Serena&nbsp;Williams&nbsp;reluctantly pulled out of this year&#39;s Australian Open on Friday, the American saying that while she is close to regaining full fitness after giving birth to her first child in September, she is not ready to defend her title.

The 36-year-old was eight weeks pregnant last year when the American triumphed for a seventh time at Melbourne Park to claim an Open-era record 23rd grand slam title and then took the rest of the year off before giving birth to a daughter.

She has played just once in public since, losing to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in Abu Dhabi last week, but was still hopeful of making a remarkable return at the Australian Open until she admitted defeat a week ahead of the event.

&quot;My coach and team always said &#39;only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way&#39;. I can compete - but I don&#39;t want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and to do so, I will need a little more time,&quot;&nbsp;Williams&nbsp;said in a statement.

Williams&nbsp;is the latest big-name player to withdraw from the year&#39;s opening grand slam, which will be played from Jan. 15-28, with Britain&#39;s Andy Murray (hip) and Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori (wrist) having already said they would not compete.

There is also uncertainty over whether former champions Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the latter of which arrived in Melbourne earlier on Friday, will be fit to take to the court.

The 36-year-old was eight weeks pregnant last year when the American triumphed for a seventh time at Melbourne Park to claim an Open-era record 23rd grand slam title and then took the rest of the year off before giving birth to a daughter

Serena Williams reluctantly pulled out of this year's Australian Open on Friday, the American saying that while she is close to regaining full fitness after giving birth to her first child in September, she is not ready to defend her title. The 36-year-old was eight weeks pregnant last year when the American triumphed for a seventh time at Melbourne Park to claim an Open-era record 23rd grand slam title and then took the rest of the year off before giving birth to a daughter. She has played just once in public since, losing to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in Abu Dhabi last week, but was still hopeful of making a remarkable return at the Australian Open until she admitted defeat a week ahead of the event. "My coach and team always said 'only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way'. I can compete - but I don't want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and to do so, I will need a little more time," Williams said in a statement. Williams is the latest big-name player to withdraw from the year's opening grand slam, which will be played from Jan. 15-28, with Britain's Andy Murray (hip) and Japan's Kei Nishikori (wrist) having already said they would not compete. There is also uncertainty over whether former champions Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the latter of which arrived in Melbourne earlier on Friday, will be fit to take to the court.

Defending champion Serena Williams withdraws from Australian Open

Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International with a hip problem on Tuesday, further putting in doubt the Briton&#39;s prospects of being fit in time for the Australian Open later this month.

Murray has not played a competitive match since a Wimbledon quarter-final loss last July due to the complaint and despite coming through a one-set exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week, he was unable to train on Tuesday and announced his withdrawal.

&quot;I&#39;m very disappointed to be withdrawing from the Brisbane International,&quot; Murray, seeded second in Brisbane, told tournament organisers.

&quot;I came here with every intention of making a strong start to the year, but sadly my team and I don&#39;t feel that I&#39;m where I need to be just yet to compete at the highest level.&quot;

The world number 16 had been due to play his first tournament match of the season on Thursday with a second-round encounter against American Ryan Harrison at Pat Rafter Arena. He will be replaced by German lucky loser Yannick Hanfmann.

The 30-year-old three-time grand slam winner is now facing a race against time to be fit for the year&#39;s opening major in Melbourne starting on Jan. 15, along with fellow ailing &quot;Big Four&quot; members Rafael Nadal (back) and Novak Djokovic (elbow).

Murray, who said on Sunday that he planned to trim his schedule in 2018 to prevent a recurrence of his injury issues, will remain in Brisbane as he works towards returning to the tennis circuit.

&quot;I have great memories of playing here in Brisbane and I have always enjoyed competing in front of the Queensland fans, so look forward to returning in the near future,&quot; he added.

Tournament director Cameron Pearson wished Murray well as he continued his rehabilitation.

&quot;I&#39;m really disappointed for Andy, as I know how much he was looking forward to getting his season started in Brisbane,&quot; he said.

&quot;As a two-time former champion, he has great memories of playing on Pat Rafter Arena and thrilling his fans. I wish him all the best to be ready to play the Australian Open.&quot;

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

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. Murray has not played a competitive match since a Wimbledon quarter-final loss last July due to the complaint and despite coming through a one-set exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week, he was unable to train on Tuesday and announced his withdrawal. "I'm very disappointed to be withdrawing from the Brisbane International," Murray, seeded second in Brisbane, told tournament organisers. "I came here with every intention of making a strong start to the year, but sadly my team and I don't feel that I'm where I need to be just yet to compete at the highest level." The world number 16 had been due to play his first tournament match of the season on Thursday with a second-round encounter against American Ryan Harrison at Pat Rafter Arena. He will be replaced by German lucky loser Yannick Hanfmann. The 30-year-old three-time grand slam winner is now facing a race against time to be fit for the year's opening major in Melbourne starting on Jan. 15, along with fellow ailing "Big Four" members Rafael Nadal (back) and Novak Djokovic (elbow). Murray, who said on Sunday that he planned to trim his schedule in 2018 to prevent a recurrence of his injury issues, will remain in Brisbane as he works towards returning to the tennis circuit. "I have great memories of playing here in Brisbane and I have always enjoyed competing in front of the Queensland fans, so look forward to returning in the near future," he added. Tournament director Cameron Pearson wished Murray well as he continued his rehabilitation. "I'm really disappointed for Andy, as I know how much he was looking forward to getting his season started in Brisbane," he said. "As a two-time former champion, he has great memories of playing on Pat Rafter Arena and thrilling his fans. I wish him all the best to be ready to play the Australian Open."

Tennis: Murray out of Brisbane event with hip injury

A slow-moving Serena Williams made an encouraging return to tennis after maternity leave, taking a set off the French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition match Saturday, but said she has not made up her mind about defending the Australian Open title.

In a match featuring a super tie-break and lasting one hour and seven minutes, Ostapenko won 6-2, 3-6, 10-5.

The 36-year-old American, the winner of 23 grand slam singles titles, was making a comeback after taking nearly 11 months off to have her first child.&nbsp;

Her last match was the Australian Open final, which she won despite being two-month pregnant.

&quot;It was good to be back out there. I missed playing, I missed the competition, I missed the crowd, the atmosphere so much. It was really nice to be back,&quot; said Williams after the match.

&quot;I don&#39;t know if I am totally ready to come back on the Tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships,&quot; she said, refusing to commit yet to the Australian Open, which starts in a little over two weeks.

&quot;I don&#39;t know, but I am definitely looking forward to getting back out there.

&quot;I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with Patrick (Mouratoglou, her coach) and my team,&quot; she said.

It was the first time Ostapenko had played against Williams, whom she described as her &quot;childhood idol&quot;.&nbsp;

The 20-year-old Latvian was born almost two years after Williams turned professional in September 1995.

Williams was clearly having problems with her serve and was broken five times in the 17 games.&nbsp;

She also stuck mostly to the baseline and only twice charged the net.

She started well, breaking Ostapenko&#39;s serve in the first game of the match. But Williams&#39;&nbsp;inability to get her first serve going, along with several unforced errors early in the match, allowed the Latvian to break twice and build a 4-1 lead before wrapping up the set 6-2.

Williams&#39;&nbsp;problems with her serve continued, but she unleashed a few of her trademark double-handed shots on both sides to break Ostapenko twice at the start of the second set to go 3-0 up. By this time she was moving better and she started hitting more winners.

&quot;That&#39;s the really good thing. In the beginning, it felt a little tough. But as the match moved on, I was less afraid,&quot; explained Williams.

&quot;I knew I was not going to fall over and break. The more I played, the more confident I felt that I would be able to go for shots that I was afraid to go for in the first set.

&quot;It was a wonderful opportunity for me to kind of test where I am at. Not just physically, but also mentally.&quot;

The super tie-break was mostly a one-sided affair as Williams made unforced errors trying to be aggressive.&nbsp;

She was down 2-8 at one stage and won the next three points, but Ostapenko held her serve twice to close the match.

'I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with my coach and my team,' she said

A slow-moving Serena Williams made an encouraging return to tennis after maternity leave, taking a set off the French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition match Saturday, but said she has not made up her mind about defending the Australian Open title. In a match featuring a super tie-break and lasting one hour and seven minutes, Ostapenko won 6-2, 3-6, 10-5. The 36-year-old American, the winner of 23 grand slam singles titles, was making a comeback after taking nearly 11 months off to have her first child. Her last match was the Australian Open final, which she won despite being two-month pregnant. "It was good to be back out there. I missed playing, I missed the competition, I missed the crowd, the atmosphere so much. It was really nice to be back," said Williams after the match. "I don't know if I am totally ready to come back on the Tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships," she said, refusing to commit yet to the Australian Open, which starts in a little over two weeks. "I don't know, but I am definitely looking forward to getting back out there. "I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with Patrick (Mouratoglou, her coach) and my team," she said. It was the first time Ostapenko had played against Williams, whom she described as her "childhood idol". The 20-year-old Latvian was born almost two years after Williams turned professional in September 1995. Williams was clearly having problems with her serve and was broken five times in the 17 games. She also stuck mostly to the baseline and only twice charged the net. She started well, breaking Ostapenko's serve in the first game of the match. But Williams' inability to get her first serve going, along with several unforced errors early in the match, allowed the Latvian to break twice and build a 4-1 lead before wrapping up the set 6-2. Williams' problems with her serve continued, but she unleashed a few of her trademark double-handed shots on both sides to break Ostapenko twice at the start of the second set to go 3-0 up. By this time she was moving better and she started hitting more winners. "That's the really good thing. In the beginning, it felt a little tough. But as the match moved on, I was less afraid," explained Williams. "I knew I was not going to fall over and break. The more I played, the more confident I felt that I would be able to go for shots that I was afraid to go for in the first set. "It was a wonderful opportunity for me to kind of test where I am at. Not just physically, but also mentally." The super tie-break was mostly a one-sided affair as Williams made unforced errors trying to be aggressive. She was down 2-8 at one stage and won the next three points, but Ostapenko held her serve twice to close the match.

Tennis: Beaten Serena unsure about Australian Open

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza is set to miss next month&#39;s Australian Open owing to a knee injury and could go for a surgery to treat the condition.

Sania is suffering from a condition called jumper&#39;s knee in her right leg. It is defined as a painful condition of the knee caused by inflammation or small tears in the tendon of the patella.

Sania won the 2016 Australian Open women&#39;s doubles title with Martina Hingis before announcing their split in August.

The 31-year-old, who was here for the final of the Premjit Lall Invitational tournament, said she might have to go for a surgery and is looking for a Roger Federer-like comeback.

&quot;It&#39;s kind of serious. Surgery is probably on the cards. I will be out for a few months for sure,&quot; Sania said at the Jaidip Mukerjea Tennis Academy. 
Sania said she is okay while walking with the injured knee but playing is painful.

&quot;I&#39;m okay to walk but it&#39;s painful when I&#39;ve to change directions when you actually go on to play, that&#39;s the biggest problem. I can run straight but not able to do plyometrics stuff.

&quot;My doctors told me to take a couple of months off and then see how it feels before it gets into a process of either surgery or injections. When I saw them, the pain was not less after two months.

&quot;Now we have to take a call. It&#39;s a little bit up in the air, I can&#39;t tell you a definitive next. So I will be missing the Australian Open for sure. It won&#39;t be before a couple of months at least.&quot;

Asked about Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games next year, she said, &quot;Hopefully I will be okay for that. Every time people ask me about plans and I always say as tennis players we don&#39;t know about our health, we don&#39;t know where we will be at that point. It&#39;s one year, it&#39;s a long time. Anything can happen. Hopefully ill be healthy again and I&#39;ll be able to play.&quot;

Sania looked forward to a Federer-like return to the court.

