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The Australian Open has seen many unheralded players punching above their weight. Rediff.com takes a look at a few such unseeded players who went the distance in the new millennium.
Andy Murray has had his mind elsewhere for much of the Australian Open but will need to bring laser-sharp focus into Friday's semi-final against the red-hot Milos Raonic.
Serena Williams underlined the difference in class and power between her and the rest of the women's field with a 6-0, 6-4 demolition of fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday to reach her seventh Australian Open final.
Novak Djokovic deserves a "little star" next to his name for a spectacular 2015 season that saw him win three grand slams among his 11 titles but the men's game is not simply a matter of the Serb versus the rest, Roger Federer said.
Bhambri, ranked 200th, recovered from a set down and registered what turned to be an emphatic 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 win over Pella in a match that lasted for two hours and 10 minutes.
Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday.
Grigor Dimitrov dismantled 11th seed David Goffin 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in their Australian Open quarter-final on Wednesday to advance to his second grand slam semi-final.
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.
Serena Williams squandered four match points and blew a 5-1 lead in the decider to fall to seventh seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4 4-6 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
The Romanian broke Williams's serve in the first game but that was the only one she managed for the rest of the opening set as the American bulldozed her way through the set in 20 minutes, serving it out with an ace.
The 21-year-old German, one of the brightest stars in men's tennis, is yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam.
Madison Keys continued to ride her wave of success, fuelled in part by celebratory chocolate biscuits, as she advanced to her first Grand Slam semi-final with a gutsy 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Venus Williams on Wednesday.
Top seed Serena Williams and her older sister Venus led a foursome of American women into the Australian Open fourth round on Saturday.
Bernard Tomic is set to sit out the Australian Open after Tennis Australia (TA) decided not to award him a wildcard to the main draw, the organisers said on Thursday.
The draw for the first Grand Slam of the season was made on Thursday and the top seeds could face some early tests of their credentials when play gets underway in Melbourne on Monday.
Australia's Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter has enjoyed smiting foes in the senior's tour since his retirement, but fears he may have bitten off more than he can chew by agreeing to partner Lleyton Hewitt in the Australian Open doubles.
Fernando Verdasco sent shockwaves through the Australian Open on Tuesday by defeating Rafael Nadal 7-6(6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to send the former world number one crashing out in the opening round.
Champion Novak Djokovic did not bother with a practice hit before his showdown with Kei Nishikori and his "less is more" approach paid off with an easy 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win on Tuesday to set up a blockbuster Australian Open semi-final with Roger Federer.
Images from Sunday's action at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Australian Open champion Roger Federer is set to continue defying Father Time after announcing he will return to defend his title next year.
Nick Kyrgios's Australian Open ended with a gallant fourth round defeat by an inspired Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday but the maverick talent leaves Melbourne Park after winning over a nation.
Despite her poor recent track record against her sister Serena, Venus Williams will not just be "hanging out" in her first Grand Slam final in nine years at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Venus Williams continued her astonishing late-career revival by felling Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 7-6(3) on Tuesday to reach her first Australian Open semi-final in 14 years.
But for the 23-year-old Bouchard, a former world number five who has slumped to 56th in the rankings, it was another blow after her first-round exit in Indian Wells.
Juan Martin del Potro continued his encouraging buildup to the Australian Open by reaching the semi-finals of the Sydney International on Thursday, but women's contender Petra Kvitova was stunned by a Bulgarian qualifier in the last four.
Serena Williams is playing at another level, says beaten Agnieszka Radwanska
IMAGES from the matches played at Miami Miasters in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday
Images from the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
Images from Day 1 of the US Open in New York, on Monday.
Eugenie Bouchard will spend Monday 'cramming' for one of the toughest exams of her fledgling career when she faces second seed Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
For someone who is the defending champion at Melbourne Park, Stanislas Wawrinka is remarkably upbeat about the lack of focus falling upon him.
Milestones in the progress of Chinese women's tennis after Li Na, the first Asian to win Grand Slam singles titles, announced her retirement from the sport on Friday.
IMAGES from all the action on Day 8 the Australian Open on Monday
Upbeat Venus ready to 'kill it' after loss to little sister
Coco Vandeweghe blasted her way into her first grand slam semi-final with a dominant display of power tennis to destroy French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-0 at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Switzerland took advantage of Novak Djokovic's absence to open a 2-0 lead over last year's runners-up Serbia in their Davis Cup tie on Friday with Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka winning their singles rubbers.
Sania Mirza and her Romanian partner Horia Tecau waltzed into the mixed doubles final of the Australian Open after beating Australian duo Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden 2-6, 6-3, 10-2 at Melbourne Park on Friday.
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.
Andy Murray thinks he played his best tennis of the tournament during his Australian Open quarter-final victory over David Ferrer on Wednesday.
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