Russia took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Fed Cup final on Saturday after top 10 players Vera Zvonareva and Svetlana Kuznetsova overpowered their Spanish rivals to put the holders within reach of a fourth title in five years. World number nine Zvonareva beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-4 in the opening rubber of the five-match tie on Saturday before Svetlana Kuznetsova dismissed 20-year-old Carla Suarez 6-3, 6-1.
Former champion Maria Sharapova maintained her perfect start to the season to join fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi-finals of the Pacific Life Open on Wednesday. Sharapova, the Australian Open champion and fourth seed, stormed back from 5-2 down in the first set to beat holder Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 7-6, 6-1.
Big-serving Andy Roddick crashed out of the Pacific Life Open on Sunday while second-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced after a battling 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win over Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova. Much smoother progress was made by Swiss world number one Roger Federer, Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova and women's title-holder Daniela Hantuchova, who all won their respective matches in straight sets.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal progressed to the second round of the US Open after fellow Spaniard David Ferrer retired midway through the second set due to a calf injury.
Top seed Ana Ivanovic beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3 in the Pacific Life Open final on Sunday.
Serena Williams won her 750th career match to stay on track for her ninth Miami Open title when she beat Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 7-5 6-3 in the third round in Florida on Saturday. The world number one improved her career record to 750-125, seventh on the all-time list and just three match wins behind Lindsay Davenport's 753. Martina Navratilova sits atop the all-time list with 1,442 wins. The 34-year-old Williams will meet Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round. The 15th seed defeated France's Caroline Garcia 4-6 6-2 7-6(6). Unlike the last time they met, when Williams required 54 minutes and Diyas won just two games, the 22-year-old Kazak gave the American some trouble in the heat and humidity of Miami.
Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze recorded contrasting victories against Italian opponents in Moscow.
List of US Open women's singles champions, since 1912.
Sisters Serena and Venus Williams marched into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open after straight-set wins at Key Biscayne on Monday.
Serena Williams overpowered top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6, 6-1 to reach her first Kremlin Cup final.
Novak Djokovic wore down Lucas Pouille after an even first set, dispatching the Frenchman 7-6(2), 6-1 in a Cincinnati Masters quarter-final in Ohio on Friday.
The Scot lost 6-4, 6-4 to Richard Gasquet in his first singles match since January before saying he had turned down a wild card into the men's draw at the year's final Grand Slam.
Kim Clijsters beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-2 to win the Warsaw Cup
Images from Day 3 of the French Open in Paris on Tuesday
Angelique Kerber's build-up for next week's Australian Open suffered a setback with the German world number one going down in straight sets to Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the Sydney International.
U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, it seems, is not a big name in New York.
The Indian ace and her American partner Corina Morariu will play 14th seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and Amelie Mauresmo of France in the first round.
Anastasia Myskina kept Russia's Fed Cup hopes alive by beating Moscow-born Tatiana Golovin in the second singles of the competition final against holders France.
By losing, Ostapenko joins a ignominious group including, as well as Myskina, Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Angelique Kerber who all lost as Grand Slam champions on the first run of their defences.
Djokovic continues to lead ATP Rankings
Victoria Azarenka dropped her first set of the tournament on Saturday but recovered to book her place in the last 16 at the U.S. Open after two former Grand Slam champions were sent packing.
Second seed Angelique Kerber stayed on track in her quest to unseat Serena Williams as world number one by beating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia 6-2, 7-6(7) on Wednesday to reach the third round of the US Open.
Serena Williams extended her winning streak to 29 matches when she beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals to continue her run towards a second French Open title on Tuesday.
The world number one overcame Nathalie Dechy, while Jennifer Capriati beat Silvia Farina Elia at the Qatar Open.
Chinese veteran Peng Shuai beat American Alison Riske 7-6(3), 6-2 in the final of the Tianjin Open to capture her first Tour title on Sunday.
A resurgent Svetlana Kuznetsova stunned former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in an absorbing encounter on Rod Laver Arena to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory on Monday.
India's Sania Mirza and her doubles partner Barbora Strycova from Czech Republic notched up a hard-fought win over Gabriela Dabrowski and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez to advance to the third round of the Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan on Tuesday. The Indo-Czech pair, who clinched their second title last week at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, edged out their Canadian-Spanish rivals 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 in the second round match that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes.
Garbine Muguruza reached the French Open quarter-finals for the third year in a row when a solid display earned her a 6-3, 6-4 victory against former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Here is a list of US Open women's singles champions since the open era began in 1968:
Former world number one Serena Williams returns to Grand Slam action for the first time in over 15 months, when she goes up against Czech Kristyna Pliskova in the French Open first round.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday.
Ana Ivanovic says she is a more complete player than when she won the French Open title in 2008 but lacks the confidence of her younger self.
The second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open has, over the years, managed to pull in celebrities at high-profile matches. This year again, the celebrities have been in attendance as the big names of the game slug it out and get dirty on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Rediff.com gives a quick glimpse of the famous faces that have, so far, been spotted at the French Open.
Oozing confidence after making a sizzling 13-0 start to the year, Novak Djokovic looks every inch the same player who reigned supreme in the men's game during his astonishingly successful 2011 season.
PHOTOS from day seven of the Wimbledon championships at the All England Lawn Tennis in London on Tuesday.
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