&quot;After 15 years, it&#39;s not such a big thing to be out for a few months. It did wonders for Roger -- he went out for six months and he has not lost a match since... Hopefully, that can happen to me as well.&quot;

Sania further lamented the lack of a proper system in India, which was hampering the progress of tennis.

&quot;There is no system. I&#39;ve been saying that for last 15 years. I wish them if there was only one problem... But the first step is &#39;how do I go about it if I want my child to start playing tennis?&#39;

&quot;We can do our part but that&#39;s not the way to produce champions year after year. That&#39;s why we have one champion in 30 years. There are many issues. We still have to make our own mistakes, learn from it, and in the meantime, most of us fizzle out and there are some of us who are fortunate enough to come through despite the system.

&quot;It&#39;s the sad part which is why events like this are so important which is why we are here. Even if one child picks up a tennis racket, I would feel we have done justice by coming here.

&quot;We are here to support tennis. It&#39;s a sport that is growing over the years in India. We are hoping that more and more kids are inspired by us. It&#39;s great to be back in Kolkata, and greater to be for an event that promotes tennis.&quot;

Recalling her first memory of picking a racket at the age of six, she said: &quot;The coach actually did not want to take me and told me I was too &#39;small&#39; to play tennis. My mom had to force him saying take her, I want my child to play.

&quot;It was a big argument and finally he took me. After a month he called my parents and said you have to watch her play as I&#39;ve never seen a six-year-old play like this,&quot; he concluded.

The 31-year-old, who was here for the final of the Premjit Lall Invitational tournament, said she might have to go for a surgery and is looking for a Roger Federer-like comeback

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza is set to miss next month's Australian Open owing to a knee injury and could go for a surgery to treat the condition. Sania is suffering from a condition called jumper's knee in her right leg. It is defined as a painful condition of the knee caused by inflammation or small tears in the tendon of the patella. Sania won the 2016 Australian Open women's doubles title with Martina Hingis before announcing their split in August. The 31-year-old, who was here for the final of the Premjit Lall Invitational tournament, said she might have to go for a surgery and is looking for a Roger Federer-like comeback. "It's kind of serious. Surgery is probably on the cards. I will be out for a few months for sure," Sania said at the Jaidip Mukerjea Tennis Academy. Sania said she is okay while walking with the injured knee but playing is painful. "I'm okay to walk but it's painful when I've to change directions when you actually go on to play, that's the biggest problem. I can run straight but not able to do plyometrics stuff. "My doctors told me to take a couple of months off and then see how it feels before it gets into a process of either surgery or injections. When I saw them, the pain was not less after two months. "Now we have to take a call. It's a little bit up in the air, I can't tell you a definitive next. So I will be missing the Australian Open for sure. It won't be before a couple of months at least." Asked about Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games next year, she said, "Hopefully I will be okay for that. Every time people ask me about plans and I always say as tennis players we don't know about our health, we don't know where we will be at that point. It's one year, it's a long time. Anything can happen. Hopefully ill be healthy again and I'll be able to play." Sania looked forward to a Federer-like return to the court. "After 15 years, it's not such a big thing to be out for a few months. It did wonders for Roger -- he went out for six months and he has not lost a match since... Hopefully, that can happen to me as well." Sania further lamented the lack of a proper system in India, which was hampering the progress of tennis. "There is no system. I've been saying that for last 15 years. I wish them if there was only one problem... But the first step is 'how do I go about it if I want my child to start playing tennis?' "We can do our part but that's not the way to produce champions year after year. That's why we have one champion in 30 years. There are many issues. We still have to make our own mistakes, learn from it, and in the meantime, most of us fizzle out and there are some of us who are fortunate enough to come through despite the system. "It's the sad part which is why events like this are so important which is why we are here. Even if one child picks up a tennis racket, I would feel we have done justice by coming here. "We are here to support tennis. It's a sport that is growing over the years in India. We are hoping that more and more kids are inspired by us. It's great to be back in Kolkata, and greater to be for an event that promotes tennis." Recalling her first memory of picking a racket at the age of six, she said: "The coach actually did not want to take me and told me I was too 'small' to play tennis. My mom had to force him saying take her, I want my child to play. "It was a big argument and finally he took me. After a month he called my parents and said you have to watch her play as I've never seen a six-year-old play like this," he concluded.

Surgery on cards, Sania to miss Australian Open

Serena Williams aims to defend her Australian Open title next year, the American saying the rapid return to action would only give her around three months to prepare after giving birth to her first child.

The 23-times grand slam winner announced her pregnancy in April and will be on maternity leave for the rest of the year. The 35-year-old is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

&quot;It&#39;s the most outrageous plan,&quot; Williams told Vogue magazine. &quot;I just want to put that out there. That&#39;s, like, three months after I give birth. I&#39;m not walking anything back, but I&#39;m just saying it&#39;s pretty intense.

&quot;If I lose and I lose again, it&#39;s like, &#39;she&#39;s done&#39;. Especially since I&#39;m not 20 years old. I&#39;ll tell you this much: I won&#39;t win less. Either I win, or I don&#39;t play.&quot;

The American added that she could have a few new tricks up her sleeve after analysing her game on television over the last few months.

&quot;I learn by watching. Or I watch old matches of myself on the Tennis Channel,&quot; she added.

&quot;I hit amazing shots and these girls are running them down and hitting winners, and I&#39;m beginning to see why. It&#39;s because I have patterns.&quot;

Williams is one grand slam shy of Australian Margaret Court&#39;s long-standing record of 24 major titles.

Williams is one grand slam shy of Australian Margaret Court's long-standing record of 24 major titles

Serena Williams aims to defend her Australian Open title next year, the American saying the rapid return to action would only give her around three months to prepare after giving birth to her first child. The 23-times grand slam winner announced her pregnancy in April and will be on maternity leave for the rest of the year. The 35-year-old is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. "It's the most outrageous plan," Williams told Vogue magazine. "I just want to put that out there. That's, like, three months after I give birth. I'm not walking anything back, but I'm just saying it's pretty intense. "If I lose and I lose again, it's like, 'she's done'. Especially since I'm not 20 years old. I'll tell you this much: I won't win less. Either I win, or I don't play." The American added that she could have a few new tricks up her sleeve after analysing her game on television over the last few months. "I learn by watching. Or I watch old matches of myself on the Tennis Channel," she added. "I hit amazing shots and these girls are running them down and hitting winners, and I'm beginning to see why. It's because I have patterns." Williams is one grand slam shy of Australian Margaret Court's long-standing record of 24 major titles.

Serena eyes 'outrageous' Australian Open return

Nick Kyrgios struggled to deal with the furore over his shock second round meltdown at the Australian Open but said the return to a team environment with Davis Cup had helped him through it.

The local hope was jeered off the court by sections of the crowd after squandering a two-set lead and throwing a tantrum in the 1-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-2, 10-8 loss to Italian Andreas Seppi on January 18.

Former world number one John McEnroe then questioned his commitment to the sport, while local media pilloried him the following day with one headline telling him to &quot;Nick Off&quot;,&nbsp;an Australian slang term meaning to leave.

&quot;I was obviously struggling, mentally it was tough,&quot; the world number 15 said on Tuesday, ahead of Australia&#39;s Davis Cup tie with the Czech Republic at Kooyong this weekend.

&quot;But I&#39;ve had a lot of support and obviously Rusty (Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt) has been helping me though it.

&quot;I think this week is crucial for me to bounce back and go out to try to enjoy it again and I feel good.&quot;

Several former players have suggested that Kyrgios needed to employ a coach fulltime to help him mentally, something the 21-year-old said he was considering after the Seppi defeat.

He now had some potential candidates in mind but they needed to be the &quot;right person&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s finding someone who has my best interest at heart and it&#39;s tough to find someone on the team who&#39;s willing to care about me as a person first,&quot; Kyrgios said.

While Kyrgios added that Hewitt had helped him &quot;100 per cent&quot; with the fallout from the Seppi loss, the former world number one was not ready to become his coach.

Kyrgios, who carried a knee injury into the Australian Open, said it had been caused by playing too much basketball, a sport that he has said in the past was something he preferred.

He had been training in Miami since his exit at the season-opening grand slam and felt pleased to return home to fit back into the team environment.

&quot;I think playing Davis Cup is going to improve my general well-being,&quot; Kyrgios said.

&quot;It&#39;s a good environment and makes me happy being with these guys and getting out on the practice court and training because usually when I&#39;m by myself I struggle to find the motivation.

&quot;These weeks are pretty crucial for someone around my time of my career.&quot;

(Reuters)

He was jeered off the court by sections of the crowd after his shock Australian Open loss to Italian Andreas Seppi on Jan 18

Nick Kyrgios struggled to deal with the furore over his shock second round meltdown at the Australian Open but said the return to a team environment with Davis Cup had helped him through it. The local hope was jeered off the court by sections of the crowd after squandering a two-set lead and throwing a tantrum in the 1-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-2, 10-8 loss to Italian Andreas Seppi on January 18. Former world number one John McEnroe then questioned his commitment to the sport, while local media pilloried him the following day with one headline telling him to "Nick Off", an Australian slang term meaning to leave. "I was obviously struggling, mentally it was tough," the world number 15 said on Tuesday, ahead of Australia's Davis Cup tie with the Czech Republic at Kooyong this weekend. "But I've had a lot of support and obviously Rusty (Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt) has been helping me though it. "I think this week is crucial for me to bounce back and go out to try to enjoy it again and I feel good." Several former players have suggested that Kyrgios needed to employ a coach fulltime to help him mentally, something the 21-year-old said he was considering after the Seppi defeat. He now had some potential candidates in mind but they needed to be the "right person". "It's finding someone who has my best interest at heart and it's tough to find someone on the team who's willing to care about me as a person first," Kyrgios said. While Kyrgios added that Hewitt had helped him "100 per cent" with the fallout from the Seppi loss, the former world number one was not ready to become his coach. Kyrgios, who carried a knee injury into the Australian Open, said it had been caused by playing too much basketball, a sport that he has said in the past was something he preferred. He had been training in Miami since his exit at the season-opening grand slam and felt pleased to return home to fit back into the team environment. "I think playing Davis Cup is going to improve my general well-being," Kyrgios said. "It's a good environment and makes me happy being with these guys and getting out on the practice court and training because usually when I'm by myself I struggle to find the motivation. "These weeks are pretty crucial for someone around my time of my career." (Reuters)

Nick Kyrgios hopes team spirit can help overcome Seppi loss

Sania Mirza will have to wait for her seventh Grand Slam trophy as the Indian and her Croatian partner Ivan Dodig lost the Australian Open mixed doubles final 2-6 4-6 to underdogs Abigail Spears and Juan Sebastian Cabal on Sunday.

The second-seeded Indo-Croatian pair paid the price for the free-flowing unforced errors from the racquet of Dodig, who struggled with his serve and groundstrokes today.

It is second runners-up finish for Sania and Dodig together after losing the final of the 2016 French Open to Leander Paes and Martina Hingis.

Sania had won her first ever Grand Slam at the Australian Open only when she won the mixed doubles with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in 2009 and the last of her three women&#39;s doubles Major trophies also came here last year with Martina Hingis.

After losing the first two points, Dodig served a double fault at 30-30 and then sent a forehand long to concede a break in the very first game of the match.

Cabal and Spears though were in tremendous touch from the word go. Both were terrific from the back and at the net too.

Sania was also broken in the third game. It was Cabal&#39;s brilliant volley pick up which he placed well beyond the two players to earn a break point.

Spears smashed a backhand service return winner to take the break as the second seeds trailed 0-3.

The American had an easy hold in the next to make it 4-0. The second seeds finally got on board when Dodig held the fifth game but they had already suffered the damage.

Serving to stay in the opening set at 1-5, Sania saved a deciding a point to hold.

Spears was now serving for the set and lost the first two points to be 0-30 and soon Dodig found a forehand winner to earn a breakpoint but could not convert. Sania hit a backhand wide on the deciding point to concede the first set.

Dodig&#39;s serve was again under pressure as he faced a breakpoint and a deciding point in the first game of the second set but managed to save both.

Cabal served a double fault at 40-30 to face a deciding point and the second seeds latched on to that to take a 2-0 lead as Spears hit a backhand long.

Sania had an easy hold to make it 3-0 as the Indo-Croatian pair was back in the match. However, Sania was broken in the seventh game which allowed the rivals to neutralise the advantage.

The Indian committed a double fault to be down by two breakpoints and Spears smashed one overhead volley to convert the first. Spears held without fuss and the two pairs were now locked 4-4.

Dodig was never in his elements in today&#39;s match and he served two double faults, the second one coming on a breakpoint, to allow Cabal to serve out the championship.&nbsp;

(PTI)

It is second runners-up finish for Sania and Dodig together after losing the 2016 French Open final to Leander Paes and Martina Hingis

Sania Mirza will have to wait for her seventh Grand Slam trophy as the Indian and her Croatian partner Ivan Dodig lost the Australian Open mixed doubles final 2-6 4-6 to underdogs Abigail Spears and Juan Sebastian Cabal on Sunday. The second-seeded Indo-Croatian pair paid the price for the free-flowing unforced errors from the racquet of Dodig, who struggled with his serve and groundstrokes today. It is second runners-up finish for Sania and Dodig together after losing the final of the 2016 French Open to Leander Paes and Martina Hingis. Sania had won her first ever Grand Slam at the Australian Open only when she won the mixed doubles with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in 2009 and the last of her three women's doubles Major trophies also came here last year with Martina Hingis. After losing the first two points, Dodig served a double fault at 30-30 and then sent a forehand long to concede a break in the very first game of the match. Cabal and Spears though were in tremendous touch from the word go. Both were terrific from the back and at the net too. Sania was also broken in the third game. It was Cabal's brilliant volley pick up which he placed well beyond the two players to earn a break point. Spears smashed a backhand service return winner to take the break as the second seeds trailed 0-3. The American had an easy hold in the next to make it 4-0. The second seeds finally got on board when Dodig held the fifth game but they had already suffered the damage. Serving to stay in the opening set at 1-5, Sania saved a deciding a point to hold. Spears was now serving for the set and lost the first two points to be 0-30 and soon Dodig found a forehand winner to earn a breakpoint but could not convert. Sania hit a backhand wide on the deciding point to concede the first set. Dodig's serve was again under pressure as he faced a breakpoint and a deciding point in the first game of the second set but managed to save both. Cabal served a double fault at 40-30 to face a deciding point and the second seeds latched on to that to take a 2-0 lead as Spears hit a backhand long. Sania had an easy hold to make it 3-0 as the Indo-Croatian pair was back in the match. However, Sania was broken in the seventh game which allowed the rivals to neutralise the advantage. The Indian committed a double fault to be down by two breakpoints and Spears smashed one overhead volley to convert the first. Spears held without fuss and the two pairs were now locked 4-4. Dodig was never in his elements in today's match and he served two double faults, the second one coming on a breakpoint, to allow Cabal to serve out the championship. (PTI)

Australian Open: Sania-Dodig lose mixed doubles final

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus 6-4 6-4 in the Australian Open final on Saturday to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title and become the most successful tennis player in the open era.

The 35-year-old American&#39;s victory gave her a seventh Melbourne Park crown and sent her clear of Germany&#39;s Steffi Graf at the top of the list of most prolific grand slam winners since the game turned professional in 1968.

The second seed overcame a stuttering serve to take a topsy-turvy opening set and one break of 36-year-old Venus&#39;s serve proved enough to claim the second after 82 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The victory ensured Serena, who hit 10 aces and 27 winners, would regain the world number one ranking from Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber on Monday.

(Reuters)

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus in straight sets at the Australian Open final

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus 6-4 6-4 in the Australian Open final on Saturday to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title and become the most successful tennis player in the open era. The 35-year-old American's victory gave her a seventh Melbourne Park crown and sent her clear of Germany's Steffi Graf at the top of the list of most prolific grand slam winners since the game turned professional in 1968. The second seed overcame a stuttering serve to take a topsy-turvy opening set and one break of 36-year-old Venus's serve proved enough to claim the second after 82 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The victory ensured Serena, who hit 10 aces and 27 winners, would regain the world number one ranking from Germany's Angelique Kerber on Monday. (Reuters)

Serena Williams beats Venus to win Australian Open

Roger&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;edged a five-set thriller against his fellow Swiss and close friend Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open on Thursday to become the oldest Grand Slam finalist in 43 years.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion saw off the world number four 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and five minutes and will face either Rafael Nadal or Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday&#39;s final.

It will be 35-year-old&nbsp;Federer&#39;s sixth Australian final and 28th Grand Slam decider in total, and caps a marvellous comeback after the second half of last season was ruined by a knee injury.

The four-time Australian Open champion becomes the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final since Australia&#39;s Ken Rosewall (39 years 310 days) at the 1974 US Open.

In an enthralling contest,&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;won the opening two sets before Wawrinka clawed back to take the semi-final into a fifth, only for&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;to prevail with a service break in the sixth game.

&quot;Yes, it is real now. I can talk about playing in finals for the first time,&quot;&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;said on court.

&quot;I have been dodging that bullet for the last few days now talking about the next round and the next round but this is the last one.

&quot;So I will leave it all out here in Australia and (even) if I cannot walk for another five months, I will give it all I have.&quot;

Wawrinka, who beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final, was bidding to reach his fourth Grand Slam final and his second in Melbourne.

Racquet smash

The two Swiss jockeyed in the opening games with&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;having three break points in Wawrinka&#39;s second service game and Wawrinka getting two break points, but all were saved.

Wawrinka had another break point saved in the 11th game but he paid for a netted forehand in his next service game to drop the opening set in 50 minutes.

Wawrinka netted a backhand on break point in the sixth game of the second set and angrily smashed his smash in reaction, receiving a code violation warning from the chair umpire.

The match turned quickly for Wawrinka as&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;raced to a two sets lead after holding three set points.

Wawrinka left the court for a medical timeout and returned to the court with tape around his right knee.

But Wawrinka hit back with two breaks to take the third set in just 26 minutes as&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;became loose, giving his Swiss friend the chance to play his way back into the contest.

Wawrinka broke again in the opening game of the fourth set with a beautiful backhand return winner, but&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;broke straight back.

Wawrinka earned three break points in the ninth game with some splendid groundstrokes and on his third break point he rifled a forehand cross-court winner to break, and then served out for a fifth set.

But Wawrinka cracked with a poor service game and a double-fault on double break point gave&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;a crucial 4-2 advantage.

Federer&nbsp;held his two remaining service games to win on the first of his three match points.

(AFP)

The 17-time grand slam winner saw his two-set lead disappear before overcoming his compatriot to reach the final

Roger Federer edged a five-set thriller against his fellow Swiss and close friend Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open on Thursday to become the oldest Grand Slam finalist in 43 years. The 17-time Grand Slam champion saw off the world number four 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and five minutes and will face either Rafael Nadal or Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday's final. It will be 35-year-old Federer's sixth Australian final and 28th Grand Slam decider in total, and caps a marvellous comeback after the second half of last season was ruined by a knee injury. The four-time Australian Open champion becomes the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final since Australia's Ken Rosewall (39 years 310 days) at the 1974 US Open. In an enthralling contest, Federer won the opening two sets before Wawrinka clawed back to take the semi-final into a fifth, only for Federer to prevail with a service break in the sixth game. "Yes, it is real now. I can talk about playing in finals for the first time," Federer said on court. "I have been dodging that bullet for the last few days now talking about the next round and the next round but this is the last one. "So I will leave it all out here in Australia and (even) if I cannot walk for another five months, I will give it all I have." Wawrinka, who beat Nadal in the 2014 Australian Open final, was bidding to reach his fourth Grand Slam final and his second in Melbourne. Racquet smash The two Swiss jockeyed in the opening games with Federer having three break points in Wawrinka's second service game and Wawrinka getting two break points, but all were saved. Wawrinka had another break point saved in the 11th game but he paid for a netted forehand in his next service game to drop the opening set in 50 minutes. Wawrinka netted a backhand on break point in the sixth game of the second set and angrily smashed his smash in reaction, receiving a code violation warning from the chair umpire. The match turned quickly for Wawrinka as Federer raced to a two sets lead after holding three set points. Wawrinka left the court for a medical timeout and returned to the court with tape around his right knee. But Wawrinka hit back with two breaks to take the third set in just 26 minutes as Federer became loose, giving his Swiss friend the chance to play his way back into the contest. Wawrinka broke again in the opening game of the fourth set with a beautiful backhand return winner, but Federer broke straight back. Wawrinka earned three break points in the ninth game with some splendid groundstrokes and on his third break point he rifled a forehand cross-court winner to break, and then served out for a fifth set. But Wawrinka cracked with a poor service game and a double-fault on double break point gave Federer a crucial 4-2 advantage. Federer held his two remaining service games to win on the first of his three match points. (AFP)

Australian Open: Federer sees off Wawrinka in see-saw five-set tussle

Rafael Nadal set up an Australian Open final against his great rival Roger Federer after edging Grigor Dimitrov in a classic five-set semi-final which stretched for nearly five hours on Friday.

Nadal pulled off one of his greatest victories in denying Bulgaria&#39;s Dimitrov, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 in four hours and 56 minutes in front of a rocking Rod Laver Arena crowd.

Nadal showed his incredible fighting qualities to claw back from 0-30 down in the ninth game of the final set to break Dimitrov&#39;s serve with two tremendous chases to put away the winning volley to lead 5-4.

Dimitrov bravely saved two match points as Nadal served out for the match before the Spaniard clinched the victory, sinking to his knees in relief and jubilation.

Nadal said it was a &quot;privilege&quot; to face Federer in their ninth final, and first since the 2011 French Open.

&quot;It&#39;s a very special thing, I think for both of us to be in the final of a major again and have another chance to compete with each other again after a couple of years having some problems,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think both of us never thought we were going to be here again in the final of the Australian Open.&quot;

Nadal, who downed Federer in 2009 final, won through to his fourth Australian Open final and his 21st Grand Slam final. He leads Federer leads 6-2 in their major finals.

The 30-year-old Spaniard has been out of the Grand Slam limelight since his last title success at Roland Garros in 2014, as injuries sidetracked his glorious career.&nbsp;

Nadal is bidding to win his second Australian Open title and become the first man in the Open Era &ndash;- and only the third man in history &ndash;i to win each of the four Grand Slam titles twice.

Nadal and Dimitrov played each other to a standstill in Friday&#39;s epic, with two tiebreakers going either way in a semi-final that ran well past midnight.

Federer, who beat fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in Thursday&#39;s first semi-final, was watching on with relish as his rival in Sunday&#39;s final was taken the distance in a draining physical battle.

The last time both men&#39;s semi-finals went to five sets at any Slam was at 2009 Roland Garros when Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro and Robin Soderling defeated Fernando Gonzalez.

(AFP)

Nadal pulled off one of his greatest victories in denying Dimitrov, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 in four hours and 56 minutes

Rafael Nadal set up an Australian Open final against his great rival Roger Federer after edging Grigor Dimitrov in a classic five-set semi-final which stretched for nearly five hours on Friday. Nadal pulled off one of his greatest victories in denying Bulgaria's Dimitrov, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 in four hours and 56 minutes in front of a rocking Rod Laver Arena crowd. Nadal showed his incredible fighting qualities to claw back from 0-30 down in the ninth game of the final set to break Dimitrov's serve with two tremendous chases to put away the winning volley to lead 5-4. Dimitrov bravely saved two match points as Nadal served out for the match before the Spaniard clinched the victory, sinking to his knees in relief and jubilation. Nadal said it was a "privilege" to face Federer in their ninth final, and first since the 2011 French Open. "It's a very special thing, I think for both of us to be in the final of a major again and have another chance to compete with each other again after a couple of years having some problems," he said. "I think both of us never thought we were going to be here again in the final of the Australian Open." Nadal, who downed Federer in 2009 final, won through to his fourth Australian Open final and his 21st Grand Slam final. He leads Federer leads 6-2 in their major finals. The 30-year-old Spaniard has been out of the Grand Slam limelight since his last title success at Roland Garros in 2014, as injuries sidetracked his glorious career. Nadal is bidding to win his second Australian Open title and become the first man in the Open Era –- and only the third man in history –i to win each of the four Grand Slam titles twice. Nadal and Dimitrov played each other to a standstill in Friday's epic, with two tiebreakers going either way in a semi-final that ran well past midnight. Federer, who beat fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in Thursday's first semi-final, was watching on with relish as his rival in Sunday's final was taken the distance in a draining physical battle. The last time both men's semi-finals went to five sets at any Slam was at 2009 Roland Garros when Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro and Robin Soderling defeated Fernando Gonzalez. (AFP)

Australian Open: Nadal beats Dimitrov to face Federer in finals

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday, her sister Venus, a younger compatriot and a 34-year-old Croatian she last played nearly two decades ago.

The quartet take to Rod Laver Arena on Thursday with Serena playing Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Venus facing Coco Vandeweghe at the business end of an Australian Open where upsets have been a daily occurrence.

The seedings have not proved much of a guide in the women&#39;s draw this year, with world number two Serena the sole survivor of the top 12 at the start the tournament.

The head-to-head will not provide much help either when assessing Serena&#39;s matchup against Lucic-Baroni, given their last meeting came in 1998 at Wimbledon when they were both 16.

&quot;It was on Centre Court. That&#39;s all I remember. I remember winning. I was so excited because I was so young. She obviously was super young, too. That&#39;s all,&quot; Serena said on Wednesday after beating Johanna Konta in the quarter-finals.

&quot;We have totally different games now, the both of us. We both have gone through a lot. We both have survived, and here we are, which I think is a really remarkable story.&quot;

As six-times Melbourne Park champion, Serena will be a clear favourite, of course, more so because she has reached her 34th grand slam semi-final without losing a set.

Lucic-Baroni&#39;s path to the last four has been more of a battle, as befits a woman who has overcome huge adversity to get back to the top of the game after years in the wilderness.

While Serena missed the back end last season with a shoulder problem, Lucic-Baroni has more immediate concerns about an injury to her left leg.

&quot;I&#39;m going to be just fine,&quot; said the world number 79. &quot;I&#39;m going to recover, do some therapy, and I&#39;ll be fine. I&#39;ll just put some extra tapes on and hopefully, it will hold me together. I&#39;ll fight hard. I&#39;ll be okay.&quot;

The first semi-final is an all-American affair pitching Venus, the oldest woman in the draw, against 25-year-old surprise package Vandeweghe.

Venus does not have an Australian Open crown in her collection of seven grand slam titles and has reached the final just once, losing to Serena in 2003.

Vandeweghe has got to the last four of a grand slam for the first time here by blowing opponents off the court with her booming serve and big winners.

Venus might be hoping that the occasion gets the better of the world number 35 but promised nevertheless that the power tennis would not be coming from just one side of the net.

&quot;Power is her game, her strength. She&#39;s putting the ball in with it, it&#39;s awesome to see really,&quot; Venus said.

&quot;(But) I play a power game as well. I&#39;ve been fortunate enough to play good defence and have good movement on the court. Hopefully, this will be a plus for me.&quot;

Vandeweghe was seven years old when Venus first played at the Australian Open and said it remarkable to think she was about to face a player she once asked for an autograph.

&quot;It&#39;s a dream to play someone you grew up watching,&quot; she said. &quot;To play an unbelievable player, future Hall of Famer, Venus, to be on the court with her but to do it at this stage of a grand slam is kind of crazy.&quot;

(Reuters)

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday, her sister Venus, a younger compatriot and a 34-year-old Croatian she last played nearly two decades ago. The quartet take to Rod Laver Arena on Thursday with Serena playing Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Venus facing Coco Vandeweghe at the business end of an Australian Open where upsets have been a daily occurrence. The seedings have not proved much of a guide in the women's draw this year, with world number two Serena the sole survivor of the top 12 at the start the tournament. The head-to-head will not provide much help either when assessing Serena's matchup against Lucic-Baroni, given their last meeting came in 1998 at Wimbledon when they were both 16. "It was on Centre Court. That's all I remember. I remember winning. I was so excited because I was so young. She obviously was super young, too. That's all," Serena said on Wednesday after beating Johanna Konta in the quarter-finals. "We have totally different games now, the both of us. We both have gone through a lot. We both have survived, and here we are, which I think is a really remarkable story." As six-times Melbourne Park champion, Serena will be a clear favourite, of course, more so because she has reached her 34th grand slam semi-final without losing a set. Lucic-Baroni's path to the last four has been more of a battle, as befits a woman who has overcome huge adversity to get back to the top of the game after years in the wilderness. While Serena missed the back end last season with a shoulder problem, Lucic-Baroni has more immediate concerns about an injury to her left leg. "I'm going to be just fine," said the world number 79. "I'm going to recover, do some therapy, and I'll be fine. I'll just put some extra tapes on and hopefully, it will hold me together. I'll fight hard. I'll be okay." The first semi-final is an all-American affair pitching Venus, the oldest woman in the draw, against 25-year-old surprise package Vandeweghe. Venus does not have an Australian Open crown in her collection of seven grand slam titles and has reached the final just once, losing to Serena in 2003. Vandeweghe has got to the last four of a grand slam for the first time here by blowing opponents off the court with her booming serve and big winners. Venus might be hoping that the occasion gets the better of the world number 35 but promised nevertheless that the power tennis would not be coming from just one side of the net. "Power is her game, her strength. She's putting the ball in with it, it's awesome to see really," Venus said. "(But) I play a power game as well. I've been fortunate enough to play good defence and have good movement on the court. Hopefully, this will be a plus for me." Vandeweghe was seven years old when Venus first played at the Australian Open and said it remarkable to think she was about to face a player she once asked for an autograph. "It's a dream to play someone you grew up watching," she said. "To play an unbelievable player, future Hall of Famer, Venus, to be on the court with her but to do it at this stage of a grand slam is kind of crazy." (Reuters)

Australian Open: Serena Williams enters semi-finals

Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings&#39; dream came true.

The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was finally ended in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat in just 50 minutes.

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In swatting aside the 34-year-old, in their first meeting since 1998, Serena, 35, stayed on track for a seventh Australian title which would take her past Steffi Graf&#39;s Open-era record of 22 major wins.

She has refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing the German, but now has a golden chance of further cementing her place in history.

Winning the title would also mean the world number one ranking would be hers again&nbsp;after Angelique Kerber snatched deposed her late last year.

Only Venus stands in the way after the elder Williams rolled back the years to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the other semi-final.

It ensured another chapter in their eventful family history as they meet for their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage.

&quot;I didn&#39;t watch (Venus). Obviously, I was really proud, she&#39;s an inspiration, my big sister,&quot; said Serena.&nbsp;

&quot;She&#39;s my world, my life, she means everything to me. I couldn&#39;t be happier for us both to be in the final. It&#39;s the biggest dream come true for us.&quot;

She also paid tribute to Lucic-Baroni, a former teenage prodigy when the Williams sisters were emerging in the 1990s before her career was derailed by personal problems.

&quot;Mirjana is an inspiration, she deserves all the credit today. To get this far, after everything she has gone through, that just inspires me.&quot;

One-way traffic&nbsp; 
Despite her serve not being up to scratch in Melbourne until now, Williams has so many other weapons in her armoury that her opponents have been unable to cope.

Lucic-Baroni was no different.

Her left thigh was again heavily strapped and the problem put her at an immediate disadvantage, restricting her movement against a player known for her pounding forehand winners.

They both held serve comfortably to shake off any early nerves but Williams was looking sharp, capitalising on an unforced error to get the first break and go 2-1 ahead.

She consolidated her lead by holding serve again, and a Lucic-Baroni double fault handed her a 4-1 lead.

It was one-way traffic as the second seed asserted her authority, unloading some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the Croat and easily take the first set in 25 minutes.

The pair were playing each other for the first time since Wimbledon 19 years ago, a match the American won. Since then their careers have taken very different turns.

While Williams went on to win 22 Grand Slams, the Croat dropped out of top-level tennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive and controlling father and suffering money and injury problems.

Her return to the big time in Melbourne has been the feel-good story of the tournament, winning her legions of new fans with her emotional progression to her first Grand Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 1999.

But it was only ever going to come to an end against the dominant Williams, who after seeing Venus make the final was never going to throw away the chance to meet her once again.

The second set went the way of the first, with Williams crushing Lucic-Baroni&#39;s serve to again break in the third game.

She was broken again in game five as her magnificent run drew to a close and Williams moved into her 29th Grand Slam final.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Serena Williams beat Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1, her sister Venus defeated American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7, 6-2, 6-3

Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings' dream came true. The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was finally ended in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat in just 50 minutes. Serena has so far refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing Stefi × In swatting aside the 34-year-old, in their first meeting since 1998, Serena, 35, stayed on track for a seventh Australian title which would take her past Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 major wins. She has refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing the German, but now has a golden chance of further cementing her place in history. Winning the title would also mean the world number one ranking would be hers again after Angelique Kerber snatched deposed her late last year. Only Venus stands in the way after the elder Williams rolled back the years to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the other semi-final. It ensured another chapter in their eventful family history as they meet for their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage. "I didn't watch (Venus). Obviously, I was really proud, she's an inspiration, my big sister," said Serena. "She's my world, my life, she means everything to me. I couldn't be happier for us both to be in the final. It's the biggest dream come true for us." She also paid tribute to Lucic-Baroni, a former teenage prodigy when the Williams sisters were emerging in the 1990s before her career was derailed by personal problems. "Mirjana is an inspiration, she deserves all the credit today. To get this far, after everything she has gone through, that just inspires me." One-way traffic Despite her serve not being up to scratch in Melbourne until now, Williams has so many other weapons in her armoury that her opponents have been unable to cope. Lucic-Baroni was no different. Her left thigh was again heavily strapped and the problem put her at an immediate disadvantage, restricting her movement against a player known for her pounding forehand winners. They both held serve comfortably to shake off any early nerves but Williams was looking sharp, capitalising on an unforced error to get the first break and go 2-1 ahead. She consolidated her lead by holding serve again, and a Lucic-Baroni double fault handed her a 4-1 lead. It was one-way traffic as the second seed asserted her authority, unloading some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the Croat and easily take the first set in 25 minutes. The pair were playing each other for the first time since Wimbledon 19 years ago, a match the American won. Since then their careers have taken very different turns. While Williams went on to win 22 Grand Slams, the Croat dropped out of top-level tennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive and controlling father and suffering money and injury problems. Her return to the big time in Melbourne has been the feel-good story of the tournament, winning her legions of new fans with her emotional progression to her first Grand Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 1999. But it was only ever going to come to an end against the dominant Williams, who after seeing Venus make the final was never going to throw away the chance to meet her once again. The second set went the way of the first, with Williams crushing Lucic-Baroni's serve to again break in the third game. She was broken again in game five as her magnificent run drew to a close and Williams moved into her 29th Grand Slam final. (AFP)

Dreams do come true: Serena, Venus in Australian Open final

Venus Williams rolled back the years to battle into her first Grand Slam final since 2009 Thursday, brushing off the dangerous Coco Vendeweghe at the Australian Open.

The focused 36-year-old was imperious in banishing her power-hitting fellow American 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, striking a blow for the tennis old guard.

In making the decider, she becomes the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park in the Open era, joining a select list of 30-somethings to get that far including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

The 13th seed also bags the record for the longest wait between major finals at seven-and-a-half years, following her last appearance in the 2009 Wimbledon final.

&quot;This means so much, especially because she played so well, I had to play defence for so long,&quot; said Williams, who screamed and performed pirouettes after clinching the win.

&quot;There was never a moment of relaxation ever, so to be able to get to the final through a match like this I&#39;m just ? I&#39;m excited about American tennis as well.

&quot;It means so much, growing up all I wanted was to have an opportunity to play the tournaments. It&#39;s like more than a cherry on top, more than I dreamed of.&quot;

Despite winning seven Grand Slams and being a seven-time runner-up, Williams has only ever made the final in Melbourne once before ? in 2003, when she lost in three sets to sister Serena.

Another all-Williams final is on the cards with Serena the hot favourite to beat unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the other semi-final late on Thursday.

&quot;More than anything I&#39;d love to see Serena across the net from me on Saturday,&quot; said Venus.

Venus Williams has consistently said in Melbourne she has nothing to prove and was simply &quot;living the dream&quot;, and her relaxed approach has paid dividends.

Kept her cool

It was the feisty Vandeweghe, ranked 35, who pounced early, working four break points and going 1-0 up when Williams netted a forehand in her opening service game.

But Williams soon settled and she began to dictate from the baseline, handling the 25-year-old&#39;s powerful serve well.

A stretching crosscourt forehand winner gave her a break point in the next game and a double fault from Vandeweghe put them level at 1-1.

Efficient serving from both players took the match to 6-6, with the two trading powerful groundstrokes without being able to find an opening in a tense struggle.

Vandeweghe was moving well and it was Williams who blinked first as the younger American took the tiebreak, pumping her fist and letting out a yell.

But it didn&#39;t phase the veteran, who continued to pick her shots well and conserve energy, with Vandeweghe showing frustration when Williams broke to go 2-1 ahead in the second set, slamming her racquet to the ground.

Williams&#39; long experience came to the fore. She remained calm and composed and as Vandeweghe struggled with her serve, she went 4-1 ahead with another break.

Vandeweghe&#39;s frustrations were showing and she belted a ball into the crowd, but escaped a warning. The Williams serve was powerful and on its mark as she took the second set in 38 minutes to level the match.

Williams was getting extraordinary angles on her returns and she decisively broke the younger American&#39;s serve in the third set to take a 1-0 lead.

It was the only chance she needed, keeping her cool in the pressure-cooker atmosphere to write another chapter in her lengthy career, winning on her fourth match point.

(AFP)

She becomes the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park in the Open era, joining a select list of 30-somethings to get that far

Venus Williams rolled back the years to battle into her first Grand Slam final since 2009 Thursday, brushing off the dangerous Coco Vendeweghe at the Australian Open. The focused 36-year-old was imperious in banishing her power-hitting fellow American 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, striking a blow for the tennis old guard. In making the decider, she becomes the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park in the Open era, joining a select list of 30-somethings to get that far including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The 13th seed also bags the record for the longest wait between major finals at seven-and-a-half years, following her last appearance in the 2009 Wimbledon final. "This means so much, especially because she played so well, I had to play defence for so long," said Williams, who screamed and performed pirouettes after clinching the win. "There was never a moment of relaxation ever, so to be able to get to the final through a match like this I'm just ? I'm excited about American tennis as well. "It means so much, growing up all I wanted was to have an opportunity to play the tournaments. It's like more than a cherry on top, more than I dreamed of." Despite winning seven Grand Slams and being a seven-time runner-up, Williams has only ever made the final in Melbourne once before ? in 2003, when she lost in three sets to sister Serena. Another all-Williams final is on the cards with Serena the hot favourite to beat unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the other semi-final late on Thursday. "More than anything I'd love to see Serena across the net from me on Saturday," said Venus. Venus Williams has consistently said in Melbourne she has nothing to prove and was simply "living the dream", and her relaxed approach has paid dividends. Kept her cool It was the feisty Vandeweghe, ranked 35, who pounced early, working four break points and going 1-0 up when Williams netted a forehand in her opening service game. But Williams soon settled and she began to dictate from the baseline, handling the 25-year-old's powerful serve well. A stretching crosscourt forehand winner gave her a break point in the next game and a double fault from Vandeweghe put them level at 1-1. Efficient serving from both players took the match to 6-6, with the two trading powerful groundstrokes without being able to find an opening in a tense struggle. Vandeweghe was moving well and it was Williams who blinked first as the younger American took the tiebreak, pumping her fist and letting out a yell. But it didn't phase the veteran, who continued to pick her shots well and conserve energy, with Vandeweghe showing frustration when Williams broke to go 2-1 ahead in the second set, slamming her racquet to the ground. Williams' long experience came to the fore. She remained calm and composed and as Vandeweghe struggled with her serve, she went 4-1 ahead with another break. Vandeweghe's frustrations were showing and she belted a ball into the crowd, but escaped a warning. The Williams serve was powerful and on its mark as she took the second set in 38 minutes to level the match. Williams was getting extraordinary angles on her returns and she decisively broke the younger American's serve in the third set to take a 1-0 lead. It was the only chance she needed, keeping her cool in the pressure-cooker atmosphere to write another chapter in her lengthy career, winning on her fourth match point. (AFP)

Tennis: Venus Williams ends major final drought at Australian Open

Roger Federer reached his first Australian Open final in seven years on Thursday and then made it as clear as he politely could that he would welcome the chance to renew his epic rivalry with Rafa Nadal as he chases his 18th grand slam title.

The 35-year-old Swiss came through a&nbsp;five-set battle with compatriot Stan Wawrinka to set up a final against Spaniard Nadal or Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who meet in Friday&#39;s second semi-final.

&quot;It&#39;s real, I can really actually talk about a final, I&#39;ve been dodging that bullet for the last few days,&quot; Federer said.

&quot;Rafa&#39;s given me the most problems in the game ... I&#39;m probably Rafa&#39;s number one fan, I think his game is just tremendous. He&#39;s an incredible competitor.

&quot;I&#39;m happy that we&#39;ve had some epic battles over the years and of course it would be unreal to play him here.&quot;

While Federer&#39;s preference seemed clear, he did not earn his reputation as one of the great gentlemen of sport without paying due respect to both of his potential opponents.

&quot;Dimitrov&#39;s got a very complete game. He can mix it up really well. He&#39;s very confident and you never want to play confident players, but it&#39;s him or Rafa,&quot; said Federer, laughing.

&quot;It&#39;s going to be tough either way.&quot;Both Federer and Nadal missed the back end of last season because of injury, the Swiss after his first ever knee surgery and Nadal because of a wrist injury.

Federer said neither of them would have believed they would be potentially meeting in a grand slam final when they got together to open the Spaniard&#39;s academy in Mallorca just a few months ago.

&quot;I was on one leg, he had the wrist injury and we were playing some mini-tennis with some juniors and we said, &#39;That&#39;s the best we can do right now&#39;,&quot; he said.

&quot;A few months later, we&#39;re potentially going to be in the final. I think it&#39;s been a very special tournament for both of us already.&quot;

INJURY &#39;NO WORRY&#39;

Federer unusually took a medical timeout in his three-hour, five-minute battle with Wawrinka, saying he had been carrying an upper leg injury.

He said he was not worried about it and nothing was going to stop him from taking to the court and fighting it out for a fifth Australian Open crown on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.

&quot;I&#39;ll leave it all out here in Australia and if I can&#39;t walk for another five months, that&#39;s okay. I&#39;ll give it my best shot,&quot; he said.

&quot;It feels amazing. I never, ever in my wildest dreams thought I would come this far in Australia. I have a couple of days off. It&#39;s beautiful, I&#39;m so happy.&quot;

(Reuters)

Federer said he would welcome the chance to renew his epic rivalry with Nadal as he chases his 18th grand slam title

Roger Federer reached his first Australian Open final in seven years on Thursday and then made it as clear as he politely could that he would welcome the chance to renew his epic rivalry with Rafa Nadal as he chases his 18th grand slam title. The 35-year-old Swiss came through a five-set battle with compatriot Stan Wawrinka to set up a final against Spaniard Nadal or Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who meet in Friday's second semi-final. "It's real, I can really actually talk about a final, I've been dodging that bullet for the last few days," Federer said. "Rafa's given me the most problems in the game ... I'm probably Rafa's number one fan, I think his game is just tremendous. He's an incredible competitor. "I'm happy that we've had some epic battles over the years and of course it would be unreal to play him here." While Federer's preference seemed clear, he did not earn his reputation as one of the great gentlemen of sport without paying due respect to both of his potential opponents. "Dimitrov's got a very complete game. He can mix it up really well. He's very confident and you never want to play confident players, but it's him or Rafa," said Federer, laughing. "It's going to be tough either way."Both Federer and Nadal missed the back end of last season because of injury, the Swiss after his first ever knee surgery and Nadal because of a wrist injury. Federer said neither of them would have believed they would be potentially meeting in a grand slam final when they got together to open the Spaniard's academy in Mallorca just a few months ago. "I was on one leg, he had the wrist injury and we were playing some mini-tennis with some juniors and we said, 'That's the best we can do right now'," he said. "A few months later, we're potentially going to be in the final. I think it's been a very special tournament for both of us already." INJURY 'NO WORRY' Federer unusually took a medical timeout in his three-hour, five-minute battle with Wawrinka, saying he had been carrying an upper leg injury. He said he was not worried about it and nothing was going to stop him from taking to the court and fighting it out for a fifth Australian Open crown on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday. "I'll leave it all out here in Australia and if I can't walk for another five months, that's okay. I'll give it my best shot," he said. "It feels amazing. I never, ever in my wildest dreams thought I would come this far in Australia. I have a couple of days off. It's beautiful, I'm so happy." (Reuters)

Federer beats Wawrinka, enters Australian Open final

Rafael Nadal prevailed over Canadian Milos Raonic in straight sets to set up an Australian Open semi-final clash with 15th-seed Grigor Dimitrov.

The 14-time grand slam champion beat the injury-hit world number three Raonic&nbsp;6-4, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in two hours 44 minutes, to move just a step away from setting up another eagerly-awaited summit match with his old rival Roger Federer.

Dimitrov beat David Goffin in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals, continuing with his fine start to the season.

