Serena Williams faces the player she will replace next week as world number one, Victoria Azarenka, in the final of the Qatar Open after overcoming Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-2 in Doha on Saturday
Serena Williams blamed an "apple in her throat" for her failure to reach the final of the Italian Open after Jelena Jankovic came back from the brink against the American in Rome on Friday. Jankovic saved a match point before pulling off a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 win over the world number one to set up a showdown with Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
Williams, dubbed the Australian Open favourite by Bouchard shortly after the match, is vying for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title
The real Serena Williams finally turned up at the French Open on Saturday in pursuit of a 22nd Grand Slam singles title but it was to no avail as she lost to a tenacious opponent who beat her at her own power game.
Serena Williams is intent on defending her Olympic titles in Rio and finds it sad that several athletes will miss out on an 'amazing' experience because of worries about the Zika virus.
The former world number one, who returned to competition in June after 11 months out with injuries and health problems, will carry a 10-match winning streak into the final against Samantha Stosur and appears in ominous form ahead of the US Open starting Aug. 29.
Serena Williams crushed top seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 to reach the last eight.
Serena Williams fought off two match points on her way to an epic 0-6 7-5 6-3 comeback win over world number one Justine Henin to claim her fourth Sony Ericsson title on Saturday.
Venus Williams will replace sister Serena, who suffered an ankle innjury, in the Fed Cup tie against Belgium.
Serena Williams remains on course for a record sixth win at the Sony Ericsson Open after beating sister Venus 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to set up a final meeting with 19-year-old Belarusian Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka defeated Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in Thursday's other semi-final to book her place in a top tier final for the first time.
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.
The newly-crowned Australian Open champion will play at the Bangalore Open, from February 12-18.
"She played some incredible points on match point, she reminded me a bit of myself," said Williams after the match.
Serena Williams has been vulnerable this Grand Slam season but unbeaten in the year's first three major championships.
Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou has called on tennis governing bodies to come together and devise a way of helping lower level professionals struggling financially due to the coronavirus shutdown. The tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the lower tiers who solely depend on tournament winnings without the opportunity to earn a living.
American ace said Sania has a solid game for her age.
World No 1 Serena Williams overcame a wobbly start to open the defence of her Sony Open crown with a spirited 7-6(9-7), 6-2 win over Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova on Thursday.
Serena Williams and Andy Murray had brief hiccups on the way to convincing victories at the US Open, each choosing different tactics to remain on track for a long ride into the year's final Grand Slam.
Serena Williams, unable to defend her 2009 and 2010 titles last year due to a freak foot injury, found herself dive-bombed by crickets that made merry on a balmy evening at Rod Laver Arena.
Serena Williams regained her composure after smashing her racquet and being on the brink of defeat to beat Caroline Wozniacki 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Saturday and reach the title match at the WTA Finals.
World No. 1 Serena Williams has been top-seeded for the U.S. Open where she will be seeking to win the women's singles title for a third consecutive year, the United States Tennis Association announced on Wednesday.
Five times Cincinnati winner Roger Federer blunted Andy Murray's attempt at a comeback, while women's World No 1 Serena Williams roared to victory as they moved into the semi-finals at the Western & Southern Open on Friday.
Russian Anastasia Myskina scraped past Israeli teenager Shahar Peer 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Amelia Island Championship.
Serena beat Meghann Shaughnessy while Sharapova beat Dinara Safina to move into the Los Angeles Open semi-finals.
Dinara Safina made a scrappy start to her Beijing duel with Serena Williams for the world number one spot by beating Italian Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the $6.6 million China Open on Sunday.
"I'm drama, and I don't want to be drama," Williams said after reaching the fourth round with a ill-tempered 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
Mauresmo overcame Paola Suarez while Serena thrashed Jennifer Capriati in the women's quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Sharapova beat Lindsay Davenport while the defending champion beat Amelie Mauresmo in the women's singles semi-finals at Wimbledon.
2004 champion Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium beat Hana Sromova 7-6, 6-1 to confirm her position as tournament favourite.
Williams's last Grand Slam victory came 18 months ago at Wimbledon, and her form and fitness since returning to the tour after an eight-month layoff have been inconsistent.
With a heavy rain expected to hit Flushing Meadows later in the day, Serb Jankovic relied on her trademark dogged retrieving to beat Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4 before the muscular Williams swept away Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 in the women's singles semi-finals at the US Open.
Australia's Samantha Stosur employed a huge serve, hard forehand and deft backhand slice to upset Wimbledon champion Serena Williams 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the Stanford Classic on Friday.
World No 1 Serena Williams suffered one of the heaviest defeats of her long and illustrious career as she was humbled 6-0, 6-2 by Romanian Simona Halep at the WTA Finals on Wednesday.
Women's No 1 Serena Williams remained on track for her 60th career title as she powered past Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-3 while Rafael Nadal launched the defence of his Madrid Open title.
Serena Williams is unlikely to win a record equalling 24th Grand slam title on the claycourts of Roland Garros, although her chance will come, the American's long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on Friday.
World number one Caroline Wozniacki might have been better off asking Serena Williams about how to win the biggest tournaments instead of seeking guidance about relationships.
The glittering evening attracted royalty as well as movie stars, entertainers and a worldwide television audience estimated at 320 million.
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