Former World No 1 Justine Henin plans to make her return to tournament tennis at next year's Brisbane International as part of her preparations for the Australian Open.
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.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams are among a number of players who will feature in an exhibition match ahead of this month's Australian Open to raise funds for bushfire relief efforts, organisers announced on Wednesday. All funds raised from the two-and-a-half hour event on January 15 at Rod Laver Arena -- called AO Rally for Relief -- will be donated to the relief cause with tickets priced at A$54 ($37.09).
Naomi Osaka said they had been on vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands when the incident happened.
Australia's Lleyton Hewitt delighted his home fans when he battled to a typically gutsy 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Swiss top seed Roger Federer in the Brisbane International final on Sunday.
Murray has struggled to regain form since undergoing hip surgery last January, and was quickly dismantled by the six-time Australian Open champion at Margaret Court Arena before the players called time on their match after less than an hour.
Sania Mirza lifted with partner Nadiia Kichenok pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4, 6-4 in one hour 21 minutes.
With only two weeks to go for the Australian Open, tennis stars Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Radek Stepanek and Garbine Muguruza were seen in a light-spirited mood in Brisbane. As part of Nickelodeon Kids Day, the tennis stars led by 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer posed for pictures with cartoon characters.
Roger Federer avoided an embarrassing start to the new season when he dug himself out of trouble to beat little-known journeyman John Millman 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the Brisbane International on Thursday.
With the hope that 2017 will be a prosperous and peaceful year, Indian sports personalities took to Twitter to wish their fans a Happy New Year.
Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov upset top seed and defending champion Milos Raonic of Canada at the Brisbane International on Saturday to set up a title clash against Japan's Kei Nishikori.
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Brisbane International after going down at the hands of top-seed Milos Raonic of Canada in their quarter-final clash here on Friday. World number three Raonic recorded only his second victory over Nadal in eight meetings with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win in the last-eight contest that lasted two hours and 21 minutes.
Russia's Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic of Serbia won their semi-finals at the Brisbane International on Friday to set up a highly-anticipated showdown in the lead-up to this month's Australian Open.
The American world number one extended her winning streak over the Russian to 14 matches.
Roger Federer and Serena Williams had contrasting 2013 seasons but both kick off their new campaigns at the Brisbane International this week showing no signs just yet of calling time on their illustrious careers.
Maria Sharapova's pain at losing a 14th straight match to nemesis Serena Williams will be eased by the thought that she can compete at the highest level again after being sidelined for four months with a shoulder injury.
Victoria Azarenka thinks her rivalry with Serena Williams is making her a better player and is looking forward to renewing it over the next four weeks at the Brisbane International and the Australian Open.
The 36-year-old Swiss will play Canada's Milos Raonic in Sunday's final.
The 31-year-old Spaniard has not played since he withdrew from the season-ending World Tour Finals in London in November with a knee injury. He had already withdrawn from an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi that starts later on Thursday.
With fire in their bellies, former Grand Slam champs Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are targetting a fresh return to the tennis courts in 2017.
Victoria Azarenka's Australian Open preparations were complicated on Friday when "a bad pedicure experience" forced the World No. 1 to withdraw from her Brisbane International semi-final against Serena Williams.
World number two Maria Sharapova will doubtless be anxious to settle a few scores at the year's first major -- the Australian Open.
Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams will be fit to play at the Brisbane International, which begins this weekend, after injury scares, organisers said on Thursday.
An emotional Andy Murray fought back tears and dedicated his victory to "a sick friend" after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in a gripping Brisbane International final on Sunday.
Andy Murray has thrown his unequivocal support behind the crackdown on time-wasting in tennis because he believes it will turn the sport into even more of a survival of the fittest.
Rafael Nadal beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 6-3 in the Brisbane International first round on Tuesday to make a successful return to action following two-and-a-half months out due to injury. The Spanish former world number one, seeded fifth, made a sluggish start and fell 3-1 down in the first set against his Ukrainian opponent. But Nadal, 30, won four successive games to clinch the opening set and the 14-times grand slam winner broke twice in the second to see off 2012 Brisbane finalist Dolgopolov in one hour 15 minutes. He will next play Germany's Mischa Zverev.
Sania Mirza and her partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands had a superb start to the season as they lifted the WTA Brisbane International trophy.
Andy Murray narrowly avoided the wrath of coach Ivan Lendl after labouring to a 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 win over Australian qualifier John Millman in his opening match at the Brisbane International on Thursday.
Ever dissatisfied World No 1 Victoria Azarenka began her build-up to the Australian Open with an imposing 6-3, 6-3 victory over big-serving Sabine Lisicki in the Brisbane International second round on Wednesday.
Serena Williams credited a more subdued lifestyle on Tuesday for the current form which has put her on track to succeed fellow-American Chris Evert as the oldest world one in women's tennis.
US Open champion Marin Cilic has withdrawn from this month's Australian Open because of a shoulder injury.
The seemingly unstoppable duo of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis eased past Anastasia Rodionova and Arina Rodionova in the opening round of the Sydney International to extend their winning streak to 27 matches in Sydney on Tuesday.
A merciless Andy Murray subjected Australia's Bernard Tomic to a 6-3, 6-2 thrashing on Saturday to deflate local fans and set up an intriguing final with Alexandr Dolgopolov at the Brisbane International.
Roger Federer took 55 minutes to dispel all injury doubts with a 6-2, 6-1 routing of unheralded German Tobias Kamke in the second round of the Brisbane International on Thursday. Media speculations swirled around the fitness of the world number three less than two weeks before he launches his bid for a fifth Australian Open title and the Swiss maestro dismissed them by dropping only three games in a lop-sided contest. "I'm going to do my best to stay injury free and give myself a chance to win another grand slam," Federer said after setting up a quarter-final against Grigor Dimitrov.
Kim Clijsters may have eased through the draw so far, but her experience on important points, knowing when they were and how to win them also helped her against Daniela Hantuchova.
Former world number one Serena Williams suffered an injury scare less than two weeks ahead of the Australian Open on Wednesday when the American was forced out of the Brisbane International with a badly twisted ankle.
Kim Clijsters avoided following US Open champion Sam Stosur out of the Brisbane International tournament when she beat Iveta Benesova 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to advance to the semi-finals.
Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Brisbane International with an ankle injury but the former world number one still expects to be fit for the Australian Open next month.
Roger Federer strolled into the second round of the Australian Open with a clinical 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 rout of Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun under the lights of Rod Laver Arena on Monday.
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