But Nadal, who enjoys a 7-1 head-to-head with Dimitrov, preferred to focus on his next match than think of playing Federer in the final.

&quot;Let me enjoy today, the victory, being in semi-final. For me is great news again. It&#39;s a good start of the season,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;Now I have a very tough match against Dimitrov.

&quot;Whatever happens on the other side of the draw, I think it is great for tennis that Roger is there again after an injury, after a lot of people talked that probably he would never be back.

&quot;The real thing is that he&#39;s back and he&#39;s probably ready to win again, fighting again to win a major.

&quot;That&#39;s good for the fans because Roger is a legend of our sport. I am happy to be there, too. I am focused on my semi-final.&quot;

It was another accomplished performance from the 30-year-old Spaniard who reached his first Grand Slam semi-final since he won the 2014 French Open, and struggled with injury last year.

&quot;Great. It&#39;s good news. Especially winning against difficult players: (Gael) Monfils in quarter-finals, (Alexander) Zverev round of 16 and now Raonic,&quot;&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;said.

&quot;All of them are top players. So that&#39;s very important for me because that means that I am competitive and playing well.

&quot;I&#39;m so just excited about being back in final rounds of the most important events.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

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Nadal beat an injured Milos Raonic while the 15th-seed Bulgarian beat David Goffin

Rafael Nadal prevailed over Canadian Milos Raonic in straight sets to set up an Australian Open semi-final clash with 15th-seed Grigor Dimitrov. The 14-time grand slam champion beat the injury-hit world number three Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in two hours 44 minutes, to move just a step away from setting up another eagerly-awaited summit match with his old rival Roger Federer. Dimitrov beat David Goffin in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals, continuing with his fine start to the season. But Nadal, who enjoys a 7-1 head-to-head with Dimitrov, preferred to focus on his next match than think of playing Federer in the final. "Let me enjoy today, the victory, being in semi-final. For me is great news again. It's a good start of the season," he told reporters. "Now I have a very tough match against Dimitrov. "Whatever happens on the other side of the draw, I think it is great for tennis that Roger is there again after an injury, after a lot of people talked that probably he would never be back. "The real thing is that he's back and he's probably ready to win again, fighting again to win a major. "That's good for the fans because Roger is a legend of our sport. I am happy to be there, too. I am focused on my semi-final." It was another accomplished performance from the 30-year-old Spaniard who reached his first Grand Slam semi-final since he won the 2014 French Open, and struggled with injury last year. "Great. It's good news. Especially winning against difficult players: (Gael) Monfils in quarter-finals, (Alexander) Zverev round of 16 and now Raonic," Nadal said. "All of them are top players. So that's very important for me because that means that I am competitive and playing well. "I'm so just excited about being back in final rounds of the most important events." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Australian Open: Nadal, Dimitrov set up semi-final clash

Top seeded Briton Andy Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round on Sunday (January 22), losing 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4&nbsp;to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev on Rod Laver Arena.

Murray&#39;s defeat follows that of reigning champion Novak Djokovic, who fell to Denis Istomin in the second round on Thursday, leaving the men&#39;s draw at the year&#39;s first grand slam without its top two seeds at the quarter-final stage.

Venus Williams continued to turn back the clock with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Germany&#39;s Mona Barthel to set up a quarter-final against Russia&#39;s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The 36-year-old Williams raced out to a 3-0 lead but Barthel fought back with the American having trouble with her ball toss at the northern end of the court as she looked directly into the sun.

Barthel broke twice to give her the opportunity at 4-3 to get back on serve but Williams capitalised on the German also having trouble with the sun to break back then served out from the Yarra River end to clinch the first set in 42 minutes.

The second set went on serve until the 11th game when Williams broke for the first time in the set, then, despite serving from the northern end, clinched victory in 96 minutes.

(Reuters)

Top seeded Briton Andy Murray lost 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev

Top seeded Briton Andy Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round on Sunday (January 22), losing 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev on Rod Laver Arena. Murray's defeat follows that of reigning champion Novak Djokovic, who fell to Denis Istomin in the second round on Thursday, leaving the men's draw at the year's first grand slam without its top two seeds at the quarter-final stage. Venus Williams continued to turn back the clock with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Germany's Mona Barthel to set up a quarter-final against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 36-year-old Williams raced out to a 3-0 lead but Barthel fought back with the American having trouble with her ball toss at the northern end of the court as she looked directly into the sun. Barthel broke twice to give her the opportunity at 4-3 to get back on serve but Williams capitalised on the German also having trouble with the sun to break back then served out from the Yarra River end to clinch the first set in 42 minutes. The second set went on serve until the 11th game when Williams broke for the first time in the set, then, despite serving from the northern end, clinched victory in 96 minutes. (Reuters)

Australian Open: Andy Murray knocked out in fourth round

Top seed and defending champion Angelique Kerber was knocked out by American Coco Vandeweghe in the fourth round of the Australian Open, capping off a dramatic day of upsets.

Kerber&#39;s loss came hours after top seed on the men&#39;s side Andy Murray was dumped out by Mischa Zverev.

Kerber lost to the big-hitting American in straight sets 2-6 3-6 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

This will be Vandeweghe&#39;s first quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open.

&quot;I guess I faked (having confidence) a lot because I was feeling like crap out there,&quot; said the American.&nbsp;&quot;But, you know, fake it &#39;til you make it&#39; .... my game plan was to execute knowing that she was going to get a lot of balls back.&quot;

Kerber had a remarkable 2016, winning the Australian Open and the US Open.

Vandeweghe, who celebrated her biggest career victory with a shrug of the shoulders, moves on to meet Spanish seventh seed Garbine Muguruza in the last eight.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

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The defending champion was bundled out of the fourth round of the Australian Open by big-hitting American Coco Vandeweghe

Top seed and defending champion Angelique Kerber was knocked out by American Coco Vandeweghe in the fourth round of the Australian Open, capping off a dramatic day of upsets. Kerber's loss came hours after top seed on the men's side Andy Murray was dumped out by Mischa Zverev. Kerber lost to the big-hitting American in straight sets 2-6 3-6 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. This will be Vandeweghe's first quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open. "I guess I faked (having confidence) a lot because I was feeling like crap out there," said the American. "But, you know, fake it 'til you make it' .... my game plan was to execute knowing that she was going to get a lot of balls back." Kerber had a remarkable 2016, winning the Australian Open and the US Open. Vandeweghe, who celebrated her biggest career victory with a shrug of the shoulders, moves on to meet Spanish seventh seed Garbine Muguruza in the last eight. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Australian Open: Kerber becomes latest big gun to draw blank

Seventeen-time grand slam winner and world number 17 Roger Federer outlasted Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori in a titanic five-set battle to reach the 49th quarter-final of his career.

Federer, who is coming off six-month injury layoff, beat the world number 6-7 6-4 6-1 4-6 6-3 &nbsp;in Melbourne, Australia.

The 35-year-old will now play Andy Murray&#39;s conqueror Mischa Zverev.

The Swiss legend started the match slowly and withing some minutes into the match, he found himself trailing 0-4. Federer then levelled the match 5-5 before Nishikori struck a faultless backhand return to win the tie-break.

The next two sets were wrapped up by the former world number one in no time before Nishikori stepped up in the four by breaking the Swiss against the run of play to level the match.

But Nishikori aggravated his existing hip injury at the start of the fifth set and capitulated under Federer&#39;s relentless pressure.

Federer improved his five-set record to 25-20.

&quot;Kei&#39;s a tough customer. This is a huge win for me in my career,&quot;&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

&quot;Kei will give you some looks, he&#39;s not the biggest server on tour but one of the greatest on the baseline.&quot;

Federer&nbsp;holds a career 2-0 record over Zverev, who pulled off a massive upset over world number one Andy Murray earlier on Sunday.

&quot;I would never have picked it, I like Mischa a lot and he has a nice game coming forward. It will be different,&quot;&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;said.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

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Roger Federer will play Zverev, who earlier stunned the sporting world by beating world number one Andy Murray

Seventeen-time grand slam winner and world number 17 Roger Federer outlasted Japan's Kei Nishikori in a titanic five-set battle to reach the 49th quarter-final of his career. Federer, who is coming off six-month injury layoff, beat the world number 6-7 6-4 6-1 4-6 6-3 in Melbourne, Australia. The 35-year-old will now play Andy Murray's conqueror Mischa Zverev. The Swiss legend started the match slowly and withing some minutes into the match, he found himself trailing 0-4. Federer then levelled the match 5-5 before Nishikori struck a faultless backhand return to win the tie-break. The next two sets were wrapped up by the former world number one in no time before Nishikori stepped up in the four by breaking the Swiss against the run of play to level the match. But Nishikori aggravated his existing hip injury at the start of the fifth set and capitulated under Federer's relentless pressure. Federer improved his five-set record to 25-20. "Kei's a tough customer. This is a huge win for me in my career," Federer said. "Kei will give you some looks, he's not the biggest server on tour but one of the greatest on the baseline." Federer holds a career 2-0 record over Zverev, who pulled off a massive upset over world number one Andy Murray earlier on Sunday. "I would never have picked it, I like Mischa a lot and he has a nice game coming forward. It will be different," Federer said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Australian Open: Old warhorse Federer outlasts Nishikori in titanic five-set battle

Rafa&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;held off a fierce challenge from one of the hottest prospects in the game when he outlasted German teenager Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2 to reach the last 16 of the Australian Open on Saturday (January 21).

The Spaniard, champion here in 2009, needed to be at his resilient best to come out on top after more than four hours of top quality shot-making and thrilling rallies which earned both players a huge ovation from the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

The 19-year-old showed in spades why many consider him a future grand slam champion but was just unable to stay with&nbsp;Nadal&nbsp;in a gripping deciding set, which the 30-year-old sealed when the 24th seed netted a forehand.

Returning to Melbourne Park as ninth seed after curtailing his 2016 season because of injury,Nadal&nbsp;will next face Gael Monfils of France as he bids for a 15th grand slam title.

Milos Raonic&#39;s machine-like advance through the men&#39;s draw suffered a brief glitch against Gilles Simon but the Canadian re-booted to delete the dogged Frenchman 6-2 7-6(5) 3-6 6-3.

Third seed Raonic lost his first set of the tournament and his composure against the indefatigable Simon, whose hard running and passing shots threatened to turn the game on its head at a heaving Hisense Arena.

Raonic drowned out the Gallic cheers by capturing the decisive break in the sixth game of the final set and sealed the match with a big kicking serve that Simon could only parry into the net.

Raonic, a semi-finalist last year, next plays 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals.

(Reuters)

The Spaniard will face Gael Monfils in the fourth round, while Milos Raonic beat Simon to progress to the next round

Rafa Nadal held off a fierce challenge from one of the hottest prospects in the game when he outlasted German teenager Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2 to reach the last 16 of the Australian Open on Saturday (January 21). The Spaniard, champion here in 2009, needed to be at his resilient best to come out on top after more than four hours of top quality shot-making and thrilling rallies which earned both players a huge ovation from the Rod Laver Arena crowd. The 19-year-old showed in spades why many consider him a future grand slam champion but was just unable to stay with Nadal in a gripping deciding set, which the 30-year-old sealed when the 24th seed netted a forehand. Returning to Melbourne Park as ninth seed after curtailing his 2016 season because of injury,Nadal will next face Gael Monfils of France as he bids for a 15th grand slam title. Milos Raonic's machine-like advance through the men's draw suffered a brief glitch against Gilles Simon but the Canadian re-booted to delete the dogged Frenchman 6-2 7-6(5) 3-6 6-3. Third seed Raonic lost his first set of the tournament and his composure against the indefatigable Simon, whose hard running and passing shots threatened to turn the game on its head at a heaving Hisense Arena. Raonic drowned out the Gallic cheers by capturing the decisive break in the sixth game of the final set and sealed the match with a big kicking serve that Simon could only parry into the net. Raonic, a semi-finalist last year, next plays 13th seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals. (Reuters)

Australian Open: Rafael Nadal staves off Zverev challenge

Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;saw off giant-killer Sam Querrey on Friday as he ramped up his bid for a first Australian Open title after the shock departure of six-time champion Novak Djokovic.

