It was a scene destined for posterity, and sporting showreels the world over, and one which prompted tears from South Africans on the field and off it.
Rediff.com presents the early surprises at the year's first Grand Slam.
American tennis player Serena Williams is all set to make her comeback at the Australian Open, organisers confirmed.
Relief was at hand, however, with a cool change blowing over the city and the temperature expected to fall back below 30 by the evening.
Triple jumper Arpinder Singh created history by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the IAAF Continental Cup as he clinched a bronze but star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished sixth with a below-par show, in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Sunday.
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.
Roger Federer is one win from becoming the oldest world number one in ATP Tour history after beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(8), 7-5 in the last 16 of the Rotterdam Open on Thursday.
Following is a list of Serena Williams' 23 grand slam singles titles after the American surpassed Steffi Graf's professional era record with victory at the Australian Open on Saturday:
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.
Williams sisters Serena and Venus had been hoping to provide fans with the first all-Williams sisters clash at a Grand Slam since the 2009 Wimbledon final in the semi-finals.
The battle to stay at the top of men's tennis is like a fight to keep hungry wolves at bay, Novak Djokovic said on Sunday after clinching a record-equalling sixth Australian Open title.
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.
Champion Novak Djokovic was unable to draw much support from the crowd at Rod Laver Arena during his 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 semi-final win over sentimental favourite Roger Federer on Thursday, but the Serb found vital friends in the weather and the net-cord.
Rediff.com gives you a throwback to an eventful 2017, in pictures.
Rediff.com recaptures these and other exciting sporting moments from the week gone by....
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President John Coates has urged Tokyo to consider moving more events to venues outside the capital, including one hundreds of kilometres away, in a bid to rein in spending for the 2020 Summer Games.
Swapna Barman competed in the two-day event with a taped right cheek to lessen pain arising out of teeth infection but still went on to win the gold medal in the women's heptathlon.
The London Commercial court has granted Tata Sons a period of 23 days, starting July 27th 2016, to apply to set aside the exparte order
On Wednesday the countdown had been replaced by the current date - "25-3" for March 25 in the days display - and the current time, after the International Olympic Committee decided to postpone the Games by one year.
Images from matches played on Day 4 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Thursday
Sealing the match with a thumping serve, the 2014 US Open champion will bid for his second grand slam title against Friday's winner of Roger Federer and South Korea's rising star Chung Hyeon.
Here's a collection of some of the best photos, taken last week, from around the globe.
Images from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun, an official partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, called for the Summer Games to be cancelled in an editorial
Neeraj is currently ranked fourth in the new rankings of the international federation.
The showdown will see world number one Serena Williams try to equal Steffi Graf's professional era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, while Angelique Kerber will seek to become the first German woman to lift the Wimbledon singles crown since her idol Graf 20 years ago.
Here's a glimpse of all that happened around the world last week, in 16 images.
'Didn't realise was flanked by Chinese and Pakistani athletes on victory podium'
Star Wars fans, who are eagerly awaiting the release of the seventh film in the saga, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, love to meet up and dress up as their favourite characters to watch the movies together and socialise.
The sweltering heat killed 57 people across Japan in the week from July 29 to Aug. 4, the Disaster Management Agency said on Tuesday.
Olympic Games have seen both political protests by athletes in the past as well as boycotts of nations
Images from the matches played on Day 8 at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday
We bring you a collection of some of the best photographs taken in the week gone by.
'These youngsters have proved there is money in sports today, not just cricket!' 'They are youth icons and people look up to them.' 'Our athletes are not scared. Like a child knows no fear, they are youngsters without fear.'
With the year sprinting to a close, we bring you, in pictures, some of the best action from the sports world.
These images from across the globe tell that it is a crazy world out there!
Tokyo has mostly delivered on that hope, despite some early teething problems.
According to recent official data here is how world leaders' salaries stack up.
Serena Williams beat her sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open final on Saturday to win her 23rd grand slam singles title and become the most successful tennis player in the open era.
Australian great Margaret Court won 24 grand slam singles titles, one ahead of American Williams, who confirmed she was pregnant on Wednesday and will sit out the rest of the season.
