Osaka has had to mix things up during a grinding progression to the last eight at Melbourne Park
Serena, a six-times champion in New York who is seeded 17th, will start her campaign against Polish world number 60 Magda Linette and could face Venus in the third round before a possible fourth-round showdown with Romanian top seed Halep.
An air of calm descended at Wimbledon on 'Tranquil Thursday' as Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams avoided the trail of destruction that had decimated the field at the All England Club on day three of the grasscourt major.
World number one Serena Williams was at her lethal best as she crushed Romanian Simona Halep 6-0, 6-4 to romp into the semi-finals of the Western and Southern Open on Friday.
IMAGES from the matches played at the Miami Open on Thursday
List of Australian Open women's singles champions since the event began in 1922 (Australian unless stated):
Maria Sharapova will not care less what reception she receives when she plays her first Australian Open match since completing a doping ban on Tuesday, according to three-times Melbourne winner Mats Wilander.
India's star tennis player Sania Mirza says she has achieved everything in her path-breaking career and has 'nothing to prove' in her second innings, which is likely to begin by January 2020.
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.
Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki face a 'humongous' match that could define their careers when they face off in Saturday's Australian Open final, says former champion Mats Wilander.
Top seed Angelique Kerber was knocked out of the last-16 of Wimbledon by Garbine Muguruza on Monday, ensuring she will lose her world number one ranking.
Veteran Mahesh Bhupathi went out of the mixed doubles competition following a first-round loss.
Photos from the matches played at the Miami Open on Monday
A quick guide into the life of Serena Williams, the GOAT - The Greatest of All Time!
Multiple grand slam champion Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Brisbane International on Tuesday after suffering an arm injury in practise less than two weeks before the Australian Open.
The 'Big Four' of men's tennis have made it into the second week of Wimbledon unscathed and largely untroubled while the women's draw remains wide open, but "Manic Monday" could offer major clues as to the destination of this year's titles.
The Australian Open will hike total prizemoney 10 percent in 2014 to A$33 million, organisers said on Wednesday, offsetting a depreciation in the local currency.
Rafael Nadal gave a much improved performance to advance into the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday, dispatching Spanish compatriot and crowd favourite David Ferrer 6-3, 6-3.
IMAGES from matches played at the Miami Masters in Key Biscayne, Florida
The 30-year-old is the first German woman to win Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1996.
Andy Murray moved into the fourth round of the Australian Open in surreal circumstances on Saturday, completing a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Joao Sousa after his father-in-law had collapsed ill a few hundred metres away.
Venus Williams was denied a chance to better her world record for fastest serve in women's tennis in absence of proper measuring technology at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Images from all the action from Day 1 of the Wimbledon on Monday.
Home hope Bernard Tomic continued his promising form ahead of the Australian Open by overcoming Kei Nishikori to set up a Brisbane International semi-final against big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic.
IMAGES from Day 6 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, on Friday.
Bangkok, Singapore, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur and a city in the Middle-East will be home to the first five teams of the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) later this year.
China's No 1 Li Na has ruled herself out of playing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 31-year-old said at the Australian Open on Friday.
Images from Monday's action at the French Open.
Factbox on American Serena Williams, who plays sister Venus in the final of the Australian Open on Saturday.
What makes winning in Indian Wells and Miami difficult is the fact that the two tournaments are held back-to-back, over four weeks, and in completely different directions. No wonder they are sometimes labeled as the 'Fifth Major'.
Big-serving Isner reaches Montreal second round
Grand Slam finalists Garbine Muguruza and Roberta Vinci stormed into the last four of the Wuhan Open in China on Thursday while Venus Williams ended the giant-killing run of Briton Johanna Konta.
Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas secured the biggest win of his career when he sent Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic packing in the third round of the Rogers Cup with a stunning 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 win on Thursday.
American tennis player Serena Williams is all set to make her comeback at the Australian Open, organisers confirmed.
Spaniard Feliciano Lopez showed a compassionate streak in addition to a dangerous serve by apologising to the ball-boy he struck in the groin at the Australian Open.
Photos from matches on Day 2 at the Australian Open on Tuesday
Wimbledon's genteel surrounds resembled Saturday night on a casualty ward as injuries saw seven players withdraw or retire and third seed Maria Sharapova stumble to a shock second-round defeat on Wednesday.
Serena Williams overpowered German Carina Witthoeft 6-2, 6-2 to set up a third-round clash with big sister Venus at the US Open on Wednesday.
Roger Federer produced a vintage performance to best Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 and move into the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
