Defending champion Serena Williams was knocked out by Jelena Jankovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Serena Williams and Justine Henin fought off nerves and tricky conditions in their first-round matches at the Australian Open.
Roger Federer became only the second player after Pete Sampras to receive the accolade for the fourth successive year.
It took about two years for Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin to come out of retirement. Kimiko Date Krumm waited 12 years before letting the fire inside her burn again and Dinara Safina felt the full heat in Paris.
Since Justine Henin's departure the field is without a clear leader.
List of French Open women's singles champions
Russia's Maria Sharapova battled past Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki to move into the Italian Open quarter-finals with a 6-4, 7-6 win on Thursday.
With more and more players seeking early retirement, the packed tennis schedules have once again come under the scanner.
As recently as last week Justine Henin spoke warmly of continuing her French Open love affair, of having another crack at Wimbledon and defending her Olympic title in Beijing.
World number two Ana Ivanovic suffered a surprise 6-2, 7-5 defeat by Elena Dementieva in the semi-finals of the German Open.
Kim Clijsters won a dramatic semi-final battle of the Belgians against Justin Henin to reach the final of the Sony Ericsson Open on Thursday.
British qualifier Elena Baltacha "fought her heart out" to record the biggest win of her career when she upset seventh seed Li Na of China at the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Friday. Former world number one Justine Henin was also a shock loser, beaten 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 by Argentina's Gisela Dulko.
World number one Justine Henin scored and easy win over Marion Bartoli while Amelie Mauresmo went through when her Russian semi-final opponent Nadia Petrova pulled out with injury.
Justine Henin began the defence of her Eastbourne International title in fine style on Wednesday, beating Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-1 and looking every inch a grasscourt player.
She pulled out of the Fed Cup semi-finals against the US as she is not fully fit.\n
Venus Williams secured her place in the semi-finals of the WTA Championships when she completed her round-robin matches with a comprehensive 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 win over her sister Serena on Thursday. It was the first time Serena had lost a set 6-0 since the 2007 Miami final, after which she recovered to defeat Justine Henin for the title.
Roger Federer opens his title defence while Tim Henman starts another year of hope at Wimbledon on Monday.
Justine Henin-Hardenne beat Russian Anastasia Myskina 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 to win the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament
Top seed Justine Henin will face qualifier Timea Bacsinszky in the Antwerp tournament semi-finals.
Champion Serena Williams, top seed Justine Henin and Rafael Nadal had things their way while booking fourth round slots at the Australian Open.
The return of Justine Henin has added an intriguing twist to an Australian Open women's tournament overflowing with talent and mystery.
The Pole said she wanted to do better this time and felt the pressure.
Czech Lucie Safarova stunned world number five Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-3, 6-4 to set up a semi-final clash with Belgium's Justine Henin at the Paris Open on Friday.
Former winner Maria Sharapova, her Russian compatriot Anna Chakvetadze and Serb Ana Ivanovic joined world number one Justine Henin in the semi-finals of the WTA Championships on Thursday.
With Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrawing from the Grand Slam, Maria Sharapova was elevated to the top spot.
After a Wimbledon tournament full of shocks, Martina Navratilova said it was time the top women players "stepped up" following the shock retirement of Justine Henin.
Serena Williams beat France's Mathilde Johansson 6-2, 7-5 while Andy Murray disposed clay-specialist Jose Acasuso 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.
Having made it to the top-300 on the WTA, 23-year-old Mumbai lass Isha Lakhani is eyeing the qualifiers of the Grand Slams.
Justine Henin's decision to call it quits earlier this month has not so much left a hole at the top of the French Open draw as a gaping chasm.
Swiss Federer will be bidding for his fourth consecutive title at Flushing Meadows, while Belgian Henin is hoping to repeat her 2003 triumph.
Serbia's Jelena Jankovic said she feels ready to take retired Justine Henin's French Open title and her world number one slot after winning the Italian Open for the second consecutive year on Sunday. Jankovic beat France's Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-2 in the final to claim her sixth career title.
World number one Justine Henin announced she was retiring from professional tennis with immediate effect on Wednesday.
Dinara Safina of Russia came from a set down to win the German Open on Sunday with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over seventh-seeded compatriot Elena Dementieva.
Dinara Safina won a great scrap with fifth seed Serena Williams 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 to reach the German Open semi-finals.
Defending champion Ana Ivanovic came through a tough first set to beat Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan 7-6, 6-2 and reach the third round of the German Open on Wednesday.
The top seed withdrew from the Stuttgart Grand Prix without playing a match, suffering from a right shoulder strain.\n
Marion Bartoli had barely registered on the tennis scale before but that did not stop her from destroying Justine Henin's Wimbledon dream.
Top seed Amelie Mauresmo and third seed Maria Sharapova also marched on with straight-sets victories at the US Open.\n
Holder Serena Williams beat Justine Henin 6-2, 6-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open.
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