Second seeds Sania Mirza and Yaroslava Shvedova made a shock first-round exit from the AEGON Classic with a straight-set defeat against Iveta Benesova and Alla Kudryavtseva.
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza crashed out in the first round of the women's singles at the AEGON Classic tennis tournament in Birmingham, losing to Tamira Paszek of Austria 3-6, 6-4, 2-6.
Sania Mirza quelled a late challenge from world number 49 and 11th seed Anne Keothavong to sail into the pre-quarter-finals of the US $220,000 WTA Aegon Classic in Birmingham on Wednesday. The unseeded Indian beat the British No 1 6-1, 7-6(5) in the second round after battling it out for one hour and 27 minutes.
Former world number one Maria Sharapova has been handed a wildcard to the Wimbledon warm-up tournament in Birmingham in June.
Czech Petra Kvitova won the Aegon Classic in Birmingham on Sunday after fighting back to beat Australian Ashleigh Barty 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The level of media coverage surrounding Maria Sharapova's return to tennis from a doping suspension has been a key factor in the five-time Grand Slam winner being offered wildcards to events, men's world number one Andy Murray has said.
Halep, the beaten finalist in the French Open last week, is the latest top player to pull out from the event after Czech world number three Karolina Pliskova opted to rest her injured elbow ahead of Wimbledon.
The 27-year-old's only appearance so far this year was at the French Open where she lost in the second round.
French Open runner-up Simona Halep was awarded a wildcard entry to feature at the Aegon International in Eastbourne next week, organisers said on Thursday.
Playing with new partner Casey Dellacqua in the absence of Martina Hingis, India's Sania Mirza crashed out of the WTA Aegon Classic following a straight set defeat in Birmingham.
Sania Mirza bowed out of the Aegon Classic when she and her Chinese Taipei partner Chuang Chia-Jung lost in straight sets in the semi-finals in Birmingham on Saturday night. The third-seeded Indo-Taipei pair lost 5-7, 3-6 to the top seeded Zimbabwean-American pair of Cara Black and Liezel Huber.
Indian Davis Cupper Somdev Devvarman slumped to his second successive defeat against Mardy Fish and crashed out of the singles event of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport.
Riding on her semifinal appearance in the just concluded Aegon Classic, Indian ace Sania Mirza jumped 20 places to reach 78 in the latest WTA singles rankings, released on Monday.
Sania Mirza maintained her winning run in the Aegon Classic, beating Hungary's Melinda Czink 6-1, 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals in Birmingham on Friday.
Sania Mirza began her grass court season with a thumping straight set win over qualifier Tatiana Poutchek in the first round of the USD 220,000 Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
Sania's Mirza's winning run at the AEGON Classic came to a halt in the semi-finals when she was beaten by Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-3, 0-6, 3-6 in Birmingham on Saturday.
Sania Mirza pulled off her second upset in as many days when she beat No 5 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenko of Russia 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the quarter-finals in the AEGON Classic in Birmingham on Thursday.
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Angelique Kerber claimed her first grasscourt title with a 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(4) victory.
Factbox on American Sloane Stephens, who beat compatriot Madison Keys 6-3 6-0 to win her first U.S. Open singles title on Saturday:
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka was forced out of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham with a foot injury on Wednesday shortly after defending champion Ana Ivanovic suffered a shock defeat.
Federer, who skipped the entire clay court season after winning the Australian Open and claiming titles at Indian Wells and Miami this year, will next play defending champion Florian Mayer who beat Frenchman Lucas Pouille in three sets.
Two-time winner Petra Kvitova and world number three Karolina Pliskova will be tough to beat at Wimbledon because the tournament's grass courts suit their games down to the ground, Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou has said.
The Frenchman, seeded five, had no answer to left-hander Muller's swinging serve as he bowed out 6-4, 6-4.
Sixteen-year-old Croatian Donna Vekic was denied her first WTA title as she lost 7-6(5), 6-4 to Tour stalwart Daniela Hantuchova in the Aegon Classic final in Birmingham on Sunday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
The British number one will play Croatian Donna Vekic, 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(4) victor over Czech Lucie Safarova in the day's second semi-final, in the climax to the Wimbledon warm-up tournament on Sunday.
But Konta, who is playing in the Aegon Classic at Edgbaston this week, says that she will not be embracing any of the likely hype and intends to try to prepare as normal -- inside her 'bubble'.
'Maybe the last tournament changed something in people's minds but not in mine. I'm really enjoying every match but, still, I think I do have lot of things to improve'
Top seed Roger Federer reached the Halle Open semi-finals on Friday, beating defending champion Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4 and edging closer to a ninth title at the Wimbledon tune-up event.
Could French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko serve up another shock at Wimbledon this year? Or will world number one Angelique Kerber get her season back on track at Wimbledon?
Top seed Roger Federer will challenge for a ninth Halle Open title after reaching the Wimbledon warm-up event final with a 6-4 7-6(5) victory over rising Russian talent Karen Khachanov on Saturday.
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