On a cool day in Melbourne, the men&#39;s number one and women&#39;s top seed Angelique Kerber both hit a hot patch of form as the final rounds beckoned.

Murray&nbsp;will have watched from the sidelines as second seed Djokovic, his conqueror in four Melbourne finals, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin on Thursday.

Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but&nbsp;Murray, made a knight in Britain&#39;s New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three.

He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display.

The Scot also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev.

&quot;I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement,&quot; he said. &quot;The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match.&quot;

Murray bats for Djokovic

Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;on Friday downplayed Novak Djokovic&#39;s shock exit from the Australian Open and said it was &quot;unreasonable&quot; to expect to the Serb to maintain his dominance long-term.

The top seed was as surprised as anyone by Djokovic&#39;s defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round, but he dismissed suggestions his rival was &quot;struggling&quot;.

&quot;I mean, struggling by the highest standards,&quot;&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;said, after he beat Sam Querrey&nbsp;6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Next up for&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;is an assignment with Mischa Zverev, the elder brother of highly-rated German teen Alexander who came through in four sets against Tunisia&#39;s Malek Jaziri.

The winner of that meeting will play either Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych, the old Grand Slam rivals who play the night match on Rod Laver Arena later.

Stan through to next round

Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy&#39;s Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia&#39;s Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3).

In the women&#39;s draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina.

The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two.

But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America&#39;s Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now,&quot; Kerber said.

Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow veteran Jelena Jankovic&nbsp;6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese involvement, earning a fourth-round match against German qualifier Mona Barthel, who overcame Australia&#39;s Ashleigh Barty in three sets.&nbsp;

(AFP)

In the women's section, defending champion Angelique Kerber finally came into her own as she beat Kristyna Pliskova in straight sets

Andy Murray saw off giant-killer Sam Querrey on Friday as he ramped up his bid for a first Australian Open title after the shock departure of six-time champion Novak Djokovic. On a cool day in Melbourne, the men's number one and women's top seed Angelique Kerber both hit a hot patch of form as the final rounds beckoned. Murray will have watched from the sidelines as second seed Djokovic, his conqueror in four Melbourne finals, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin on Thursday. Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but Murray, made a knight in Britain's New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three. He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display. The Scot also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev. "I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement," he said. "The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match." Murray bats for Djokovic Andy Murray on Friday downplayed Novak Djokovic's shock exit from the Australian Open and said it was "unreasonable" to expect to the Serb to maintain his dominance long-term. The top seed was as surprised as anyone by Djokovic's defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round, but he dismissed suggestions his rival was "struggling". "I mean, struggling by the highest standards," Murray said, after he beat Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. Next up for Murray is an assignment with Mischa Zverev, the elder brother of highly-rated German teen Alexander who came through in four sets against Tunisia's Malek Jaziri. The winner of that meeting will play either Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych, the old Grand Slam rivals who play the night match on Rod Laver Arena later. Stan through to next round Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy's Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium. Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia's Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3). In the women's draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina. The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two. But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America's Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard. "I'm looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now," Kerber said. Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow veteran Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese involvement, earning a fourth-round match against German qualifier Mona Barthel, who overcame Australia's Ashleigh Barty in three sets. (AFP)

Australian Open: Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka march on to Round 4

Uzbek journeyman Denis Istomin pulled off an Australian Open upset for the ages on Thursday when he sent Novak&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;tumbling out of the second round of the grand slam the Serbian has all but dominated for the last seven years.

The 30-year-old world number 117 played the match of his life to hand the six-times champion only his second defeat in 41 matches at Melbourne Park since 2011 with a 7-6(8) 5-7 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 second-round win on Rod Laver Arena.

Istomin, playing in his trademark fluorescent yellow glasses and bandana, let out a huge roar when the 12-times grand slam champion&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;sent a service return long to end an enthralling contest after four hours and 50 minutes.

&quot;All the credit to Denis for playing amazing, he deserved to win,&quot; said reigning championDjokovic&nbsp;after making his earliest exit at a grand slam since 2008.

&quot;I was not pleased with my performance. It was just one of days when you don&#39;t feel that great and the other player is really feeling the ball. That&#39;s sport.&quot;

Istomin, who needed to go to the Asia-Pacific qualifying tournament just to get a wildcard for his 11th Australian Open, was stunned by his own performance.

&quot;First of all I feel sorry for Novak. I was playing so good today,&quot; Istomin said in an on-court interview.

&quot;So much emotion on my mind so I cannot hold it you know but I want to say thanks very much for coming to support me.&quot;

To say the odds were stacked against the 117th-ranked Uzbek was an understatement.

Second seed&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;had won all five of their previous meetings, giving up just one set, and had lost to a player ranked outside the top 100 only once since 2010.

Istomin knew he would have to play the best tennis of his life to have even a chance of victory and he produced it in a captivating arm-wrestle of a contest.

Charging out of the gate, Istomin hit seven aces and 27 winners in the opener, taking the match to the world number two and prevailing when&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;hit a return long on his third set point in a 13-minute tiebreaker.

The onslaught continued in the second set, Istomin moving the&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;around the court and smashing winner after winner off his forehand.

Djokovic&nbsp;shouted in frustration, watched his first service success rate slide into the 60th percentile and called for the trainer after feeling a twinge in the back of his leg.

The tide looked to have turned, however, when the Serbian scrambled to save two set points in the second stanza before breaking the Uzbek immediately and serving out to even up the contest.

Djokovic&nbsp;whipped through the third set in a relatively rapid 45 minutes but Istomin, by now nursing his left thigh with an ice-pack at every changeover, would simply not fold.

&quot;I mean it was tough, since third set I get cramping in my leg so I don&#39;t know how I held on,&quot; added Istomin, whose reward for the biggest win of his career is a third-round meeting with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

Going for everything, the former world number 33 grabbed an early break in the fourth and, even after&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;broke back, raced to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker before sealing the set to send the match into a decider.

The crowd were expecting the famed&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;fight back in the final set but it was Istomin who ripped a backhand down the line to take an early break before playing some dazzling tennis to beat back every&nbsp;Djokovic&nbsp;assault and claim a famous win.

(Reuters)

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was beaten in five sets in the second round by Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin

Uzbek journeyman Denis Istomin pulled off an Australian Open upset for the ages on Thursday when he sent Novak Djokovic tumbling out of the second round of the grand slam the Serbian has all but dominated for the last seven years. The 30-year-old world number 117 played the match of his life to hand the six-times champion only his second defeat in 41 matches at Melbourne Park since 2011 with a 7-6(8) 5-7 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 second-round win on Rod Laver Arena. Istomin, playing in his trademark fluorescent yellow glasses and bandana, let out a huge roar when the 12-times grand slam champion Djokovic sent a service return long to end an enthralling contest after four hours and 50 minutes. "All the credit to Denis for playing amazing, he deserved to win," said reigning championDjokovic after making his earliest exit at a grand slam since 2008. "I was not pleased with my performance. It was just one of days when you don't feel that great and the other player is really feeling the ball. That's sport." Istomin, who needed to go to the Asia-Pacific qualifying tournament just to get a wildcard for his 11th Australian Open, was stunned by his own performance. "First of all I feel sorry for Novak. I was playing so good today," Istomin said in an on-court interview. "So much emotion on my mind so I cannot hold it you know but I want to say thanks very much for coming to support me." To say the odds were stacked against the 117th-ranked Uzbek was an understatement. Second seed Djokovic had won all five of their previous meetings, giving up just one set, and had lost to a player ranked outside the top 100 only once since 2010. Istomin knew he would have to play the best tennis of his life to have even a chance of victory and he produced it in a captivating arm-wrestle of a contest. Charging out of the gate, Istomin hit seven aces and 27 winners in the opener, taking the match to the world number two and prevailing when Djokovic hit a return long on his third set point in a 13-minute tiebreaker. The onslaught continued in the second set, Istomin moving the Djokovic around the court and smashing winner after winner off his forehand. Djokovic shouted in frustration, watched his first service success rate slide into the 60th percentile and called for the trainer after feeling a twinge in the back of his leg. The tide looked to have turned, however, when the Serbian scrambled to save two set points in the second stanza before breaking the Uzbek immediately and serving out to even up the contest. Djokovic whipped through the third set in a relatively rapid 45 minutes but Istomin, by now nursing his left thigh with an ice-pack at every changeover, would simply not fold. "I mean it was tough, since third set I get cramping in my leg so I don't know how I held on," added Istomin, whose reward for the biggest win of his career is a third-round meeting with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. Going for everything, the former world number 33 grabbed an early break in the fourth and, even after Djokovic broke back, raced to a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker before sealing the set to send the match into a decider. The crowd were expecting the famed Djokovic fight back in the final set but it was Istomin who ripped a backhand down the line to take an early break before playing some dazzling tennis to beat back every Djokovic assault and claim a famous win. (Reuters)

Defending champion Djokovic knocked out of Australian Open

Novak Djokovic may have cursed the draw for throwing up Fernando Verdasco as the first opponent in his Australian Open defence but the tough match-up against the Spanish giant-killer ultimately proved a blessing in disguise.&nbsp;The Serb launched his bid for a record seventh title at Melbourne Park with an impressive 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2 win over the man who knocked Rafa Nadal out in the first round of last year&#39;s tournament.

Djokovic was forced to save five match points to beat Verdasco at the recent Qatar Open and was broken twice during a thrilling second set under the lights of Rod Laver Arena.&nbsp;But the second seed defended brilliantly to defuse the veteran lefthander&#39;s power game and closed out the two-hour 20-minute clash.

&quot;I knew that winning the second set would be crucial because I definitely didn&#39;t want to give him wings,&quot; Djokovic told reporters after setting up a second round clash against Uzbek Denis Istomin.

&quot;I didn&#39;t want to have him start swinging at the ball, as he knows. I don&#39;t know how he felt about the draw. But I personally think that I could have drawn... an easier player. But nothing is easy obviously,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;From one perspective it was good that I got to have the very tough first round match, because it made me prepare better and kind of approach this match and the tournament with the right intensity right from the blocks, right from the first point,&quot; Djokovic felt after the match.

Djokovic has owned Melbourne Park for almost a decade and his continued reign seemed assured as he roared to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Verdasco felled Nadal in five sets last year by swinging at every ball and his aggression was rewarded when he broke Djokovic twice early in the second.

But he was furious with himself for letting the chances slip, cursing in Spanish and bouncing his racket off the court in disgust. He double-faulted at 4-4 to give Djokovic two break points but saved them both before holding serve, leaving the Serb yelling out his own frustrations from his chair at the change of ends.

It took a moment of Verdasco madness to open the door, the Spaniard wafting a sliced backhand well beyond the baseline to concede two set points. Djokovic wrapped up the tiebreak with a monster serve and sprinted away in the third set. Beaten emphatically in a string of baseline skirmishes, Verdasco fell behind 4-1 and he threw his racket at his chair.

