Former world number one Garbine Muguruza was beaten 7-5, 6-4 by Aryna Sabalenka in the China Open second round on Tuesday while an ailing Jelena Ostapenko lost 6-0, 6-0 to Wang Qiang.
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.
Unlike the United States and European countries, which are battling to contain the virus, Australia has not had a case of community transmission for 11 straight days and residents have regained most of their pre-COVID freedoms.
Two time Miami Open winner Victoria Azarenka crushed Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.
Images from Day 1 of the 2020 French Open, in Paris, on Sunday.
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka will join Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in playing a pre-Australian Open warm-up exhibition
Nadal meets the 'new Nick' Kyrgios in fourth-round blockbuster
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Serena Williams has been vulnerable this Grand Slam season but unbeaten in the year's first three major championships.
The 70-year-old former French and US Open champion, who earned a reputation for controversial behaviour during his playing days, was excluded from the tie on Saturday for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"Think of it from a players' perspective. Some are hoping to reach the second week of a major but some don't even make it to the first week of the event. That's tough to take.
Petra Martic kept her composure to advance to the Round of 16
Karolina Pliskova reached the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time on Monday and is keen to prove right those tipping her for Grand Slam success.
Andy Murray embarks on his first Grand Slam campaign as world number one with much stronger title credentials, even if he has lost five finals at Melbourne Park.
'I'm very privileged to be in the second week of Wimbledon again. This is genuinely one of my favourite weeks of the year so to be prolonging my stay is a lot of fun but I'm looking forward to the challenge.'
Djokovic is clubbed with Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro, David Goffin and Alexander Zverev.
Naomi Osaka continued her stunning run of form with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the first round of the Miami Open on Wednesday, the latest big win for the 20-year-old Japanese player.
Roger Federer glided to victory on another hot, steamy day at the US Open, the envy of a clutch of men's players made to work overtime on Tuesday at the season's final Grand Slam.
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.
Karolina Pliskova overcame a slow start before beating Garbie Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) in her opening match at the WTA Finals. In a contest between two former No. 1-ranked players, the third-seeded Pliskova struggled early adjusting to the nearly 5,000-feet altitude of Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city on Wednesday.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday
The 36-year-old has been practising hard on the grass and few would bet against her becoming the first mother to win the title since Evonne Cawley 38 years ago.
Images from the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
Greek tyro Stefanos Tsitsipas' dream run at the Rogers Cup continued on Friday as the teenager toppled defending champion Alexander Zverev 3-6, 7-6(11), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals in Toronto.
Now with Serena sidelined for the impending birth of her first child, the two-time grand slam winner is delivering on the promise that could see her become the new face of women's tennis.
Images from the matches played on Day 7 at the Roland Garros on Saturday
France's Alize Cornet thrashed an error-prone Eugenie Bouchard 6-1, 6-2 to win the Hobart International title on Saturday.
Roger Federer gained a measure of revenge against Wimbledon nemesis Kevin Anderson, beating the South African 6-0, 6-4 at the Miami Open on Thursday to set up a mouthwatering semi-final against a player barely half his age.
Wawrinka splits with long-time coach Norman
Williams said the number 24 is becoming an obsession for the media who talk of little else
Grand Slam finalists Garbine Muguruza and Roberta Vinci stormed into the last four of the Wuhan Open in China on Thursday while Venus Williams ended the giant-killing run of Briton Johanna Konta.
Osaka, 21, said she lacked maturity when as a relative unknown player she won the tournament last year to kick off her meteoric rise through the rankings.
Three women in the field have topped the world rankings this season, incumbent Simona Halep and her predecessors Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova, but none of them have been able to kick on and cement their place as the tour's dominant player.
Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic booked their spots in the Paris Masters second round on Monday, while Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament with next month's ATP Finals on the horizon.
Millman, ranked 80 places above world number 14 Pouille, needed 73 minutes to clinch a 6-3, 6-4 victory and the best win of his career by ranking position.
The Danish World No 3 ended 2017 with the biggest title of her career in Singapore and returned a day after thrashing Madison Brengle in her season opener to hit 21 winners against eight unforced errors in the 53-minute win over Martic.
Ana Ivanovic became the highest-profile casualty of Wimbledon's opening days as the seventh seed fell to 158th-ranked qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands in a second round clash.
Japan's Naomi Osaka claimed her first career title with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Russian Daria Kasatkina in a battle of 20-year-olds at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
Melbourne final feels 'bit unreal' for Japan's Osaka
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances