Rafael Nadal easily avoided the embarrassment of a back-to-back first round exits at the Australian Open on Tuesday, ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.
Defending champion and top seed Novak Djokovic moved a step closer to a fifth title at Indian Wells with a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory over long-time rival Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open in California on Saturday.
IMAGES from the Miami Masters played in Key Biscayne, Florida on Tuesday
As the players warm up before the tournament, meet the players who could well be contenders for the 2017 Australian Open titles.
Images from Day 2 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday
On court Novak Djokovic is taking tennis to extraordinary new levels with his single-minded obsession with winning; off it the Serbian is more than happy to share power. The 29-year-old will begin his attempt to win a fourth Wimbledon title on Monday when he plays British wildcard James Ward on Centre Court -- 12 months after claiming a second successive title by beating Roger Federer.
The 33-year-old Swiss maestro produced a masterclass of shot-making as he thrashed Australian wildcard James Duckworth 6-0, 6-1 to charge into the semi-finals of the Australian Open warm-up event.
French Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka was scythed back to earth by big-serving South African Kevin Anderson on the Queen's Club grass as the Swiss bowed out of the Aegon Championships 7-6(4), 7-6(11) on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic outclassed Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to move safely into the Wimbledon third round on Wednesday.
If there is a new member of the grand slam champions' club this weekend, nobody should be surprised -- the conditions at this year's sodden, chilly French Open suit the underdog.
Relentless schedule taking toll on big-name tennis players.
World number one Rafael Nadal set a new record of winning 50 consecutive sets on a single surface by beating Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals.
Andy Murray has had his mind elsewhere for much of the Australian Open but will need to bring laser-sharp focus into Friday's semi-final against the red-hot Milos Raonic.
Stan Wawrinka let his tennis do the talking as he brushed off the after-effects of a cold to breeze into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Lukas Rosol on Saturday.
The triple grand slam winner, who will take over from Serb Novak Djokovic at the top when the rankings are updated on Monday, still went out on centre court for a practice session in front of a bemused crowd.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic began his Paris Masters title defence with a routine 6-3, 6-4 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round on Tuesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Serena Williams and Marin Cilic both survived third round scares on Friday to keep their US Open title defences on track but there was no escape for Rafael Nadal with the twice-winner going down in a late night thriller.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic kicked off his bid for a fourth Canadian crown with a 6-3, 7-6(4) second round win over a stubborn Thomaz Bellucci at the Rogers Cup on Tuesday.
Marin Cilic completed a dream week by steering Croatia into the Davis Cup World Group on Sunday but Spain found themselves out in the wilderness after crashing to defeat in Brazil.
IMAGES of the all the action from Day 2 of the Australian Open played at Melbourne Park on Tuesday
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have shared the grand slam spoils this year and it would take a hard heart not to hope for a fairy tale rematch next month of their epic 2008 Wimbledon final.
Six-time champion Novak Djokovic's hopes of turning around his season at the Miami Open ended in the second round when he was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Aleksander Ceferin, the president of Slovenia's football federation, was overwhelmingly elected as the new head of European soccer's governing body UEFA at an extraordinary Congress on Wednesday.
Japan's Kei Nishikori, who will arrive at Roland Garros without an ATP title for more than two years and desperate to prove that his career has not already peaked.
Raucous home support for holders Argentina did not make up for the absence of Juan Martin del Potro and Federico Delbonis on Friday as they fell 2-0 behind to Italy in the first round of the Davis Cup.
Sixth seed Andy Murray may feel the most aggrieved of the top contenders in the men's draw.
Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams face challenging early tests at the US Open following Friday's draws for the year's last Grand Slam starting on Monday.
Novak Djokovic is expecting a fierce battle with an old friend and familiar protagonist when he makes a bid for history in the Australian Open final against Andy Murray on Sunday.
Champion Novak Djokovic was unable to draw much support from the crowd at Rod Laver Arena during his 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 semi-final win over sentimental favourite Roger Federer on Thursday, but the Serb found vital friends in the weather and the net-cord.
Top seed Andy Murray could meet Roger Federer or Kei Nishikori in the third round, while Serena faces tricky Belinda Bencic in opening round
Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Saturday.
With a crop of talented young players knocking on the door of the exclusive men's Grand Slam club, the 'Big Four' hegemony over the game's top tournaments may be coming to a close.
Swiss second seed Stan Wawrinka advanced into the semi-finals at the Rogers Cup with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-3 victory over big-serving South African Kevin Anderson at the Aviva Centre in Toronto on Friday.
Reigning champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have been named top seeds for the Australian Open starting on Monday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
IMAGES from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Thursday.
A near flawless Novak Djokovic crushed Marin Cilic 6-0, 6-3 to set up a blockbuster Monte Carlo Masters semi-final with claycourt king Rafa Nadal, who came through a testing workout by David Ferrer on Friday.
Andy Murray could beat Roger Federer on Thursday and crash out of the ATP World Tour Finals or lose and go through to the semi-finals -- such is the conundrum he faces.
Japan's Kei Nishikori made a stunning start to what will surely be the first of many appearances at the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over home favourite Andy Murray on Sunday.
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