Simona Halep will take over as the new number one in the WTA world rankings after progressing to the China Open final with a dominant 6-2 6-4 victory over Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in Beijing on Saturday.
Nadal needed all his experience to keep Pouille at bay in the decider and the match looked to be heading for another tiebreak before he pounced to break Pouille's serve for the first time to go 6-5 up in the third.
The Czech Republic further established themselves as the dominant force in women's team tennis as they claimed a 3-2 comeback win against hosts France to capture their fifth Fed Cup title in six years on Sunday, and 10th overall. Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova downed Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia 7-5 7-5 in the doubles to hand the visitors the decisive point. The nation won five titles as Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and 80s before dominating the women's team competition in recent years.
The upset left only three of the top 10 seeds still alive in the year's final Grand Slam - number one Serena Williams, who is seeking the fourth women's calendar-year Grand Slam, second seed Simona Halep and fifth seed Petra Kvitova.
IMAGES from matches played on Day 4 of the French Open at Roland Garros on Wednesday
A rampaging Madison Keys completed an American sweep of the US Open women's quarter-finals on Wednesday, dismissing Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-3 to guarantee an American champion at the year's final Grand Slam.
'I'm not thinking ahead to the Open right now because I am here in Toronto and I haven't really played a hard court match in awhile. I'm thinking I want to get some of this under my belt and the Open will happen when the Open happens.'
Less than a month after her run to the Wimbledon final, where she lost to Spain's Garbine Muguruza, 37-year-old Williams again had to turn back time against a young challenger.
A tenacious Roberto Bautista Agut battled back to beat world number one Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 and advance to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on Tuesday as the Spaniard claimed his second win over the Serb this year.
Angelique Kerber has yet to lose a set in Flushing Meadows, but she has not faced the service firepower possessed by KarolinaPliskova, who has led the WTA Tour in aces in the last two seasons as well as at the US Open this year.
'Even though she's still playing arguably her best tennis, you have to wonder at a certain point how long that can keep up.'
A summary of sportspersons in the news on Sunday.
Seven-time Italian Open winner Rafael Nadal lost 7-6(7), 6-2 to Stanislas Wawrinka.
Nick Kyrgios needs to improve his fitness to have a chance of winning Grand Slams, former world number one Jim Courier said on Wednesday.
Victoria Azarenka suffered a stunning meltdown and blew three match points against world number one Serena Williams before losing 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(1) in the third round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
Could French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko serve up another shock at Wimbledon this year? Or will world number one Angelique Kerber get her season back on track at Wimbledon?
The signs that things were going horribly wrong for Roger Federer were laid bare at Roland Garros.
The World No 4 is unfazed by rankings drop before Madrid tournament and the French Open.
Tournament favourite Novak Djokovic beat Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 on Tuesday, kicking off his quest for a first ever Paris trophy to add to his eight other Grand Slams.
Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic booked their spots in the Paris Masters second round on Monday, while Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament with next month's ATP Finals on the horizon.
Top seed Roger Federer will challenge for a ninth Halle Open title after reaching the Wimbledon warm-up event final with a 6-4 7-6(5) victory over rising Russian talent Karen Khachanov on Saturday.
Images from Day 3 of the 2020 US Open in New York, on Wednesday.
A summary of Friday's tennis action from around the world.
Williams sisters Serena and Venus had been hoping to provide fans with the first all-Williams sisters clash at a Grand Slam since the 2009 Wimbledon final in the semi-finals.
Plotting a path to the Australian Open has never been trickier or more uncertain. Even the best players are baffled about the best way to prepare for their annual trek Down Under.
Maria Sharapova recovered from a second-set meltdown to record her first victory at this year's WTA Finals with a 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2 triumph over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanksa on Friday but the Russian still bowed out of the elite eight-woman tournament.
Russia, last year's runners-up, were unable to call on world number six Maria Sharapova who was injured
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Eugenie Bouchard proved again she is a player for the big occasion by powering into the second round of the US Open with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Olga Govortsova on Tuesday, bringing a smile to the player hyped as the future face of women's tennis.
Top seed Victoria Azarenka overcame a lapse of concentration to defeat Ana Ivanovic 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 and reach the final of the Carlsbad Open on Saturday.
Images from all the action from Day 1 of the Wimbledon on Monday.
Ash Barty beat eighth seed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) in Beijing to seal her spot in the final of the China Open on Saturday.
Maria Sharapova's contentious and captivating US Open run came to an end on Sunday when Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova beat her 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals.
Images from Day 4 of the Wimbledon tennis championships played in London, on Wednesday.
Romania's Simona Halep kicked off her campaign for a maiden WTA Finals title in emphatic fashion with a thumping 6-0, 6-3 victory over US Open champion Flavia Pennetta in the opening match of the eight-woman season-ending tournament on Sunday.
World number five Juan Martin del Potro began his 2014 season with a win, albeit a scrappy one over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut to advance to the quarter-finals of the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Roger Federer began his 63rd consecutive Grand Slam tournament with a majestic 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 first-round win over little-known Bosnian Damir Dzumhur at Wimbledon in London, on Tuesday.
Novak Djokovic had to fight back from a set down to beat Thomaz Bellucci and reach the Italian Open quarter-finals.
Top seed Serena Williams shook off a spirited attempt by Agnieszka Radwanska and moved into the final of the Rogers Cup with a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory on Saturday and will meet Romania's Sorana Cirstea, whose surprising run continued when she beat China's Li Na 6-1, 7-6(5).
Third seed Stan Wawrinka was sent packing in the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in California on Wednesday and was very nearly joined by Rafael Nadal, who pulled off a Houdini-like escape to reach the last eight.
Images from Day 1 of the US Open in New York, on Monday.
