A abdominal strain forced the former world No.1 to withdraw from the elite eight-woman event.\n\n
New mum Victoria Azarenka wants to see more child-friendly tournaments on the WTA Tour, saying not enough is done to help players travelling with young families.
Venus Williams, the 2000 and 2001 champion was shocked by Croatia's Karolina Sprem in the second round at Wimbledon.
With five of the top 10 in the current rankings aged 28 or older, form suggests another pair of seasoned campaigners could contest the title match at the French Open, which starts in Paris on Sunday.
Venus Williams drew on the experience of 73 grand slam campaigns to come from a set down for a 6-7(3) 6-2 6-3 victory over fellow American Coco Vandeweghe on Thursday to set up a possible Australian Open final against her sister Serena.
In an exciting back-and-forth rubber lasting three hours 45 minutes, Siniakova held off the 19-year-old Fed Cup debutante to give the Czechs a 3-0 win in the final against a United States team who were the defending champions but were missing their top players.
A self-confessed tennis buff, Sachin Tendulkar was among a host of sports stars, including former West Indian cricket captain Brian Lara, who packed the royal box on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams said it was a 'great feeling' to surpass Steffi Graf as the most prolific grand slam champion of the open era at the Australian Open on Saturday and was not prepared to put a number on the haul of titles she might end up with.
Serena Williams has used her painful defeat at the French Open to spur her on at Wimbledon.\n\n
Venus worde down Lindsay Davenport while Clijsters rallied to beat Silvia Farina Elia in women's quarter-final matches.
Venus Williams said she was by no means finished yet after swatting aside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to march into the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time since 2003 on Tuesday.
It was Venus's turn to write the Williams plot line at Wimbledon on Wednesday as she survived a gripping three-set battle with 40-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm.
Rafael Nadal took a while to warm up but made an impressive start to his Wimbledon title defence with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over American Michael Russell as the 125th championships began in fine weather on Monday.
McEnroe had claimed that Serena, who is the best player of her gender, would be ranked 700 if she plays on the men's circuit.
Serena Williams revealed a silver lining to her recent life-threatening lung condition on Sunday when she revelled in being able to run better than ever as she prepared to defend her Wimbledon title.
Serena Williams made a winning return to action after nearly a year out with victory over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova at Eastbourne on Tuesday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Angelique Kerber has yet to lose a set in Flushing Meadows, but she has not faced the service firepower possessed by KarolinaPliskova, who has led the WTA Tour in aces in the last two seasons as well as at the US Open this year.
Defending champion Roger Federer was paired with familiar foe Alejandro Falla when the draw for next week's Wimbledon championships was made at the All England Club on Friday. Women's holder Serena Williams will face Portugal's Michelle Larcher di Brito.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Djokovic is clubbed with Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro, David Goffin and Alexander Zverev.
A day after celebrating his 36th birthday, Federer played the aggressive game that has propelled him to five titles, including two grand slams, this year, attacking the net and rocketing second serves.
Serena Williams promised Queen Elizabeth a curtsy she would never forget, but it is Britain's Andy Murray and not the women's champion who will get the chance to perform in front of the monarch at Wimbledon on Thursday.
Andy Murray is not sure whether to bow or not but Serena Williams is taking no chances -- she is busy practicing her curtsy.
Reaching top of the world seemed to agree with Angelique Kerber, who celebrated her ascension to world number one with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Caroline Wozniacki on Thursday to advance to the US Open final.
'I took the wildcard for Eastbourne and it's great to be feeling the grass again, and I'm happy the clay court season is already finished.'
Caroline Wozniacki became the first Danish tennis player to be crowned world number one when she beat Czech Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open on Thursday.
Six times a men's singles champion Down Under, the Serbian will be joined in making a return at MelbournePark by 2008 women's champion Maria Sharapova, who missed last year's tournament because of a doping ban.
The lanky wild card kissed the Montreal court after completing a rousing 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) triumph as the 18-year-old became the youngest player to ever reach the quarter-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 event.
Breeze though the outfits that caught the maximum shutterbugs at the final Grand Slam of the year.
Images from the Laureus World Sports Awards 2010 held in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
'I've accomplished a lot this past year and I feel I can do even more, now I actually believe I can do more after all of this success so I am going to keep striving and hopefully win many more Grand Slams. I have been thinking about playing the Olympics for a couple of years, I think it is a very special event'
Defeat is never an option for Serena Williams, but the World No 1 came close to an embarrassing second-round exit at the French Open after an 'unprofessional' display on Thursday.
Her next opponent is tennis great and 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
American teenage sensation Coco Gauff progressed to her maiden WTA final as she eased past Germany's Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 6-4 at the Linz Open on Saturday. The 15-year-old Gauff became the youngest player to reach a WTA final since Czech Republic's Nicole Vaidisova won the Tashkent Open in 2004, also aged 15.
Bookmakers William Hill have the Briton as 15/8 favourite for the 2018 drivers championship, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel at 3/1 and Red Bull's Max Verstappen at 10/3.
Former World No 1 Ana Ivanovic was upset 7-5, 6-4 by 42nd-ranked Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the second round of the US Open on Thursday.
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