World number two Serena Williams brushed aside qualifier Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-2 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Toronto Cup and set up a mouth-watering clash with Elena Dementieva.
Australia's Samantha Stosur failed to allay fears she could be heading for another early exit at her home Grand Slam with a scrappy performance in Hobart while a trio of big names tumbled out of the Sydney International on Monday.
Following Serena Williams's 19th Grand Slam title, here is the list of Australian Open women's singles champions since the event began in 1922 (Australian unless stated)
Bianca Andreescu, 19, the first Canadian to win a major in the professional era, prevented Serena Williams from equalling Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Former world number one Serena Williams has pulled out of the French Open because she has not fully recovered from health issues, organisers said on Thursday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Serena Williams eased her way into the fourth round of the Australian open on Saturday with a 6-1, 6-4 win over China's Peng Shuai. She will meet Victoria Azarenka, who knocked out former champion Amelie Mauresmo.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic will face Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, the player who denied him a medal in London, in the opening round of the Rio Olympics after the draw was made on Thursday.
Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal is placed fourth in the list headed by American tennis legend Serena Williams followed by Maria Sharapova and elder sister Venus.
The supermodel is making waves on the adrenaline-filled cover of V Magazine.
Serena Williams is chasing Australian Margaret Court's record 24 Grand Slam singles titles
List of French Open women's singles champions:
Hopes that Serena Williams would end a 13-year boycott of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells were dashed on Friday when the World No 1 said she would not be competing in the event "after careful consideration".
Roger Federer is keeping a lid on expectations.
Serena Williams lives by the worlds of Muhammad Ali: 'Being a champion isn't about what you do when you are on top; it's about what you do when you are knocked down'.
Already a sporting icon, Osaka's fight for equality has focussed even more attention on her
World number two Serena Williams raced into the quarter-finals of the Toronto Cup on Thursday with a 6-1, 6-4 demolition of Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko. Williams needed only 64 minutes on a blustery centre court to dispose of the world number 33 and restore a bit of family honour after the Ukrainian's sister Kateryna had knocked out older sibling Venus in the second round.
Ukrainian second seed Elina Svitolina ended Naomi Osaka's remarkable recent run with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over the Indian Wells champion in the second round of the Miami Open on Friday.
One win away from assuring themselves of an Olympic medal, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, on Friday, said they would have to keep their emotions aside and start afresh when they play the semi-finals, in Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday.
We bring you five achievers who are proof that 35 is the new 25.
Relentless schedule taking toll on big-name tennis players.
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