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.
World number one Serena Williams struggled to a 7-5 5-7 6-3 win over China's Zheng Jie on Monday to earn a place in the quarter-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open.
World number one Simona Halep pulled out of next week's WTA Finals due to a lower back injury.
Pliskova, a finalist at last year's US Open who reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells last week, relied on her booming groundstrokes and strong returning to dispatch her American opponent in 59 minutes.
World number one Novak Djokovic blasted past qualifier Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo.
Rafael Nadal, with his troublesome left wrist improving every day, will be eyeing more progress at the US Open on Friday when he bids for a place in the last 16.
Former Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard successfully negotiated the qualifying draw on Thursday, beating Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino 6-3, 6-2 to secure a spot in next week's main draw.
The Serbian used her new-found stamina to beat a stubborn Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki in the second round of the Eastbourne International on Wednesday.
Former world number ones Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic endured a humbling start to the season after the top two seeds were dumped out of the Auckland Classic in the first round by unheralded opponents.
Russia's Maria Sharapova battled past Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki to move into the Italian Open quarter-finals with a 6-4, 7-6 win on Thursday.
Czech Karolina Pliskova stopped upset-maker Varvara Lepchenko in the semi-finals at the Bank of The West Classic in Stanford, California, on Saturday.
Second seed Jelena Jankovic came through another bruising battle at the U.S. Open on Friday, edging past Zheng Jie 7-5 7-5 to reach the fourth round. The Serbian, chasing her first grand slam title, scrambled into the last 16 after two hours nine minutes and will meet 14th seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus or Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish 21st seed.
Naomi Osaka emerged as a fresh champion at Melbourne Park as well as the new World No 1 on Saturday.
Lindsay Davenport swept aside Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki 6-0, 6-2 in the Memphis quarter-finals.
The Russian swept aside Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki to set up a clash with Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska.
He leads the men's seedings ahead of defending champ Roger Federer, with Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov seeded third.
- 'I feel I came through this year stronger and wiser'
Fourth seed Angelique Kerber's bid for consecutive Grand Slam titles ended when 29th seed Dominika Cibulkova defeated the German 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the US Open third round on Saturday.
Venus Williams survived a scare before beating Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki while Virginie Razzano got the better of Italian Flavia Pennetta in the semi-finals of the Japan Open.
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.
One year after shaking off a crippling foot injury to claim a stunning US Open victory, Sloane Stephens said her follow-up season felt just as good as the American prepares to play in next week's WTA Finals for the first time.
Martina Hingis cruised but top seed Maria Sharapova had to work a little harder to secure opening victories at the Pacific Life Open.
The American continued her comeback from injury with a 6-4, 6-4 win over 16-year-old Dane Caroline Wozniacki.
Following is a list of American Serena Williams' 22 grand slam singles titles as she equalled Steffi Graf's professional era record with victory at Wimbledon on Saturday
Serena, a six-times champion in New York who is seeded 17th, will start her campaign against Polish world number 60 Magda Linette and could face Venus in the third round before a possible fourth-round showdown with Romanian top seed Halep.
Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova stormed into the final of the New Haven Open, the last women's warm-up event before the U.S. Open, with a ruthless 6-0, 6-1 win over Klara Zakopalova on Friday.
Former American great Chris Evert has no issue with tournaments handing Maria Sharapova wildcard entries as the Russian former world number one makes her way back from a doping ban, she said on Wednesday.
Roger Federer overcame a sluggish start to defeat Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 6-3 and Kevin Anderson's booming serve proved too much for Joao Sousa as the big names advanced to the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday.
'I was aggressive. I had this in my mind, and I wanted to finish the points quicker, but was not that easy with her. She's moving very well. She was returning every single ball'
Men's top seed Novak Djokovic and women's number two Angelique Kerber look to book berths in the last four of the US Open as the quarter-finals of the year's last Grand Slam get underway on Tuesday.
Roger Federer glided to victory on another hot, steamy day at the US Open, the envy of a clutch of men's players made to work overtime on Tuesday at the season's final Grand Slam.
A calm Sloane Stephens picked her shots to perfection to overcome Japan's Naomi Osaka in a battle between the last two US Open champions at the WTA Finals on Monday before top seed Angelique Kerber was upset by Kiki Bertens.
'I will put everything I have Saturday on the court'
Former men's champion Mats Wilander believes third seed Muguruza now looks like the most likely champion, having not dropped a set and thrashing Maria Sharapova on Wednesday.
A vicious topspin forehand modelled on her idol Rafael Nadal's weapon-of-choice got Daria Kasatkina out of a spot of bother in a topsy-turvy third-round match against Maria Sakkari at the French Open on Friday.
Sloane Stephens ground down unseeded German Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-2 to win the Auckland Classic on Saturday, the American ending a busy day at the office with a confidence-boosting triumph ahead of the Australian Open.
Romania's Simona Halep pulled out of her final warm-up event before the Australian Open on Tuesday, saying she was suffering from gastroenteritis.
Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International with a hip problem on Tuesday, further putting in doubt the Briton's prospects of being fit in time for the Australian Open later this month.
Djokovic is clubbed with Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro, David Goffin and Alexander Zverev.
