Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber beat Australia&#39;s Ashleigh Barty in straight sets to win the Sydney International for her ninth consecutive win of the new season on Saturday.

With this win Kerber cracks top 20 again, going to the 14th place. She will definitely be among the ones to watch at the Australian Open.

The former world No.1 was too strong for Barty, winning the final 6-4, 6-4 to give her a massive confidence boost for next week&#39;s Australian Open in Melbourne.

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...that winning feeling ???????????????? <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyTennis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyTennis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamAngie?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamAngie</a> #????11 <a href="https://t.co/YNpKdUh1sM">pic.twitter.com/YNpKdUh1sM</a>
&mdash; Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) <a href="https://twitter.com/AngeliqueKerber/status/952095249907830785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It was Kerber&#39;s second win over the 19th-ranked Barty in three meetings.

Kerber, who began last year as No.1 before finishing at No.22, continued her 2018 resurgence and remains unbeaten this year.

Kerber won her four matches at last week&#39;s mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth before her five victories in Sydney.

It was the first time an Australian woman featured in the Sydney International final since 2005 when Alicia Molik took the title over Sam Stosur.

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Kerber defeated Australia's Barty in straight sets, 6-4 6-4 after an hour and 11 minutes long rally

Germany's Angelique Kerber beat Australia's Ashleigh Barty in straight sets to win the Sydney International for her ninth consecutive win of the new season on Saturday. With this win Kerber cracks top 20 again, going to the 14th place. She will definitely be among the ones to watch at the Australian Open. The former world No.1 was too strong for Barty, winning the final 6-4, 6-4 to give her a massive confidence boost for next week's Australian Open in Melbourne. ...that winning feeling ???????????????? @SydneyTennis #TeamAngie #????11 pic.twitter.com/YNpKdUh1sM — Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) January 13, 2018 × It was Kerber's second win over the 19th-ranked Barty in three meetings. Kerber, who began last year as No.1 before finishing at No.22, continued her 2018 resurgence and remains unbeaten this year. Kerber won her four matches at last week's mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth before her five victories in Sydney. It was the first time an Australian woman featured in the Sydney International final since 2005 when Alicia Molik took the title over Sam Stosur.

Angelique Kerber beats Ashleigh Barty to win Sydney International

Stan Wawrinka admitted on Saturday that he was not impressed that long-time coach Magnus Norman decided to end their relationship as he battled back from knee surgery.

Norman called it quits on his four-year spell with the Swiss star in October after a partnership that saw spawned three Grand Slam titles.

He wanted to spend more time with his family, but it didn&#39;t go down well with Wawrinka who has not played competitively since Wimbledon in July and is gearing up for the Australian Open next week.

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&quot;The fact that I&#39;m here and I&#39;m going to play the first one, it&#39;s a big victory. It&#39;s the best that I could have dream when I had the surgery&quot; 
 
- <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stanwawrinka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/wFZgm2aju7">pic.twitter.com/wFZgm2aju7</a>
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&quot;No, for sure, it was already a tough, tough, tough moment for myself, to be out, to get surgery, to know that it will take at least six months to be back at a place where I can play tennis again,&quot; he said in Melbourne.

&quot;It was tough to hear from him that he will stop at that moment.

&quot;When you are in a tough place like that as an athlete, you want the people who know you the best to stay with you, to stick with you. You want your team, your family to be here.&nbsp;

&quot;They will help you the most to get back where you want to be.&quot;

He said Norman was not only his coach, &quot;but he was a friend, even closer than a friend&quot; and he was &quot;more sad than angry at him&quot;.

Wawrinka is still without a full-time coach, although he continues to work with Yannick Fattebert who plans to spend more time on the road with the 32-year-old.

Despite no longer being coached by Norman, Wawrinka said he would always be grateful for the time they spent together.

&quot;That&#39;s what I want to keep from our relationship,&quot; said Wawrinka, who was the world number 17 and had never reached a Grand Slam semi-final before the pair hooked up.

&nbsp;

Norman was a friend, even closer than a friend and he was more sad than angry at him, said Wawrinka

Stan Wawrinka admitted on Saturday that he was not impressed that long-time coach Magnus Norman decided to end their relationship as he battled back from knee surgery. Norman called it quits on his four-year spell with the Swiss star in October after a partnership that saw spawned three Grand Slam titles. He wanted to spend more time with his family, but it didn't go down well with Wawrinka who has not played competitively since Wimbledon in July and is gearing up for the Australian Open next week. "The fact that I'm here and I'm going to play the first one, it's a big victory. It's the best that I could have dream when I had the surgery" - @stanwawrinka #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wFZgm2aju7 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2018 × "No, for sure, it was already a tough, tough, tough moment for myself, to be out, to get surgery, to know that it will take at least six months to be back at a place where I can play tennis again," he said in Melbourne. "It was tough to hear from him that he will stop at that moment. "When you are in a tough place like that as an athlete, you want the people who know you the best to stay with you, to stick with you. You want your team, your family to be here. "They will help you the most to get back where you want to be." He said Norman was not only his coach, "but he was a friend, even closer than a friend" and he was "more sad than angry at him". Wawrinka is still without a full-time coach, although he continues to work with Yannick Fattebert who plans to spend more time on the road with the 32-year-old. Despite no longer being coached by Norman, Wawrinka said he would always be grateful for the time they spent together. "That's what I want to keep from our relationship," said Wawrinka, who was the world number 17 and had never reached a Grand Slam semi-final before the pair hooked up.

Coach Magnus Norman's exit upsets Stan Wawrinka

Roberto Bautista Agut his second Auckland title and&nbsp;received a big confidence boost going into the Australian Open when he beat Juan Martin del Potro in three sets in the ATP Auckland Classic final on Saturday.

The Spanish fifth seed added to his 2016 crown with a 6-1 4-6 7-5 success over Del Potro in two hours, seven minutes.

Del Potro, who had not dropped a set all week, was unable to hold serve once in the first set as the Spaniard fought his way to a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win.

Both players are seeded in the Australian Open with del Potro 12th and Bautista Agut 20th but it was the Spaniard who was in command in Auckland.

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Make that two-time ASB Classic ????! Roberto Bautista Agut wins his third consecutive <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATP</a> final, d. Del Potro in Auckland. 
 
Read More: <a href="https://t.co/hVdIe5nvUg">https://t.co/hVdIe5nvUg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATP</a> <a href="https://t.co/RjWaKkT9bb">pic.twitter.com/RjWaKkT9bb</a>
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He targeted the Argentinian&#39;s backhand with confidence and when he switched to the forehand court del Potro&#39;s return placement was off in the first set.

But in the second set, Del Potro regained his touch and broke Bautista Agut for the first time at 5-4 to take the set.

The final set remained with serve until Bautista Agut broke at 5-5 and then served for the match.

Del Potro ready for Melbourne despite Auckland loss he said after the match, &quot;I played well and I&#39;m looking forward to doing well in Melbourne. It&#39;s a big event for me, another Grand Slam which is amazing after all my wrist problems,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

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The Spanish fifth seed Roberto Bautista Agut claimed his second Auckland Open title with a win over Juan Martin del Potro in the finals

Roberto Bautista Agut his second Auckland title and received a big confidence boost going into the Australian Open when he beat Juan Martin del Potro in three sets in the ATP Auckland Classic final on Saturday. The Spanish fifth seed added to his 2016 crown with a 6-1 4-6 7-5 success over Del Potro in two hours, seven minutes. Del Potro, who had not dropped a set all week, was unable to hold serve once in the first set as the Spaniard fought his way to a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win. Both players are seeded in the Australian Open with del Potro 12th and Bautista Agut 20th but it was the Spaniard who was in command in Auckland. Make that two-time ASB Classic ????! Roberto Bautista Agut wins his third consecutive #ATP final, d. Del Potro in Auckland. Read More: https://t.co/hVdIe5nvUg #ATP pic.twitter.com/RjWaKkT9bb — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) January 13, 2018 × He targeted the Argentinian's backhand with confidence and when he switched to the forehand court del Potro's return placement was off in the first set. But in the second set, Del Potro regained his touch and broke Bautista Agut for the first time at 5-4 to take the set. The final set remained with serve until Bautista Agut broke at 5-5 and then served for the match. Del Potro ready for Melbourne despite Auckland loss he said after the match, "I played well and I'm looking forward to doing well in Melbourne. It's a big event for me, another Grand Slam which is amazing after all my wrist problems," he said.

Tennis player Roberto Bautista claims Auckland title after defeating Juan del Porto

Daniil Medvedev fought off tigerish Australian youngster Alex de Minaur to win his first ATP Tour title at the Sydney International on Saturday.

Medvedev completed an all-conquering week to hit back from losing the opening set to extinguish de Minaur, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

It was 21-year-old Medvedev&#39;s seventh win this week, giving him solid preparation for next week&#39;s Australian Open in Melbourne where he faces another Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round.

&quot;I&#39;m the kind of person, the more emotions I feel, the less I show them, actually, especially if they are good ones,&quot; Medvedev said.

&quot;After the match, I didn&#39;t fall down or anything, but I&#39;m really happy. I mean, to make it through the quallies, there were so many circumstances.&quot;

Looking ahead to the Australian Open he added: &quot;I need to be humble with this because to win this tournament is good, but I want to win some rounds in Australia.

&quot;And it&#39;s going to be very tough to get back again on the court, especially against Thanasi, I&#39;m sure the crowd will be crazy in Melbourne for him.

&quot;It&#39;s a five-set match, so I just need to do my best at recovery to be good on Tuesday.&quot;

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/DaniilMedwed?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DaniilMedwed</a> is the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SydneyTennis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SydneyTennis</a> champion! 
 
Incredibly gutsy three set win 1-6 6-4 7-5 over de Minaur. <a href="https://t.co/RpPiXmF4Sb">pic.twitter.com/RpPiXmF4Sb</a>
&mdash; Sydney International (@SydneyTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyTennis/status/952124588359495680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Medvedev struggled in the opening set as the 167th-ranked de Minaur grew in confidence and was willed on by a supportive home crowd.

The longer the rallies the more dangerous de Minaur became and he claimed the opening set after winning six games on the trot.

But Medvedev found his way back in the second set, breaking serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and went on to level the match at a set apiece.

Winners flowed from the Russian&#39;s racquet with a running backhand crosscourt passing shot he played for a 3-0 lead an outstanding moment.

Down 4-1, the young Aussie appeared well out of the contest, but two double-faults handed de Minaur a break point and Medvedev surrendered serve when he sprayed a forehand long.

Fired up young de Minaur worked away at Medvedev&#39;s lead amid the din inside Ken Rosewall Arena.

Medvedev held a match point in the ninth game, but when serving for the title at 5-4, de Minaur broke serve to send the crowd roaring.

But with the match beyond two hours, the 18-year-old Aussie began to show signs of fatigue and it was his errors that handed Medvedev another chance to serve out for the title at 6-5.

The 84th-ranked Medvedev also came back from a set down to upset Italian fourth seed Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the tournament.

It has been a sensational fortnight for 18-year-old de Minaur. He beat Frenchman Benoit Paire to reach the Sydney final after upsetting Milos Raonic to advance to the Brisbane International semi-finals last week before losing to American Ryan Harrison.

&quot;It&#39;s been a roller coaster, and I honestly wouldn&#39;t have it any other way,&quot; de Minaur said.

&quot;I have enjoyed every second of it. It&#39;s been a thrill, and I just want it to keep on going.

&quot;I&#39;m tremendously proud. I put in all the hard yards, and it&#39;s great to see the results coming through.&quot;

&nbsp;

Daniil defeated Alex de Minaur, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 to claim the ATP Tour in the Sydney International finals

Daniil Medvedev fought off tigerish Australian youngster Alex de Minaur to win his first ATP Tour title at the Sydney International on Saturday. Medvedev completed an all-conquering week to hit back from losing the opening set to extinguish de Minaur, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. It was 21-year-old Medvedev's seventh win this week, giving him solid preparation for next week's Australian Open in Melbourne where he faces another Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round. "I'm the kind of person, the more emotions I feel, the less I show them, actually, especially if they are good ones," Medvedev said. "After the match, I didn't fall down or anything, but I'm really happy. I mean, to make it through the quallies, there were so many circumstances." Looking ahead to the Australian Open he added: "I need to be humble with this because to win this tournament is good, but I want to win some rounds in Australia. "And it's going to be very tough to get back again on the court, especially against Thanasi, I'm sure the crowd will be crazy in Melbourne for him. "It's a five-set match, so I just need to do my best at recovery to be good on Tuesday." .@DaniilMedwed is the #SydneyTennis champion! Incredibly gutsy three set win 1-6 6-4 7-5 over de Minaur. pic.twitter.com/RpPiXmF4Sb — Sydney International (@SydneyTennis) January 13, 2018 × Medvedev struggled in the opening set as the 167th-ranked de Minaur grew in confidence and was willed on by a supportive home crowd. The longer the rallies the more dangerous de Minaur became and he claimed the opening set after winning six games on the trot. But Medvedev found his way back in the second set, breaking serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and went on to level the match at a set apiece. Winners flowed from the Russian's racquet with a running backhand crosscourt passing shot he played for a 3-0 lead an outstanding moment. Down 4-1, the young Aussie appeared well out of the contest, but two double-faults handed de Minaur a break point and Medvedev surrendered serve when he sprayed a forehand long. Fired up young de Minaur worked away at Medvedev's lead amid the din inside Ken Rosewall Arena. Medvedev held a match point in the ninth game, but when serving for the title at 5-4, de Minaur broke serve to send the crowd roaring. But with the match beyond two hours, the 18-year-old Aussie began to show signs of fatigue and it was his errors that handed Medvedev another chance to serve out for the title at 6-5. The 84th-ranked Medvedev also came back from a set down to upset Italian fourth seed Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the tournament. It has been a sensational fortnight for 18-year-old de Minaur. He beat Frenchman Benoit Paire to reach the Sydney final after upsetting Milos Raonic to advance to the Brisbane International semi-finals last week before losing to American Ryan Harrison. "It's been a roller coaster, and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way," de Minaur said. "I have enjoyed every second of it. It's been a thrill, and I just want it to keep on going. "I'm tremendously proud. I put in all the hard yards, and it's great to see the results coming through."