It felt more like a towel being tossed into a ring as there was no stopping Djokovic in full flight.

&quot;It feels like home,&quot; said the Serb on the court where he won his sixth Australian Open title a year ago.

&quot;Already in the last couple of weeks, I was really eager to come back to the court and get into the competitive mode, just be back in the office,&quot; the Australian Open champion declared.

(Reuters)

Defending champion Novak Djokovic will now take on Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in the second round

Novak Djokovic may have cursed the draw for throwing up Fernando Verdasco as the first opponent in his Australian Open defence but the tough match-up against the Spanish giant-killer ultimately proved a blessing in disguise. The Serb launched his bid for a record seventh title at Melbourne Park with an impressive 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2 win over the man who knocked Rafa Nadal out in the first round of last year's tournament. Djokovic was forced to save five match points to beat Verdasco at the recent Qatar Open and was broken twice during a thrilling second set under the lights of Rod Laver Arena. But the second seed defended brilliantly to defuse the veteran lefthander's power game and closed out the two-hour 20-minute clash. "I knew that winning the second set would be crucial because I definitely didn't want to give him wings," Djokovic told reporters after setting up a second round clash against Uzbek Denis Istomin. "I didn't want to have him start swinging at the ball, as he knows. I don't know how he felt about the draw. But I personally think that I could have drawn... an easier player. But nothing is easy obviously," Djokovic said. "From one perspective it was good that I got to have the very tough first round match, because it made me prepare better and kind of approach this match and the tournament with the right intensity right from the blocks, right from the first point," Djokovic felt after the match. Djokovic has owned Melbourne Park for almost a decade and his continued reign seemed assured as he roared to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Verdasco felled Nadal in five sets last year by swinging at every ball and his aggression was rewarded when he broke Djokovic twice early in the second. But he was furious with himself for letting the chances slip, cursing in Spanish and bouncing his racket off the court in disgust. He double-faulted at 4-4 to give Djokovic two break points but saved them both before holding serve, leaving the Serb yelling out his own frustrations from his chair at the change of ends. It took a moment of Verdasco madness to open the door, the Spaniard wafting a sliced backhand well beyond the baseline to concede two set points. Djokovic wrapped up the tiebreak with a monster serve and sprinted away in the third set. Beaten emphatically in a string of baseline skirmishes, Verdasco fell behind 4-1 and he threw his racket at his chair. It felt more like a towel being tossed into a ring as there was no stopping Djokovic in full flight. "It feels like home," said the Serb on the court where he won his sixth Australian Open title a year ago. "Already in the last couple of weeks, I was really eager to come back to the court and get into the competitive mode, just be back in the office," the Australian Open champion declared. (Reuters)

Australian Open: Djokovic beats Verdasco to enter second round

Roger Federer made a winning return to competitive tennis after six months out of the game, thrilling a packed Rod Laver Arena as he beat Austrian qualifier Juergen Melzer 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2 to reach the Australian Open second round.

The 35-year-old Swiss had to battle hard throughout the two-hour contest and only really eased clear of his dogged opponent when the Austrian tired in the final set. Federer who has returned after a long&nbsp;absence due to a knee injury, made 36 unforced errors but there were also plenty of reminders of the brilliant skills that have won him 17 grand slam titles, four at Melbourne Park.

Seeded 17th, Federer has tougher battles ahead if he makes it through to the second week of the tournament but will next pit his skills against American qualifier Noah Rubin in the next round.

In another match, Rafael Nadal avoided the embarrassment of another back-to-back first-round exit&nbsp;at the Australian Open ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3 6-4 6-1 at the Rod Laver Arena. The 2009 champion, seeded ninth after a disappointing injury-disrupted 2016 season, grasped his chances ruthlessly to overcome the German in a little over two hours in the afternoon heat at Melbourne Park.

A single break in each of the first two sets followed by some dominant serving was enough to give him a comfortable lead going into the third, which the Spaniard wrapped up with a 25th sizzling forehand winner.

The 14-times Grand Slam champion, who was watched by new coach Carlos Moya, moves on to the&nbsp;second round where he is set to clash against Cyprusfinalist Marcos Baghdatis.

In the women&#39;s draw defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber battled her nerves and faltered badly with victory in sight before finally overcoming Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 5-7 6-2 to reach the second round. 
The 28-year-old German was starting the defence of a Grand Slam title for the first time and initially struggled with her serve and the accuracy of her groundstrokes on Rod Laver Arena.

Once she found her range, however, Kerber proved more than a match for world number 51 Tsurenko, who was reduced to scrapping to save her serve and the odd pearl of a consolation point off her rasping backhand.

(Reuters)

Roger Federer made a winning start beating Austrian qualifier Juergen Melzer in the first round

Roger Federer made a winning return to competitive tennis after six months out of the game, thrilling a packed Rod Laver Arena as he beat Austrian qualifier Juergen Melzer 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2 to reach the Australian Open second round. The 35-year-old Swiss had to battle hard throughout the two-hour contest and only really eased clear of his dogged opponent when the Austrian tired in the final set. Federer who has returned after a long absence due to a knee injury, made 36 unforced errors but there were also plenty of reminders of the brilliant skills that have won him 17 grand slam titles, four at Melbourne Park. Seeded 17th, Federer has tougher battles ahead if he makes it through to the second week of the tournament but will next pit his skills against American qualifier Noah Rubin in the next round. In another match, Rafael Nadal avoided the embarrassment of another back-to-back first-round exit at the Australian Open ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3 6-4 6-1 at the Rod Laver Arena. The 2009 champion, seeded ninth after a disappointing injury-disrupted 2016 season, grasped his chances ruthlessly to overcome the German in a little over two hours in the afternoon heat at Melbourne Park. A single break in each of the first two sets followed by some dominant serving was enough to give him a comfortable lead going into the third, which the Spaniard wrapped up with a 25th sizzling forehand winner. The 14-times Grand Slam champion, who was watched by new coach Carlos Moya, moves on to the second round where he is set to clash against Cyprusfinalist Marcos Baghdatis. In the women's draw defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber battled her nerves and faltered badly with victory in sight before finally overcoming Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 5-7 6-2 to reach the second round. The 28-year-old German was starting the defence of a Grand Slam title for the first time and initially struggled with her serve and the accuracy of her groundstrokes on Rod Laver Arena. Once she found her range, however, Kerber proved more than a match for world number 51 Tsurenko, who was reduced to scrapping to save her serve and the odd pearl of a consolation point off her rasping backhand. (Reuters)

Australian Open: Federer, Nadal enter second round

Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month&#39;s Australian Open and possibly his country&#39;s Davis Cup first round tie against Italy because of injury concerns.

The former US&nbsp;Open champion has been plagued with wrist injuries for the past three years and after an impressive return in 2016 said he wants to avoid any setbacks.

A statement announcing that he was withdrawing from the season-opening Auckland Classic and the Australian Open said he needed more recovery time after leading Argentina to the Davis Cup title for the first time in November.

&quot;What I need is to have someone get me physically fit enough to last the whole year,&quot; the 28-year-old said.

&quot;We&#39;re looking at what the priority is. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more.&quot;

He is regarded as a serious challenger for grand slam titles but three surgeries to his wrist threatened to end his career. He began the year ranked 1,042 but ended the season inside the top 40.

Del Potro reached the Olympic singles final in Rio, losing a cliff-hanger to Andy Murray, before guiding Argentina to victory over Croatia in the Davis Cup final.

The 28-year-old has not completely ruled out being available for their opening round against Italy starting on February&nbsp;3.

&quot;There&#39;s still some time to the first tie against Italy, but not so much and it&#39;s going to be on clay, a surface I struggle on,&quot; Del Potro said.

(Reuters)

The former US?Open champion has been dogged with wrist injuries for the past three years

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month's Australian Open and possibly his country's Davis Cup first round tie against Italy because of injury concerns. The former US Open champion has been plagued with wrist injuries for the past three years and after an impressive return in 2016 said he wants to avoid any setbacks. A statement announcing that he was withdrawing from the season-opening Auckland Classic and the Australian Open said he needed more recovery time after leading Argentina to the Davis Cup title for the first time in November. "What I need is to have someone get me physically fit enough to last the whole year," the 28-year-old said. "We're looking at what the priority is. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more." He is regarded as a serious challenger for grand slam titles but three surgeries to his wrist threatened to end his career. He began the year ranked 1,042 but ended the season inside the top 40. Del Potro reached the Olympic singles final in Rio, losing a cliff-hanger to Andy Murray, before guiding Argentina to victory over Croatia in the Davis Cup final. The 28-year-old has not completely ruled out being available for their opening round against Italy starting on February 3. "There's still some time to the first tie against Italy, but not so much and it's going to be on clay, a surface I struggle on," Del Potro said. (Reuters)

Juan Martin del Potro to skip Australian Open over injury concerns

A Court of Arbitration for Sport decision on the two-year doping ban for Maria Sharapova has been put back two months to September, the court said today, ruling the tennis superstar out of the Rio Olympics. 
 
The 29-year-old Russian, one of the biggest names in tennis, tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January`s Australian Open, in a severe blow to her reputation. 
 
&quot;Maria Sharapova and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have agreed to defer the CAS decision until September 2016,&quot; said a CAS statement. 
 
&quot;Due to the parties requiring additional time to complete and respond to their respective evidentiary submissions, and several scheduling conflicts, the parties have agreed not to expedite the appeal. A decision is expected to be issued by September 19, 2016.&quot; 
 
The original ruling was expected by July 18, with Sharapova hoping that a successful appeal would have allowed her to spearhead the Russian tennis team in Rio. 
 
Russia&#39;s participation at the Games, which begin on August 5, is already under fierce scrutiny after its track and field team was banned for separate state-sponsored doping. 
 
Sharapova&#39;s ban was backdated to January 26 this year, when she tested positive for the prohibited substance. 
 
Meldonium was added to the world anti-doping WADA list on January 1. Sharapova said she had been taking it for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency. 
 
Sharapova has previously blasted the ban as &quot;unfairly harsh&quot;. 
 
The CAS statement added: &quot;In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks the annulment of the (ITF) tribunal`s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Ms Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced. The final decision will be announced and published by CAS when it is available.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Maria Sharapova, one of the biggest names in tennis, tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January's Australian Open

A Court of Arbitration for Sport decision on the two-year doping ban for Maria Sharapova has been put back two months to September, the court said today, ruling the tennis superstar out of the Rio Olympics. The 29-year-old Russian, one of the biggest names in tennis, tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January`s Australian Open, in a severe blow to her reputation. "Maria Sharapova and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have agreed to defer the CAS decision until September 2016," said a CAS statement. "Due to the parties requiring additional time to complete and respond to their respective evidentiary submissions, and several scheduling conflicts, the parties have agreed not to expedite the appeal. A decision is expected to be issued by September 19, 2016." The original ruling was expected by July 18, with Sharapova hoping that a successful appeal would have allowed her to spearhead the Russian tennis team in Rio. Russia's participation at the Games, which begin on August 5, is already under fierce scrutiny after its track and field team was banned for separate state-sponsored doping. Sharapova's ban was backdated to January 26 this year, when she tested positive for the prohibited substance. Meldonium was added to the world anti-doping WADA list on January 1. Sharapova said she had been taking it for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency. Sharapova has previously blasted the ban as "unfairly harsh". The CAS statement added: "In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks the annulment of the (ITF) tribunal`s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation. "Ms Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced. The final decision will be announced and published by CAS when it is available." (AFP)

Sharapova out of Rio as CAS delays doping decision

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