The Australian Open has seen many unheralded players punching above their weight. Rediff.com takes a look at a few such unseeded players who went the distance in the new millennium.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday in a triumphant return two weeks after appendicitis surgery as Red Bull's World champion Max Verstappen suffered his first retirement in two years.
Chinese tennis ace Li Na reportedly had her fans roaring with laughter with her wisecracks during her speech following her Australian Open victory on Saturday at Melbourne Park.
Cash believes there will never be a return to the golden era of serve-and-volley tennis, however, not while the court speeds were so much slower than when he was winning at the All England Club.
'They're just trying to shove us on the court because we're qualifiers'
Nick Kyrgios has had more than his fair share of run-ins with umpires over his career
Australian Open champion Rafa Nadal said he would love to finish his career with more Grand Slam titles than rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but thinks he will have to secure more than 21 to do so.
Holger Rune rallied from a set down and saved a match point to defeat former champion Taylor Fritz 2-6 7-6(2) 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals where he will meet fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
Jenson Button set the fastest time in a dramatic qualifying session to capture his third career pole
Daniil Medvedev was fined for an outburst against the umpire
Time is running out for Serena to reach the career milestone that has become one of the sport's longest running storylines.
Images from all the action on Day 9 at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday
Djokovic is clubbed with Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro, David Goffin and Alexander Zverev.
In his darkest moments last year when he doubted if he would ever get back to full fitness following his knee injury, Roger Federer clung on to one thought -- he still had the game to maybe sneak another Grand Slam title.
Tsitsipas was philosophical in defeat.
Nadal is bidding for his second title in his 15th appearance at Melbourne Park
Djokovic also had to contend with hecklers during his second-round win, with one fan attracting his ire in the fourth set after repeatedly making noise while he was preparing to serve.
Local hope Nick Kyrgios has been elevated to the Rod Laver Arena for his meeting with childhood hero Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Australian Open on Friday, when Melbourne Park is again expected to swelter.
Images from Day 10 of the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
A first-week choke by leading woman Sam Stosur and a grudging loss by ageing men's warrior Lleyton Hewitt has generally been the blueprint for the home players at the Australian Open, but teenage talent Nick Kyrgios may be poised to buck the trend of local underachievement.
Serena Williams clinched a record 23rd grand slam title at the Australian Open on Saturday but spent most of the immediate aftermath talking about her older sister Venus.
Images from Day 7 of the 2023 Australian Open, at Melbourne Park, on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic's love affair with Melbourne continued on Saturday as he completed his preparations for his Australian Open final against Britain's Andy Murray.
An Australian Open electrified by the revivals of seasoned champions will bathe in the warm glow of nostalgia on Saturday when the Williams sisters contest the women's final at Rod Laver Arena.
Organisers of this year's US and French Opens established bio-secure 'bubbles' for players, who were not allowed to leave their hotel rooms except to train and play.
22-year-old Vikrant Rajesh Ratan, who had used all his savings to buy the car, said the vehicle was burnt on Saturday night. He said that two other cars, also belonging to Indians, that were parked next to his vehicle, were also damaged during the incident.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
One of the first orders of business for Stanislas Wawrinka on his return to Melbourne Park last week was to see the photo of himself holding the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup on the 'Walk of Champions' under the Rod Laver Arena centre court.
Rafael Nadal's preparations for his Australian Open title defence got off to a wobbly start as Cameron Norrie handed him a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat in the United Cup on Saturday to give Britain a 1-0 lead.
The six-time champion's agent said he will continue to work his way back to fitness from two knee operations.
The Serbian champion said he hoped the focus would now return to tennis
Hurkacz, Swiatek win as Poland march into United Cup final
Defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic won his third-straight Australian Open crown, his ninth in total.
Images from all the action on Day 5 of the Australian Open
Former world number one Venus Williams produced a vintage display to outclass Netherlands' Arantxa Rus in straight sets and storm into the second round of the Yarra Valley Classic.
Petra Kvitova takes on Naomi Osaka in Saturday's Australian Open final with one of them set to emerge as a fresh champion at Melbourne Park as well as the new world number one.
Serena Williams expects her sister Venus to be back at Melbourne Park next year for a 17th crack at winning the Australian Open, the American world number one said.
The Australian government cancelled Novak Djokovic's visa for a second time on Friday, saying the World No 1, unvaccinated for COVID-19, may pose a risk to the community.
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.
Photos from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.
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