Tennis player Medvedev claims first ATP Tour title in Sydney

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated&nbsp;Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by&nbsp;Tomas Berdych&nbsp;in the quarterfinals.

The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He&nbsp;was in good form and full of optimism&nbsp;as he played exceptionally well.

The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner&nbsp;could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that&nbsp;he felt &quot;great&quot; after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem.

Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his&nbsp;record seventh Australian Open crown next week.

&quot;I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court,&quot; he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm.

&quot;I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well.&quot;

&quot;There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year,&quot; he admitted.&nbsp;

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Really looking forward to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TieBreakTens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TieBreakTens</a> Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It&rsquo;s a great line up and I can&rsquo;t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stanwawrinka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tomasberdych?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomasberdych</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ThiemDomi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiemDomi</a>.. ???? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryPointCounts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryPointCounts</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSc3bUkICA">pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA</a>
&mdash; Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/950599664923037701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;I personally didn&#39;t know what&#39;s going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I&#39;m here and so I&#39;m hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I&#39;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&quot;I don&#39;t want to be over-confident, but I&#39;m very, very happy with how it went today,&quot; added the 30-year-old.

&quot;I don&#39;t say I&#39;m at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open,&nbsp;&nbsp;but it was not meant to be.

&quot;I&#39;ll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation.&quot;

&quot;Especially the serve &ndash; that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised.&quot;

Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb.

&quot;I&#39;m free of fever and healthy again,&quot; the Austrian said. &quot;I&#39;m still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I&#39;ll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I&#39;ll be fine for the Open.&quot;

&quot;The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s important to find a good rhythm.

&quot;Overall, I&#39;m quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;m hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I&rsquo;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Djokovic has not played since Wimbledon 2017 due to an elbow injury, now he will chase a record 7th Australian Open crown next week

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He was in good form and full of optimism as he played exceptionally well. The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that he felt "great" after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem. Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his record seventh Australian Open crown next week. "I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court," he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm. "I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well." "There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year," he admitted. Really looking forward to #TieBreakTens Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It’s a great line up and I can’t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? @RafaelNadal @stanwawrinka @tomasberdych @ThiemDomi.. ???? #EveryPointCounts pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 9, 2018 × "I personally didn't know what's going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I'm here and so I'm hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I'll be ready for the Open." "I don't want to be over-confident, but I'm very, very happy with how it went today," added the 30-year-old. "I don't say I'm at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open, but it was not meant to be. "I'll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation." "Especially the serve – that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised." Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb. "I'm free of fever and healthy again," the Austrian said. "I'm still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I'll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I'll be fine for the Open." "The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable," he said. "It's important to find a good rhythm. "Overall, I'm quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides." "I'm hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I’ll be ready for the Open."

Very happy with return ahead of Australian Open: Djokovic

World number one Simona Halep fired a warning to her Australian Open rivals on Saturday, beating Katerina Siniakova in three sets to win the Shenzhen Open.

The final match was played indoors after repeated rain delays and began six hours after its scheduled time.

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????of Shenzhen Open 2018 Singles Finals (More to come) <a href="https://t.co/RaJPt1ZAFW">pic.twitter.com/RaJPt1ZAFW</a>
&mdash; Shenzhen Open (@ShenzhenOpenWTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShenzhenOpenWTA/status/949624331566440450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Romanian saw off the reigning champion from the Czech Republic 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 in 72 rollercoaster minutes in southern China.

The 26-year-old Halep is guaranteed top seeding for the Australian Open, the season&#39;s first Grand Slam, which begins in Melbourne on January 15. 
&nbsp;

The Romanian saw off the reigning champion Katerina Siniakova from the Czech Republic by 6-1, 2-6, 6-0

World number one Simona Halep fired a warning to her Australian Open rivals on Saturday, beating Katerina Siniakova in three sets to win the Shenzhen Open. The final match was played indoors after repeated rain delays and began six hours after its scheduled time. ????of Shenzhen Open 2018 Singles Finals (More to come) pic.twitter.com/RaJPt1ZAFW — Shenzhen Open (@ShenzhenOpenWTA) January 6, 2018 × The Romanian saw off the reigning champion from the Czech Republic 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 in 72 rollercoaster minutes in southern China. The 26-year-old Halep is guaranteed top seeding for the Australian Open, the season's first Grand Slam, which begins in Melbourne on January 15.

Tennis: Simona Halep outplays Katerina Siniakova to win Shenzhen Open

Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland hoist the Hopman Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber of Germany in the mixed doubles final.

Roger Federer paid tribute to the influence of countrywoman and former Hopman Cup team-mate Martina Hingis on his career after guiding Switzerland to their third success in the mixed teams tournament in Perth on Saturday.

&quot;I could look up to her and think, wow, how is she being so mentally strong and so consistent at such a young age,&quot; the Swiss star recalled.

Federer looked primed for his Australian Open title defence when he came from a set down to beat world number four Alexander Zverev in the men&#39;s singles before Angelique Kerber accounted for Belinda Bencic in straight sets to level the tie against Germany.

The Swiss duo then claimed the tournament with a straight-sets win in the deciding mixed doubles.

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Take a bow, <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BelindaBencic</a> ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HopmanCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HopmanCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/aN0SoEjqIC">pic.twitter.com/aN0SoEjqIC</a>
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Unbeaten in his three singles matches in the tournament prior to the final, Federer dropped the first set against the 20-year-old Zverev but recovered to win in three sets, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0, 6-2.

Zverev beat Federer at the Hopman Cup last year and came out all guns blazing on Saturday in a high-intensity first set where both players produced moments of brilliance and each holding multiple breakpoints.

Federer&#39;s frustration was obvious as the set slipped away, dropping his racquet after missing an easy volley and then launching a ball towards the roof.

However, he turned the match around by approaching the net more often and using drop shots to catch Zverev napping.

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Hopman Cup Chaaaaaaampssss! ?????????????????????? ahhhh<a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> <a href="https://t.co/97kQqt2zxE">pic.twitter.com/97kQqt2zxE</a>
&mdash; Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic/status/949645914871808001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The frustration changed sides of the net as the German copped a code violation for an audible obscenity after disputing the chair umpire&#39;s decision to replay one of his serves during the second set.

