Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will finish the year as World No 1 after a 7-6, 6-3 win over China's Li Na in her final round robin match at the WTA Championships on Friday.
World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka had to dig deep to overcome the hugely talented Mona Barthel of Germany 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 to reach the Stuttgart indoor tournament semi-finals on Friday.
After two years of injury frustration and bouts of depression, Victoria Azarenka is hoping a little bit of motorcycle riding and some street art will change people's perceptions and help her to a third Australian Open title. The 26-year-old Belarusian is one of the favourites for the year's opening grand slam that starts on Monday after proving her fitness following a nagging foot injury that has restricted her appearances over the past two years. Now injury free and fresh off her first title since August 2013 at the Brisbane International last week, she is looking forward to the courts she made her own in 2012 and 2013.
Victoria Azarenka walked off court with her head held high after a gallant loss to Serena Williams in the US Open final on Sunday, and while satisfied she had given her all there was no doubt the defeat stung.
Victoria Azarenka will carry her World No 1 ranking with pride in the defence of her Australian Open title, but knows she faces a grim task preventing Serena Williams seizing both.
Colombia's Camila Osorio pulled out a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 7-5 win over Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, and Italy's Martina Trevisan beat Mexico's Renata Zarazua 6-4, 6-3.
Serena Williams retained her US Open crown by holding off a battling Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-1 in a windblown final at the Arthur Ashe stadium on Sunday.
World number six Victoria Azarenka said on Friday she will miss the rest of the season because she was having a baby.
China's Li Na made it a hat-trick of White Group victories, overpowering back-injury victim Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-1 on Friday to march through to the semi-finals of the WTA Championship.
Former champion Jelena Jankovic became the first seed to tumble out of the Indian Wells WTA tournament, losing 6-4, 6-3 to American wild card Jamie Hampton in the second round on Friday.
Coco Gauff forgot to bring her rackets to the court but reminded her rivals of her French Open title ambitions with a commanding win while Daniil Medvedev lost his composure on a cold and blustery Tuesday as he crashed out in the opening round.
Unseeded American Lauren Davis secured the first big upset of the BNP Paribas Open when she ousted third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the second round in Indian Wells on Friday.
Victoria Azarenka withstood some early pressure from Britain's Johanna Konta to continue her quest for a third Miami Open title with a 6-4, 6-2 quarter-final victory on Wednesday.
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.
Victoria Azarenka survived a ferocious comeback from defending champion Sam Stosur to reach the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday, as the remnants of Hurricane Isaac played havoc with the schedule and left organisers juggling with a backlog.
Osaka also reached the final of the Western & Southern Open, which was held at Flushing Meadows this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had to withdraw against Azarenka due to an injury.
World number one Dinara Safina came from behind to survive her first real test at the French Open on Tuesday, reaching the semi-finals after beating feisty Belarussian teenager Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Fourth seed Maria Sharapova overcame a second set rally by Petra Kvitova to advance to her third Australian Open final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory on Thursday. She will now meet third seed Victoria Azarenka in the final on Saturday after the Belarusian earlier beat 2011 champion Kim Clijsters 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Victoria Azarenka cannot wait to renew her rivalry with close friend Serena Williams in what could shape up to become a future battle of the tennis mums.
Novak Djokovic's bid for a 100th ATP Tour title gained momentum on Thursday
Accused of gamesmanship and dogged by injury, Victoria Azarenka's bid for successive Australian Open titles on Saturday will pit her against an opponent in the form of her life and a centre-court crowd wary of any hint of bad sportsmanship.
Serena Williams stands just one match away from setting up another family showdown in the Wimbledon final after she hurtled into the last four with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Belarussian Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday.
Top seed Victoria Azarenka overcame a lapse of concentration to defeat Ana Ivanovic 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 and reach the final of the Carlsbad Open on Saturday.
Australian Nick Kyrgios blasted 15 aces to blow past Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday and reach the quarter-finals at the Citi Open in Washington.
Images from the US Open women's singles second round matches, at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Wednesday.
Images from Day 1 of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Monday.
Two time Miami Open winner Victoria Azarenka crushed Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.
The All England Club's medical rooms were overflowing as the third day of Wimbledon resembled a casualty ward with Rafa Nadal's conqueror Steve Darcis one of five players to withdraw injured before mid-afternoon on Wednesday.
Victoria Azarenka said the prospect of winning a third straight Australian Open title is an inspiration, not a pressure, after booking her place in the third round.
Former World No 1 Azarenka, the winner of two Australian Open titles and twice a US Open runner-up, withdrew from last year's tournament at Flushing Meadows because of a child custody battle.
Barty had some trouble in the first set against the two-time Australian Open champion and saved three break points at 5-5 to go on to win 7-6(2), 6-3 and level the tie at 1-1.
Spain's Garbine Muguruza successfully defended her Monterrey Open title on Sunday when Victoria Azarenka retired injured from her first WTA singles final in three years.
Defending champion Federer, battling a flu bug according to the local media, was made to work hard by his Bulgarian opponent before the Swiss master prevailed 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 at the Pat Rafter Arena. "It was tough. Grigor's a great shotmaker, the future's ahead of him in the game," Federer said after setting up a semi-final against Austrian youngster Dominic Thiem.
Naomi Osaka now gets to test her mental strength against a revitalised Victoria Azarenka, who stunned Serena Williams in Thursday's other blockbuster semi-final.
IMAGES from US Open women's final played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at the Flushing Meadows in the Queens borough of New York City on Saturday.
After the women's doubles finalists weren't given the chance to speak at the trophy ceremony at the Madrid Open, the organisers apologised.
Former champion Naomi Osaka was sent packing from Indian Wells after losing in straight sets to Colombia's Camila Osorio.
PHOTOS from day four of the Wimbledon championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London on Friday.
US Open champion Coco Gauff cruised past fellow teen Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-3 6-0 at the Auckland Classic on Thursday, setting up a quarter-final against Varvara Gracheva in the Australian Open warm-up event.
Images from the matches played on Day 10 at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances