Halep, who held the WTA year-end top ranking in 2017 and 2018, has not lost a set in her first week at Melbourne Park and was aggressive against Putintseva from the outset.
Garbine Muguruza outclassed former finalist Simona Halep in straight sets to enter the final of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday. Meanwhile, Sofia Kenin sent world number one Ash Barty spinning out of the Melbourne Park semi-finals 7-6, 7-5 on Thursday, crushing Australian hopes of a first home-grown champion at the Grand Slam in 42 years. The 21-year-old Kenin showed her frustration at times, throwing her racquet on court, but managed to hang in and saved three breakpoints to hold for 3-3 and eventually force a tiebreaker.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion is yet to clarify his schedule for next year but has committed to playing the Australian Open.
If he does manage to beat Novak Djokovic or Cam Norrie in Sunday's final, it may be that winning the most prestigious title in tennis will wash away all his previous sins in the eyes of his compatriots.
Serena Williams weathered an early challenge from Russian Vera Zvonareva before the former World No 2 crumbled to lose 7-5, 6-0 in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.
Play at the Australian Open was called to a halt on day four of the championships on Thursday with temperatures at Melbourne Park hitting 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) and still rising.
Novak Djokovic is still uncertain whether he will take part in the 2022 Australian Open but will soon make a decision, the World No 1 said after Serbia's 2-1 defeat by Croatia in the Davis Cup semi-finals on Friday.
We bring you best images from week one of the 2019 Australian Open Championships at Melbourne Park
Osaka will play Jennifer Brady for the title.
India had mixed fortunes at the Australian Open as Leander Paes got off to a winning start in mixed doubles but it was end of the road for the fourth-seeded pair of Sania Mirza and her doubles partner, Czech, Barbora Strycova in the women's doubles event.
'You might just have to leave (for Australia) a few weeks earlier than everyone else. That's the player's choice. If the local government puts that in place then I would support that. It would be great if more players got vaccinated.'
Images from the Friday's play at the Australian Open.
The Australian Conservation Foundation's Climate Change Program Manager Gavan McFadzean also said athletes need to step up.
Images from Day 9 of the 2020 Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Roger Federer will miss the Australian Open in January and is unlikely to return to competition until mid-2022 as he recovers from multiple knee surgeries, the former world number one told Swiss media.
Images from Day 1 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday.
Former world number one Venus Williams produced a vintage display to outclass Netherlands' Arantxa Rus in straight sets and storm into the second round of the Yarra Valley Classic.
No complaints but quarantine differentials were a mistake: Zverev
It took only minutes for Kyrgios to ignite the terraces by breaking Broady in the opening game. He closed out the next game with an under-arm "tweener".
The German picked up two ATP titles in Cologne and also made the final of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris in an encouraging close to the season.
Summary of all sports events and persons that made news on Thursday.
Victoria Azarenka's quest for her third successive Australian Open title took a little while to get going before she finally overcame a feisty Johanna Larsson 7-6, 6-2 in their first round match at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
Second seed Novak Djokovic outclassed Roger Federer in straight sets to enter the final of Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday. Seven-time champion Djokovic started off slowly before he took complete control to register an emphatic 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in the first semi-final.
Daniil Medvedev has tapped into the energy of the crowd at Melbourne Park by playing both hero and villain.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova cut a forlorn figure in the post-match press conference as she was questioned about her injury problems.
Nick Kyrgios has had more than his fair share of run-ins with umpires over his career
Victoria Azarenka holds a 5-4 record over Li Na and has won their last four matches, however, the Chinese is 2-0 up in Grand Slam encounters.
Maria Sharapova will return to tournament action at the Brisbane International next month
Tiley denies reports Djokovic will sue Tennis Australia
Nadal is bidding for his second title in his 15th appearance at Melbourne Park
World No 1 Novak Djokovic will kick off the defence of his Australian Open title with a first round tie against unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu after the draw was made for the first Grand Slam of the season on Friday.
Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka beat Czech pair Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-3 to win the Australian Open women's doubles title on Friday for their second Grand Slam trophy together.
amiliar names, however, are tipped to take off with the winners' trophies. The following is a list of talking points at the Australian Open:
IMAGES from Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Friday
A very different Australian Open comes to a familiar end on Sunday as Novak Djokovic looks to thwart another challenge to his Melbourne Park dynasty from the latest Grand Slam aspirant in Daniil Medvedev.
Novak Djokovic will bid to extend his Australian Open reign to a third straight year on Sunday in the final against Andy Murray, who will aim to end Britain's 79-year wait for a men's champion at Melbourne Park.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is weighing exercising his discretionary powers to revoke Djokovic's visa
China's Li Na sent a wayward Maria Sharapova crashing out of the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday and says there will be no repeat of her capitulation to Kim Clijsters in the 2011 Melbourne Park final.
Her opponent Bernarda Pera was not among that cohort and the American ousted the 2016 Australian Open champion 6-0 6-4 in little more than an hour on the first morning of the tournament.
Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria reported no local coronavirus cases on Saturday for the second straight day, boding well for the Australian Open tennis tournament due to start in Melbourne on Monday.
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