Maria Sharapova joined Serena Williams in making an early exit from the Australian Open on Monday but defending champion Victoria Azarenka swept into the quarter-finals with an 18th straight victory at Melbourne Park.
Dominic Thiem fell in straight sets to Rafael Nadal in the 2018 French Open final but took the 12-time Roland Garros champion to four sets last June. On Sunday, the Austrian appeared to be heading towards a four-set victory before Djokovic mounted a spectacular comeback to deny him again.
World No 1 Rafael Nadal thinks Melbourne Park's resurfaced hardcourts are playing faster than ever and may not provide a good show for fans when the Australian Open begins on Monday.
Ash Barty's dream of ending her nation's 42-year wait for a homegrown Australian Open champion lay in tatters on Thursday after the world number one crumbled on the big points in a straight-sets semi-final defeat to Sofia Kenin. The 23-year-old Queenslander beat a hasty retreat from Rod Laver Arena after losing her first Melbourne semi-final 7-6(6), 7-5, shaking her head ruefully as she walked down the player's tunnel.
Federer won the first set but Sandgren rallied to bag the next two against the error-prone Swiss
Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic led the tennis world in mourning for "mentor" Kobe Bryant on Monday after Melbourne Park awoke to the news that the NBA great had died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter and seven others. Djokovic had spoken fondly of his relationship with the former Los Angeles Laker in an interview at the weekend and the 16-times Grand Slam champion signed off his Tweet of condolence with the words: "RIP my friend".
'I felt like I was very focused today. Every match I've played this year, I've been pretty good. It's probably because of everything going on'
'I felt comfortable knowing that I just needed to change a few things, to adjust, to try and bring the match back in my favour'
The seventh seeded Indo-Swiss pair turned back the clock to serve past third seeds Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-3 in 62 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena.
Second seed Roger Federer was dumped out of the Australian Open third round by Italy's Andreas Seppi on Friday.
Simona Halep's powers of recovery will be put to the test on day eight of the Australian Open on Monday when the world number one meets Japan's Naomi Osaka in a tricky fourth round clash.
While Ferrell provided bonus comedy, Federer again proved that when it comes to tennis he is the king of the jungle.
Six times a men's singles champion Down Under, the Serbian will be joined in making a return at MelbournePark by 2008 women's champion Maria Sharapova, who missed last year's tournament because of a doping ban.
'It's a positive start with a good result. If I do months without playing an official match, it's always a little bit more difficult.'
Andy Murray blamed Novak Djokovic's physical problems in their Australian Open final on Sunday for throwing him off his game but that could hardly explain the meltdown that saw the Scot lose 12 of the last 13 games.
Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova glittered under the Rod Laver Arena lights on Monday, restoring order at the Australian Open after eight women's seeds crashed out in the afternoon sun on a manic opening day. The evergreen Federer strolled into the second round with a classy 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 win over Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun before fellow-second seed Sharapova ruined Croatian qualifier Petra Martic's 24th birthday with a 6-4, 6-1 victory.
Pouille had devised a strategy with his coach Amelie Mauresmo to topple the top seed in the semi-final at a floodlit Rod Laver Arena.
Karolina Pliskova reached the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time on Monday and is keen to prove right those tipping her for Grand Slam success.
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.
'It ranks right at the top. Under the circumstances, playing against Nadal, such an important match, it's amazing," the 31-year-old told reporters after needing barely two hours to extend his perfect record in seven Australian Open finals'
Jennifer Brady spent two weeks in hard quarantine gathering mental strength for her tilt at a maiden Grand Slam title and will hope there is plenty in reserve when she takes on Naomi Osaka in Saturday's Australian Open final.
Serena Williams squandered four match points and blew a 5-1 lead in the decider to fall to seventh seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4 4-6 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic crushed Andy Murray 6-1, 7-5, 7-6(3) on Sunday to match Roy Emerson's record of six Australian Open titles and leave the Briton heartbroken again at Melbourne Park.
IMAGES from all the action on Day 8 the Australian Open on Monday
'Baby Fed' steals hearts with the same ease that he wins matches.
If Rafael Nadal's Australian Open semi-final win over Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas was one-sided, Novak Djokovic showed he could be even more brutal in his victory against Lucas Pouille on Friday.
Pliskova was down 5-1 against Williams in the final set before the seventh seed produced a fight-back for the ages to claim a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 quarter-final win over the American great.
Having toppled 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday, an overwhelmed Stefanos Tsitsipas felt thrilled to have turned his idol into a 'rival'.
Ash Barty carries a nation's hopes of ending the long wait for a home champion into the Australian Open
Serena Williams powered into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Dayana Yastremska then consoled the Ukrainian teenager after leaving her in tears.
Play was held up during the Australian Open men's final on Sunday when a banner was unfurled protesting against the treatment of refugees, with one person jumping on centre court.
IMAGES of the all the action from Day 1 of the Australian Open played at Melbourne Park on Monday
Images from Day 2 of the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Serena Williams is playing at another level, says beaten Agnieszka Radwanska
Andy Murray would not have continued playing at the Australian Open if his father-in-law's health had deteriorated following his collapse at Rod Laver Arena, the world number two said on Monday.
Frenchman Julien Benneteau caused a stir during an interview on French radio station RMC Sport on Sunday in which he said tournament referees were often kinder to Federer when it came to scheduling his matches.
Andy Murray moved into the fourth round of the Australian Open in surreal circumstances on Saturday, completing a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Joao Sousa after his father-in-law had collapsed ill a few hundred metres away.
Maria Sharapova declared herself free from the worry of a forearm injury after charging into the Australian Open third round on Wednesday.
Images from all the action on Day 5 of the Australian Open
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