Zverev&#39;s serve, and resolve, was broken in the third game of the third set and fittingly it was a Federer drop shot which sealed the win.

Kerber, who is ranked 21st after starting last year at number one, then maintained her perfect singles record during the event to beat Bencic 6-4, 6-1 to level the tie.

Bencic, who was ranked seventh in the world before injuries stalled her progress, started brightly but Kerber soon took control and raced through the second set with breaks in the fourth and sixth games.

That set the scene for the mixed doubles, where Bencic produced some stunning returns on the Zverev serve and teamed superbly with Federer to claim the title with an emphatic 4-3 (5/3), 4-2 win under the Fast4 format.

&nbsp;

Federer remains unbeaten in his three singles matches in the tournament prior to the final as he prepared for his Australian Open title defence

Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland hoist the Hopman Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber of Germany in the mixed doubles final. Roger Federer paid tribute to the influence of countrywoman and former Hopman Cup team-mate Martina Hingis on his career after guiding Switzerland to their third success in the mixed teams tournament in Perth on Saturday. "I could look up to her and think, wow, how is she being so mentally strong and so consistent at such a young age," the Swiss star recalled. Federer looked primed for his Australian Open title defence when he came from a set down to beat world number four Alexander Zverev in the men's singles before Angelique Kerber accounted for Belinda Bencic in straight sets to level the tie against Germany. The Swiss duo then claimed the tournament with a straight-sets win in the deciding mixed doubles. Take a bow, @rogerfederer and @BelindaBencic ?? #HopmanCup pic.twitter.com/aN0SoEjqIC — Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) January 6, 2018 × Unbeaten in his three singles matches in the tournament prior to the final, Federer dropped the first set against the 20-year-old Zverev but recovered to win in three sets, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0, 6-2. Zverev beat Federer at the Hopman Cup last year and came out all guns blazing on Saturday in a high-intensity first set where both players produced moments of brilliance and each holding multiple breakpoints. Federer's frustration was obvious as the set slipped away, dropping his racquet after missing an easy volley and then launching a ball towards the roof. However, he turned the match around by approaching the net more often and using drop shots to catch Zverev napping. Hopman Cup Chaaaaaaampssss! ?????????????????????? ahhhh@rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/97kQqt2zxE — Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) January 6, 2018 × The frustration changed sides of the net as the German copped a code violation for an audible obscenity after disputing the chair umpire's decision to replay one of his serves during the second set. Zverev's serve, and resolve, was broken in the third game of the third set and fittingly it was a Federer drop shot which sealed the win. Kerber, who is ranked 21st after starting last year at number one, then maintained her perfect singles record during the event to beat Bencic 6-4, 6-1 to level the tie. Bencic, who was ranked seventh in the world before injuries stalled her progress, started brightly but Kerber soon took control and raced through the second set with breaks in the fourth and sixth games. That set the scene for the mixed doubles, where Bencic produced some stunning returns on the Zverev serve and teamed superbly with Federer to claim the title with an emphatic 4-3 (5/3), 4-2 win under the Fast4 format.

Tennis: Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic claim Hopman Cup

Former world number one Maria Sharapova was dumped out in the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open, losing in three sets to holder Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic on Friday.

The Russian will return to the top 50 next week with the Australian Open looming at the end of the month, but she failed to reach her second final since returning last April after a drugs ban.

Siniakova, the sixth seed, beat the 30-year-old 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and will face world number one Simona Halep in the final.

Halep cruised into the decider in southern China with a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 victory over fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu.

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Katerina Siniakova sets <a href="https://twitter.com/ShenzhenOpenWTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShenzhenOpenWTA</a> Final against <a href="https://twitter.com/Simona_Halep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simona_Halep</a>! 
 
Sees off Sharapova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3! <a href="https://t.co/FGKFz9BVt1">pic.twitter.com/FGKFz9BVt1</a>
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Maria Sharapova had marched into the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open by defeating&nbsp;Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

Sharapova was banned for 15 months for taking the performance-enhancing substance meldonium, and has been working her way up the rankings since returning to action,&nbsp;winning the Tianjin Open in October.

&nbsp;

Katerina Siniakova defeated Maria Sharapova, will play against Simona Halep in finals.

Former world number one Maria Sharapova was dumped out in the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open, losing in three sets to holder Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic on Friday. The Russian will return to the top 50 next week with the Australian Open looming at the end of the month, but she failed to reach her second final since returning last April after a drugs ban. Siniakova, the sixth seed, beat the 30-year-old 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and will face world number one Simona Halep in the final. Halep cruised into the decider in southern China with a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 victory over fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu. Katerina Siniakova sets @ShenzhenOpenWTA Final against @Simona_Halep! Sees off Sharapova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/FGKFz9BVt1 — WTA (@WTA) January 5, 2018 × Maria Sharapova had marched into the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open by defeating Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. Sharapova was banned for 15 months for taking the performance-enhancing substance meldonium, and has been working her way up the rankings since returning to action, winning the Tianjin Open in October.

Tennis: Katerina Siniakova sees off Maria Sharapova from Shenzhen Open

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

Russian former world number one Maria Sharapova marched into the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open on Thursday with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory over Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan.

Sharapova, who has worked her way up to 59 in the world rankings since her return from a doping ban last year, will face either of the Czech pair Kristyna Pliskova or Katerina Siniakova in the last four in southern China.

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Maria Sharapova def. Zarina Diyas 63 63 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShenzhenOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShenzhenOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/RuJHPqdKcC">pic.twitter.com/RuJHPqdKcC</a>
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The 30-year-old Sharapova, who is unseeded in the tournament that serves as a build-up to the Australian Open, is embarking on her first full season since returning from a 15-month drugs ban in April.

The five-time Grand Slam winner was never really in trouble against Diyas, who is 66 in the world and joins Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu in the Shenzhen semis.

&nbsp;

Russian star Sharapova defeated Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan in a straight sets 6-3, 6-3

Russian former world number one Maria Sharapova marched into the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open on Thursday with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory over Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan. Sharapova, who has worked her way up to 59 in the world rankings since her return from a doping ban last year, will face either of the Czech pair Kristyna Pliskova or Katerina Siniakova in the last four in southern China. Maria Sharapova def. Zarina Diyas 63 63 #ShenzhenOpen pic.twitter.com/RuJHPqdKcC — Shenzhen Open (@ShenzhenOpenWTA) January 4, 2018 × The 30-year-old Sharapova, who is unseeded in the tournament that serves as a build-up to the Australian Open, is embarking on her first full season since returning from a 15-month drugs ban in April. The five-time Grand Slam winner was never really in trouble against Diyas, who is 66 in the world and joins Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu in the Shenzhen semis.

Tennis: Sharapova sails through semi-finals of Shenzhen Open

Injured Japanese star Kei Nishikori pulled out of the Australian Open, while Novak Djokovic says he will test his problem elbow&nbsp;before deciding whether to play.

Asian number one Nishikori has been struggling because&nbsp;of a&nbsp;torn tendon in his right wrist.

&quot;I am very sorry to announce that I will miss the Aussie Open this year, The Aussie Open is my favourite Slam ... it&#39;s my &#39;home&#39; Slam,&quot; said&nbsp;Nishikori.

&quot;It&#39;s the Slam that takes incredible care of the players and their teams, and it hurts that I will have to miss it this year. My rehab is going well but I am just not ready 100 percent to come back yet in best of five set matches.&quot;

Nishikori is not the only leading player struggling with injury, with a who&#39;s who of the top names in the game battling to be fit for Melbourne Park.

Former world number one Djokovic hasn&#39;t played since a right elbow issue forced him to quit Wimbledon in the quarter-finals in July,&nbsp;Svetlana Kuznetsova is already out.

Another former number one, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-murray-out-of-brisbane-event-with-hip-injury-28326">Andy Murray, is also struggling and withdrew</a> from this week&#39;s Brisbane International as he works to overcome a right hip injury which has sidelined him since Wimbledon.

&quot;Sadly I won&#39;t be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete,&quot; Murray said in a statement.

Also returning from injury but set to play at the Grand Slam are Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic.

World number one Rafael Nadal, the reigning French Open and US Open champion, pulled out of Brisbane with a knee injury, but the Spaniard has said he still intends to be on the court at the Australian Open.

&nbsp;

Earlier, Andy Murry and Svetlana Kuznetsova was out and now, Kei Nishikori pulled out of Aussie Open and Djokovic is struggling

Injured Japanese star Kei Nishikori pulled out of the Australian Open, while Novak Djokovic says he will test his problem elbow before deciding whether to play. Asian number one Nishikori has been struggling because of a torn tendon in his right wrist. "I am very sorry to announce that I will miss the Aussie Open this year, The Aussie Open is my favourite Slam ... it's my 'home' Slam," said Nishikori. "It's the Slam that takes incredible care of the players and their teams, and it hurts that I will have to miss it this year. My rehab is going well but I am just not ready 100 percent to come back yet in best of five set matches." Nishikori is not the only leading player struggling with injury, with a who's who of the top names in the game battling to be fit for Melbourne Park. Former world number one Djokovic hasn't played since a right elbow issue forced him to quit Wimbledon in the quarter-finals in July, Svetlana Kuznetsova is already out. Another former number one, Andy Murray, is also struggling and withdrew from this week's Brisbane International as he works to overcome a right hip injury which has sidelined him since Wimbledon. "Sadly I won't be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete," Murray said in a statement. Also returning from injury but set to play at the Grand Slam are Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic. World number one Rafael Nadal, the reigning French Open and US Open champion, pulled out of Brisbane with a knee injury, but the Spaniard has said he still intends to be on the court at the Australian Open.

Australian Open: Tennis 'stars' not shining brightly due to injuries

A buoyant Angelique Kerber beat a battling Eugenie Bouchard to lead Germany to a 3-0 win over Canada at the mixed-teams Hopman Cup on Wednesday.

Former world number one Kerber notched her second straight-sets wins in Perth to start the new year, while Bouchard - once ranked fifth but now 83rd - was testy after yet another comprehensive defeat.

Kerber&#39;s win gave the Germans a perfect start to the Group A tie. Young gun Alexander Zverev then ensured they remained unbeaten after two outings with an emphatic win over Vasek Pospisil.

In the dead mixed doubles, the Germans completed a clean sweep with a straight-sets win.

If the Germans beat Australia on Friday they will be guaranteed a berth in Saturday&#39;s final.

As was the case in her 6-1, 6-4 loss to Australian Daria Gavrilova on Monday, Bouchard barely fired a shot against Kerber in the first set but resurrected her game in the second.

Bouchard opened the match by holding to love. She then had Kerber break point down in the next game before the German veteran steadied.

Kerber steamrolled Bouchard from there to close out the set in just 22 minutes.

At 3-3 in the second set, Bouchard held four break points. But Kerber staved them off, held serve and then strolled through the last two games comfortably to win 6-1, 6-3 in 57 minutes.

The contrasting moods of Kerber and Bouchard told the story, with the former rapidly regaining confidence in her own game after a frustrating 2017 in which she slipped from number one in the rankings to 21st.

&quot;I was feeling very good from the first point,&quot; she said. &quot;I was trying to be aggressive and play my game. It is not so easy to play against Eugenie but today it was a good match. It&#39;s (her own game) feeling a little bit better than one week ago.&quot;

But Bouchard could barely contain her frustration, complaining about match scheduling and the off-court activities in Perth after an error-riddled performance.

The 23-year-old said she was trying not to be consumed by the pressure to climb back up the rankings.

Also, World number four Zverev cruised past the 108th-ranked Pospisil in a 6-4, 6-2 win. The German called it his reward for putting in extra practice after his disappointing singles loss to Belgium&#39;s David Goffin on Monday.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamGermany?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamGermany</a> bring it home in the mixed doubles 4-3(2) 4-3(2) ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HopmanCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HopmanCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/30BhefLYyS">pic.twitter.com/30BhefLYyS</a>
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The 20-year-old was delighted to have kept his team on track for the final of a tournament which Germany has won twice, most recently through Boris Becker and Anke Huber in 1995.

&quot;We have two wins now in the group, hopefully, we can get one more,&quot; he said.

&quot;It is a team competition and we are in a good spot.&quot;

Tennis: Hopman Cup scores (Group A)

Germany bt Canada 3-0

Women&#39;s singles: Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 6-1, 6-3

Men&#39;s singles: Alexander Zverev (GER) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-4, 6-2

Mixed doubles: KerberZverev (GER) bt Bouchard/Pospisil (CAN) 4-3 (5/2), 4-3 (5/2)

&nbsp;

Bouchard held many break points but Kerber staved them off, held serve and then strolled through the last two games comfortably to win 6-1, 6-3 in 57 minutes

