on Friday
Victoria Azarenka's hopes of a remarkable comeback Australian Open victory crumbled under Angelique Kerber's winners on Wednesday but the Belarusian was pleased with solid three weeks Down Under that made her feel she had turned a corner.
Silent assassin Agnieszka Radwanska ended Victoria Azarenka's bid for a hat-trick of titles at Melbourne Park on Wednesday and reached her maiden Australian Open semi-final with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 win.
Fourth seed Maria Sharapova overcame a second set rally by Petra Kvitova to advance to her third Australian Open final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory on Thursday. She will now meet third seed Victoria Azarenka in the final on Saturday after the Belarusian earlier beat 2011 champion Kim Clijsters 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Aryna Sabalenka bludgeoned her way to a maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Kazakh 22nd seed Elena Rybakina on Saturday in a thrilling final .
Learner Tien is the youngest American man to reach the third round of the Australian Open since an 18-year-old Pete Sampras in 1990.
The two players merely acknowledged each other with a wave before heading off court.
But defending champion, Andre Agassi at 33 years is still the man to beat.
Jannik Sinner accepts that his rangy physique is probably never going to attract that much attention.
The loss ends five-time major champion Swiatek's bid to become the first woman to win the tournament in the Southern California desert three times.
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni offered no excuses for her meek departure from the Australian Open semi-finals at the hands of Serena Williams on Thursday, keener to discuss the career-high ranking that will follow her stunning run at Melbourne Park.
World number one Roger Federer will begin the defence of his Australian Open title against Argentine Diego Hartfield while women's top seed Justine Henin of Belgium takes on Aiko Nakimura of Japan in the first round.
Zverev fresh for Australian Open final after being spared gruelling Djokovic test
Lewis Hamilton will launch his bid to win the drivers' championship at a third F1 team when he makes his much-anticipated debut for Ferrari in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Russia's Ekaterina Makarova etched her name into Australian Open folklore on Monday by stunning Serena Williams 6-2 6-3 in their fourth-round match to end the American's aura of invincibility at Melbourne Park.
World number two Roger Federer lamented what could have been after he lost a thrilling five-set final to Rafa Nadal in the Australian Open on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic is ready to challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the Grand Slam stage when he returns to action at the Australian Open after an underwhelming campaign this year, the 24-times champion said.
On-court coaching, previously banned and punishable by point deductions, disqualification or even suspension from tournaments is being positively encouraged at Melbourne Park with "coaching pods"
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.
England lead 2-1 in the series and victory at Old Trafford would seal it.
Aryna Sabalenka beat China's Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2 to retain the Australian Open women's singles title on Saturday.
Victoria is undergoing a second lockdown and has nearly 8,000 active COVID-19 cases, while NSW has about 800.
Hazlewood was initially named in the squad for South Africa, will also return home following the Test series. Xavier Bartlett has been drafted in as his replacement.
A Hindu temple in Melbourne's Albert Park was vandalised with anti-India graffiti on Monday, days after the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs was vandalised on January 16, Australia Today reported.
Armed with a new coach and bigger racket, Roger Federer hopes being in the unusual position of underdog will help him add to his record tally of 17 Grand Slam titles.
Jannik Sinner kept alive his dream of becoming the first Italian to lift three Grand Slam singles trophies.
Defiant Djokovic still targeting Grand Slam wins after Australia setback
Karen Khachanov reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time on Tuesday after ailing American Sebastian Korda retired while trailing 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-0.
World number two Rafael Nadal will be sidelined for six to eight weeks by the hip flexor injury he suffered during his second-round loss at the Australian Open, the Spaniard's team said on Thursday.
Coco Gauff eked out a victory to reach her first Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday.
"(Novak) has said that he views this as a private matter for him. We would love to see Novak here, he knows that he'll have to be vaccinated to play here."
Wild card Caroline Wozniacki, another former champion and returning mother, will play 20th seed Magda Linette.
Daniil Medvedev destroyed his racket and a net camera in a mid-match meltdown as he survived a huge scare against Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej.
Ukrania tennis player Yuliia Starodubtseva's home town of Kakhovka in southern Ukraine has been occupied by Moscow forces since the early days of the invasion, which Russia calls a special military operation.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner dismissed eighth seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the Australian Open semi-finals and extend the country's decades-long wait for another homegrown singles winner at the Grand Slam on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic was seriously rattled early on by inspired American teenager Nishesh Basavareddy but rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory on Monday.
Naomi Osaka felt the nerves but looked solid on her return to elite tennis after 15 months out as she got past Germany's Tamara Korpatsch 6-3 7-6(9) in the first round of the Brisbane International.
Australian Open set a Grand Slam attendance record with more than 900,000 spectators visiting over three weeks
Factbox on Italy's Jannik Sinner, who beat Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 in the Australian Open final
