Iron-willed Czech Tomas Berdych ended eight years of tyranny under nemesis Rafa Nadal to storm into the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday before his next opponent Andy Murray restored British colonial rule to the floodlit centre court.
'How many young people do you know who would be comfortable addressing or being questioned by a roomful of very much older strangers?' 'She (Osaka) is one of a very exciting batch of young female players and I am a big fan of hers. I hope with all my heart that she can find a way of feeling more at home in this sport.'
The world number one retained his Thailand Open title with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over British teenager Andy Murray.
Rafael Nadal continued his resurgence with a thrilling 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over world number two Andy Murray on Saturday to reach the final of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Defending champion Andy Murray ground his way past Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin with a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open where he will face Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka.
He will skip the two Masters series events in Shanghai and Paris next month.
Claycourt king Rafael Nadal marched into his 10th French Open final after demolishing rising Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-0, while third seed Stan Wawrinka edged past Andy Murray 6-7, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6, 6-1.
Top ranked Serena Williams made a successful return to hard courts with a 6-3, 6-2 thrashing of former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the second round of the Rogers Cup on Wednesday.
Roger Federer battled into the quarter-finals of the ATP event in Indian Wells on Wednesday with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Fernando Gonzalez of Chile. Fourth seed Andy Murray cruised into the last eight when his opponent Tommy Robredo retired with a right wrist injury. The Scot, who was leading 6-2, 3-0 when Robredo quit, will meet either Croat Ivan Ljubicic or Russian Igor Andreev.
The sweet spot of Andy Murray's racket was put through its paces as he signed of his first week at Wimbledon by stylishly dispatching Spain's Tommy Robredo 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 to move into the last 16 on Friday.
Five things to watch out for at the French Open on Tuesday.
Defending champion Stan Wawrinka avoided a repeat on Wednesday of his first-round scare, though he was still made to work hard in a straight-sets win over Japan's Taro Daniel. The Swiss third seed won 7-6(7) 6-3 6-4 and is now on a six-match winning streak on clay, having warmed-up for Roland Garros by winning the title in Geneva last week. Progress was by no means straightforward against a skilful opponent ranked 93rd in the world and Wawrinka has yet to switch to his A game. But he says it's there when he needs it. "If you look at the first two matches, for sure I'm not playing my best tennis, but I know I have my best tennis in me," the 31-year-old Wawrinka, playing in his 45th consecutive grand slam tournament, told reporters.
The triple grand slam winner, who will take over from Serb Novak Djokovic at the top when the rankings are updated on Monday, still went out on centre court for a practice session in front of a bemused crowd.
IMAGES from Day 6 of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Saturday.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic made a sticky return to action before recovering from losing the opening four games to beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff at the Qatar Open on Monday.
Speculation is rife that all is not well in among compatriots Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka.
Rafael Nadal slumped to one of his worst defeats in a clay final on Sunday but said his week in Madrid had been positive despite losing his Masters crown to Andy Murray in a crushing 6-3, 6-2 reverse.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic's preparations for Wimbledon have been laid back in the extreme.
Images from Day 5 of the French Open in Paris on Thursday.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
Second seed Sloane Stephens was shocked 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 by Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the second round of the Citi Open on Wednesday, disrupting the American's buildup to her US Open title defence.
World number two Andy Murray has repeated, emphatically, that he will abandon the pursuit of his first Australian Open title if his wife goes into labour early.
Top seed Andy Murray could meet Roger Federer or Kei Nishikori in the third round, while Serena faces tricky Belinda Bencic in opening round
A summary of Tuesday's play at Wimbledon.
As the players warm up before the tournament, meet the players who could well be contenders for the 2017 Australian Open titles.
Edmund, playing in his first Grand Glam quarter-final, showed no nerves as he blazed away with his fearsome forehand to subdue a nervy Dimitrov.
A gallant Milos Raonic was left heartbroken by his Australian Open semi-final loss to Andy Murray on Friday, having pushed the Scot to his limits before a leg injury took the game out of his hands.
The Scot lost 6-4, 6-4 to Richard Gasquet in his first singles match since January before saying he had turned down a wild card into the men's draw at the year's final Grand Slam.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic heads into the European clay court season in ominous form after his victory over Andy Murray in the final of the Miami Open on Sunday.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Thursday.
Ana Konjuh was not a year old when Serena Williams played her first US Open match but both will be in the Arthur Ashe Stadium spotlight on Wednesday, with four gripping quarter-finals to take centre stage at the year's final Grand Slam.
Roger Federer does not figure among the top four in the men's tennis world rankings for the first time in ten years. The Swiss champion and holder of a record 17 Grand Slam titles slipped to No 5 in the latest rankings following a shock second round defeat by little-known Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky at Wimbledon.
Resurgent Spanish great Rafael Nadal will have the rare privilege of playing on a court named after him when he meets Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva in the last 32 of the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.
World number one Novak Djokovic and number two Andy Murray crashed out of the Western and Southern Open within an hour of each other on Friday, before Rafa Nadal restored order with a win over old rival Roger Federer.
Alcaraz outlasts Hurkacz, Ruud stunned at Canadian Open
Roger Federer kept up his hopes of finishing the year as World No 1 when he downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Serena confirmed her entry to the tournament she won for a seventh time on her last appearance in 2017.
Sixth seed Andy Murray may feel the most aggrieved of the top contenders in the men's draw.
A long season took its toll on Roger Federer on Thursday as the Swiss was knocked out of the Paris Masters following a 7-6(3) 3-6 7-6(5) third-round defeat by big serving John Isner.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic maintained his perfect tournament record and advanced to his fifth China Open final with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Andy Murray on Saturday.
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