A buoyant Angelique Kerber beat a battling Eugenie Bouchard to lead Germany to a 3-0 win over Canada at the mixed-teams Hopman Cup on Wednesday. Former world number one Kerber notched her second straight-sets wins in Perth to start the new year, while Bouchard - once ranked fifth but now 83rd - was testy after yet another comprehensive defeat. Kerber's win gave the Germans a perfect start to the Group A tie. Young gun Alexander Zverev then ensured they remained unbeaten after two outings with an emphatic win over Vasek Pospisil. In the dead mixed doubles, the Germans completed a clean sweep with a straight-sets win. If the Germans beat Australia on Friday they will be guaranteed a berth in Saturday's final. As was the case in her 6-1, 6-4 loss to Australian Daria Gavrilova on Monday, Bouchard barely fired a shot against Kerber in the first set but resurrected her game in the second. Bouchard opened the match by holding to love. She then had Kerber break point down in the next game before the German veteran steadied. Kerber steamrolled Bouchard from there to close out the set in just 22 minutes. At 3-3 in the second set, Bouchard held four break points. But Kerber staved them off, held serve and then strolled through the last two games comfortably to win 6-1, 6-3 in 57 minutes. The contrasting moods of Kerber and Bouchard told the story, with the former rapidly regaining confidence in her own game after a frustrating 2017 in which she slipped from number one in the rankings to 21st. "I was feeling very good from the first point," she said. "I was trying to be aggressive and play my game. It is not so easy to play against Eugenie but today it was a good match. It's (her own game) feeling a little bit better than one week ago." But Bouchard could barely contain her frustration, complaining about match scheduling and the off-court activities in Perth after an error-riddled performance. The 23-year-old said she was trying not to be consumed by the pressure to climb back up the rankings. Also, World number four Zverev cruised past the 108th-ranked Pospisil in a 6-4, 6-2 win. The German called it his reward for putting in extra practice after his disappointing singles loss to Belgium's David Goffin on Monday. #TeamGermany bring it home in the mixed doubles 4-3(2) 4-3(2) ?? #HopmanCup pic.twitter.com/30BhefLYyS — Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) January 3, 2018 × The 20-year-old was delighted to have kept his team on track for the final of a tournament which Germany has won twice, most recently through Boris Becker and Anke Huber in 1995. "We have two wins now in the group, hopefully, we can get one more," he said. "It is a team competition and we are in a good spot." Tennis: Hopman Cup scores (Group A) Germany bt Canada 3-0 Women's singles: Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 6-1, 6-3 Men's singles: Alexander Zverev (GER) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-4, 6-2 Mixed doubles: KerberZverev (GER) bt Bouchard/Pospisil (CAN) 4-3 (5/2), 4-3 (5/2)

Hopman Cup: Angelique Kerber defeats Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets

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

Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov has surged up to the career-high third spot in the latest rankings after clinching biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

After comfortably winning the first set, the sixth-seeded went down in the second before he rebounded strongly and held his nerve to beat David Goffin of Belgium 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in a thrilling summit showdown clash of the ATP Finals that lasted two-and-a-half hours at London&#39;s O2 Arena.

The victory saw him move up by three places to stand only behind Spain&#39;s Rafael Nadal and Swiss star Roger Federer.

Germany&#39;s Alexander Zverev has slipped by one spot to fourth, after he failed to reach beyond the round-robin stage in London, while Jack Sock of America moved up one place to the eighth spot following his semi-final finish in the season-ending tournament.

Meanwhile, Goffin has also climbed up to the seventh spot after making it to the finals of the ATP Finals. He will now lead Belgium&#39;s bid for a first Davis Cup title this weekend against France in Lille.

Nadal continues to remain at the top of the rankings despite pulling out from the end-of-season finale with a knee injury after losing his first match of the Boris Becker Group.

Federer, on the other hand, is now trailing Nadal by 1, 040 points following his semi-final exit in London.

Nadal, who moved his Grand Slam haul to 16 after clinching this year&#39;s French and US Open titles, had already secured the year-end world number one ranking for the fourth time - after achieving the feat in 2008, 2010 and 2013.

The current ATP top 10 are:

1. Rafael Nadal

2. Roger Federer

3. Grigor Dimitrov

4. Alexander Zverev

5. Dominic Thiem

6. Marin Cilic

7. David Goffin

8. Jack Sock

9. Stan Wawrinka

10. Pablo Carreno.

The victory saw Dimitrov move up by three places to stand only behind Spain's Rafael Nadal and Swiss star Roger Federer

Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov has surged up to the career-high third spot in the latest rankings after clinching biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. After comfortably winning the first set, the sixth-seeded went down in the second before he rebounded strongly and held his nerve to beat David Goffin of Belgium 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, in a thrilling summit showdown clash of the ATP Finals that lasted two-and-a-half hours at London's O2 Arena. The victory saw him move up by three places to stand only behind Spain's Rafael Nadal and Swiss star Roger Federer. Germany's Alexander Zverev has slipped by one spot to fourth, after he failed to reach beyond the round-robin stage in London, while Jack Sock of America moved up one place to the eighth spot following his semi-final finish in the season-ending tournament. Meanwhile, Goffin has also climbed up to the seventh spot after making it to the finals of the ATP Finals. He will now lead Belgium's bid for a first Davis Cup title this weekend against France in Lille. Nadal continues to remain at the top of the rankings despite pulling out from the end-of-season finale with a knee injury after losing his first match of the Boris Becker Group. Federer, on the other hand, is now trailing Nadal by 1, 040 points following his semi-final exit in London. Nadal, who moved his Grand Slam haul to 16 after clinching this year's French and US Open titles, had already secured the year-end world number one ranking for the fourth time - after achieving the feat in 2008, 2010 and 2013. The current ATP top 10 are: 1. Rafael Nadal 2. Roger Federer 3. Grigor Dimitrov 4. Alexander Zverev 5. Dominic Thiem 6. Marin Cilic 7. David Goffin 8. Jack Sock 9. Stan Wawrinka 10. Pablo Carreno.

Dimitrov surges to career-best third spot after ATP Finals triumph

South Korea&#39;s Hyeon Chung kept his cool to upset top-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev and claim his first title at the Next Gen ATP finals in Milan on Saturday.

The bespectacled 21-year-old rallied from a set down to see off Rublev, the world number 37 who reached the US Open quarter-finals this year, 3-4 (5/7), 4-3 (7/2), 4-2, 4-2 in just under two hours.

Chung, ranked 54, sealed victory on his third match point after Rublev had saved two at 3-1 down in the fourth set of the final at the season-ending, eight-player tournament.

&quot;After losing the first set, and down one break in the second, I was really nervous, really angry, but I tried to have a poker face,&quot; said Chung.

&quot;I&#39;m trying to create an image of being really strong mentally and I starting playing better and better,&quot; he said.

The former student of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida who turned to a mental coach to help him deal with the pressure of tennis received $390,000 dollars (335,000 euros) but no world ranking points for winning the under-21 tournament.

Chung revealed that his mind training had helped him in Milan, just days after he had suffered a first-round exit in Paris to Rafael Nadal.

&quot;The coach says all the time, first try to stay calm and in control, to have a chance to play better and better.&quot;

It was Chung&#39;s third victory over Rublev. He beat the Russian earlier in the week and also at Winston-Salem on the ATP Tour in August.

Too emotional&nbsp;

The Russian said he had let his emotions take control.

&quot;I was playing much better than him. I was dictating the match, and then just because I let my emotion out and everything changed, because Chung, he was always there,&quot; said Rublev.&nbsp;

&quot;He was always focused. He was always in the match.

&quot;No matter if something goes wrong, he was still fighting. And me, from a little thing, I just lose my control and that&#39;s it. I just lost because of my head.

&quot;Mentally he&#39;s really strong.&quot;

The sixth-seeded Chung won all three matches in group play, including a straight-sets win over Rublev, and defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.

The momentum swung his way in the third set as Rublev&#39;s frustration broke through at his inability to wear down Chung.

He becomes the first South Korean to lift an ATP World Tour singles trophy since Lee Hyung-Taik won in 2003 at Sydney.

Medvedev took third place after Croatia&#39;s Borna Coric pulled out injured from a playoff.

The ATP used the inaugural tournament to test a number of innovations with the promising young players of the season competing in the round-robin format with the first to four games in each set winning -- a tie-break is used when the scores reach 3-3.

Changes also included no line judges with all calls made using Hawk-Eye Live, no lets, sudden-death points at deuce and a shot clock to ensure a 25-second rule between points to keep play ticking along briskly.

South Korea's Hyeon Chung kept his cool to upset top-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev and claim his first title at the Next Gen ATP finals in Milan on Saturday

South Korea's Hyeon Chung kept his cool to upset top-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev and claim his first title at the Next Gen ATP finals in Milan on Saturday. The bespectacled 21-year-old rallied from a set down to see off Rublev, the world number 37 who reached the US Open quarter-finals this year, 3-4 (5/7), 4-3 (7/2), 4-2, 4-2 in just under two hours. Chung, ranked 54, sealed victory on his third match point after Rublev had saved two at 3-1 down in the fourth set of the final at the season-ending, eight-player tournament. "After losing the first set, and down one break in the second, I was really nervous, really angry, but I tried to have a poker face," said Chung. "I'm trying to create an image of being really strong mentally and I starting playing better and better," he said. The former student of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida who turned to a mental coach to help him deal with the pressure of tennis received $390,000 dollars (335,000 euros) but no world ranking points for winning the under-21 tournament. Chung revealed that his mind training had helped him in Milan, just days after he had suffered a first-round exit in Paris to Rafael Nadal. "The coach says all the time, first try to stay calm and in control, to have a chance to play better and better." It was Chung's third victory over Rublev. He beat the Russian earlier in the week and also at Winston-Salem on the ATP Tour in August. Too emotional The Russian said he had let his emotions take control. "I was playing much better than him. I was dictating the match, and then just because I let my emotion out and everything changed, because Chung, he was always there," said Rublev. "He was always focused. He was always in the match. "No matter if something goes wrong, he was still fighting. And me, from a little thing, I just lose my control and that's it. I just lost because of my head. "Mentally he's really strong." The sixth-seeded Chung won all three matches in group play, including a straight-sets win over Rublev, and defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals. The momentum swung his way in the third set as Rublev's frustration broke through at his inability to wear down Chung. He becomes the first South Korean to lift an ATP World Tour singles trophy since Lee Hyung-Taik won in 2003 at Sydney. Medvedev took third place after Croatia's Borna Coric pulled out injured from a playoff. The ATP used the inaugural tournament to test a number of innovations with the promising young players of the season competing in the round-robin format with the first to four games in each set winning -- a tie-break is used when the scores reach 3-3. Changes also included no line judges with all calls made using Hawk-Eye Live, no lets, sudden-death points at deuce and a shot clock to ensure a 25-second rule between points to keep play ticking along briskly.

Tennis: Cool Chung wins inaugural NextGen finals

World number one Rafael Nadal is confident he will be &ldquo;100 pe rcent fit&rdquo; at the ATP Finals event in London as he continues to recover from a knee injury.

The Spaniard pulled out of the Paris Masters before his quarter-final match against American John Isner after experiencing discomfort in his right knee during his third-round win over Pablo Cuevas.

&rdquo;Hopefully the knee is good,&ldquo; Nadal told Sky Sports. &rdquo;I&rsquo;ve done everything I&rsquo;ve needed to do in order to get ready for London... Let&rsquo;s see if I am able to be 100 per cent to compete.&quot;

&rdquo;If nothing happens, then I will play. I visited my doctors after the Paris Masters - it was a tough day for me having to pull out of Paris.

&ldquo;I know I&lsquo;m confident because I&lsquo;m having a great season with one event to go. I am here to try my best.&rdquo;

Reigning French and US&nbsp;Open winner Nadal begins the quest for his first ATP Finals title against Belgian David Goffin on Monday and will also compete with Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Austrian Dominic Thiem in his group.

Reigning French and U.S. Open winner Nadal begins the quest for his first ATP Finals title against Belgian David Goffin on Monday and will also compete with Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Austrian Dominic Thiem in his group

World number one Rafael Nadal is confident he will be “100 pe rcent fit” at the ATP Finals event in London as he continues to recover from a knee injury. The Spaniard pulled out of the Paris Masters before his quarter-final match against American John Isner after experiencing discomfort in his right knee during his third-round win over Pablo Cuevas. ”Hopefully the knee is good,“ Nadal told Sky Sports. ”I’ve done everything I’ve needed to do in order to get ready for London... Let’s see if I am able to be 100 per cent to compete." ”If nothing happens, then I will play. I visited my doctors after the Paris Masters - it was a tough day for me having to pull out of Paris. “I know I‘m confident because I‘m having a great season with one event to go. I am here to try my best.” Reigning French and US Open winner Nadal begins the quest for his first ATP Finals title against Belgian David Goffin on Monday and will also compete with Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Austrian Dominic Thiem in his group.

Nadal to play for ATP finals despite knee injury

Spain&#39;s Rafa Nadal made sure he would top the ATP rankings at the end of the season when he beat South Korea&#39;s Chung Hyeon 7-5 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old will finish a year as world number one for the fourth time, after doing so in 2008, 2010 and 2013.

The 31-year-old will finish a year as world number one for the fourth time, after doing so in 2008, 2010 and 2013

Spain's Rafa Nadal made sure he would top the ATP rankings at the end of the season when he beat South Korea's Chung Hyeon 7-5 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday. The 31-year-old will finish a year as world number one for the fourth time, after doing so in 2008, 2010 and 2013.

Tennis: Nadal to end the year as world number one after Paris win

Slovakia`s Magdalena Rybarikova clinched her first victory of the WTA Elite Trophy on Wednesday, beating top seed Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 1-6 7-6(5) in a thrilling encounter lasting two hours and 48 minutes.

Rybarikova made an impressive start, firing two aces on her way to winning the first set over her French opponent.

The 29-year-old ranked 22 in the world, struggled with injury during the majority of the second set, and after ceding a 4-1 lead, took a medical timeout.

Mladenovic, unaffected by the break, raced to a second set win, in which she hit 13 winners and only five unforced errors.

The players exchanged early breaks in the final set but Rybarikova clinched the decisive lead in the tiebreak, before sealing the victory on her seventh match point.

&quot;I am happy that I went through this match because conditions were tough and I had some problems with my leg,&quot; Rybarikova said after the match.&nbsp;

&quot;I was saying to myself that I had to win this match because I had so many match points and it would be really cruel to end the season like this.&quot;

Rybarikova improved her record in the Azalea Group to 1-1 after dropping her first match to Julia Goerges on Tuesday.

Mladenovic will now have to beat Goerges in their match later in the week to have any chances to reach the final four.

Australia`s Ashleigh Barty moved to the top of the Rose Group with a convincing 6-4 6-1 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Barty broke the Russian`s serve four times and served nine aces in the victory and will qualify for the semi-finals outright, should she beat Angelique Kerber on Thursday.

&quot;To qualify for this week is just a massive bonus,&quot; Barty, the youngest player in the draw at 21, told reporters.&nbsp;

&quot;And now to get a win, I can just look forward to the match tomorrow and try and go out there and play with freedom again.&quot;

Latvia`s Anastasija Sevastova cruised past reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens 7-5 6-3 to avenge her quarter-final loss in New York.&nbsp;

Rybarikova made an impressive start, firing two aces on her way to winning the first set over her French opponent

Slovakia`s Magdalena Rybarikova clinched her first victory of the WTA Elite Trophy on Wednesday, beating top seed Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 1-6 7-6(5) in a thrilling encounter lasting two hours and 48 minutes. Rybarikova made an impressive start, firing two aces on her way to winning the first set over her French opponent. The 29-year-old ranked 22 in the world, struggled with injury during the majority of the second set, and after ceding a 4-1 lead, took a medical timeout. Mladenovic, unaffected by the break, raced to a second set win, in which she hit 13 winners and only five unforced errors. The players exchanged early breaks in the final set but Rybarikova clinched the decisive lead in the tiebreak, before sealing the victory on her seventh match point. "I am happy that I went through this match because conditions were tough and I had some problems with my leg," Rybarikova said after the match. "I was saying to myself that I had to win this match because I had so many match points and it would be really cruel to end the season like this." Rybarikova improved her record in the Azalea Group to 1-1 after dropping her first match to Julia Goerges on Tuesday. Mladenovic will now have to beat Goerges in their match later in the week to have any chances to reach the final four. Australia`s Ashleigh Barty moved to the top of the Rose Group with a convincing 6-4 6-1 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Barty broke the Russian`s serve four times and served nine aces in the victory and will qualify for the semi-finals outright, should she beat Angelique Kerber on Thursday. "To qualify for this week is just a massive bonus," Barty, the youngest player in the draw at 21, told reporters. "And now to get a win, I can just look forward to the match tomorrow and try and go out there and play with freedom again." Latvia`s Anastasija Sevastova cruised past reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens 7-5 6-3 to avenge her quarter-final loss in New York.

Tennis: Rybarikova outlasts top seed Mladenovic at WTA Elite Trophy

Sloane Stephens was pummelled by Anastasija Sevastova at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai on Wednesday, her third successive defeat since winning the US Open.

The American seeded third in the tournament was beaten by the Latvian fifth seed in two straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 28 minutes at the Hengqin International Tennis Centre.

Stephens, 24, was a first-round loser at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of Hong Kong, but insisted Monday she wasn`t feeling under pressure.

&quot;I don`t think I played terribly,&quot; she said of Wednesday`s match.

&quot;I was happy to be playing better than my last matches, so that`s a good thing.&quot;

French top seed Kristina Mladenovic was also defeated Wednesday by Slovakia`s number one Magdalena Rybarikova 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), in a tight match that saw Rybarikova squander six match points before finally sealing her victory.

Twenty-four-year-old Mladenovic, ranked at a career-high number 10, still has a chance to qualify for the semis but Rybarikova was confirmed out late Wednesday given the round robin format.

&quot;(There were) ups and downs from my side, but... there`s a lot of things to take out from this match, lots of positives,&quot; Mladenovic told journalists.

But her first-match loss in Zhuhai also follows a recent poor run, including an upset by Croatian Jana Fett at the Japan Women`s Open in September, where she was again top seed.

Earlier in the season, she reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells -- a result which saw her break into the world top 20 for the first time, temporarily overtaking Caroline Garcia as French number one.

&quot;(It was) a pretty unique season,&quot; she said.

&quot;The second part is dramatic, is terrible. The first part is also dramatic but in a positive way.&quot;

Despite &quot;the tricky journey&quot;, the French number two said she had improved a lot.

Separately, the tournament`s youngest player and ninth seed Ashleigh Barty cruised to victory over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in just one hour and 11 minutes, firing nine aces for a 6-4, 6-1 triumph.

The 21-year-old, who began the year ranked outside the top 300, made the final in Wuhan and recently became Australia`s top player.

&quot;I feel like I`m playing really well this whole year,&quot; she told media, adding that she wants to finish &quot;strong&quot;.

On Thursday she faces German Angelique Kerber who she met in Brisbane at the start of the season. Kerber, then world number one, survived a big scare from the Australian wildcard entry.

&quot;I think I`m in a bit of a different position than I was in January when we played against each other,&quot; Barty, now ranked 20 in the world, said.

&nbsp;

Stephens, 24, was a first-round loser at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of Hong Kong, but insisted Monday she wasn`t feeling under pressure.

Sloane Stephens was pummelled by Anastasija Sevastova at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai on Wednesday, her third successive defeat since winning the US Open. The American seeded third in the tournament was beaten by the Latvian fifth seed in two straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 28 minutes at the Hengqin International Tennis Centre. Stephens, 24, was a first-round loser at the Wuhan Open and the China Open in Beijing before pulling out of Hong Kong, but insisted Monday she wasn`t feeling under pressure. "I don`t think I played terribly," she said of Wednesday`s match. "I was happy to be playing better than my last matches, so that`s a good thing." French top seed Kristina Mladenovic was also defeated Wednesday by Slovakia`s number one Magdalena Rybarikova 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), in a tight match that saw Rybarikova squander six match points before finally sealing her victory. Twenty-four-year-old Mladenovic, ranked at a career-high number 10, still has a chance to qualify for the semis but Rybarikova was confirmed out late Wednesday given the round robin format. "(There were) ups and downs from my side, but... there`s a lot of things to take out from this match, lots of positives," Mladenovic told journalists. But her first-match loss in Zhuhai also follows a recent poor run, including an upset by Croatian Jana Fett at the Japan Women`s Open in September, where she was again top seed. Earlier in the season, she reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells -- a result which saw her break into the world top 20 for the first time, temporarily overtaking Caroline Garcia as French number one. "(It was) a pretty unique season," she said. "The second part is dramatic, is terrible. The first part is also dramatic but in a positive way." Despite "the tricky journey", the French number two said she had improved a lot. Separately, the tournament`s youngest player and ninth seed Ashleigh Barty cruised to victory over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in just one hour and 11 minutes, firing nine aces for a 6-4, 6-1 triumph. The 21-year-old, who began the year ranked outside the top 300, made the final in Wuhan and recently became Australia`s top player. "I feel like I`m playing really well this whole year," she told media, adding that she wants to finish "strong". On Thursday she faces German Angelique Kerber who she met in Brisbane at the start of the season. Kerber, then world number one, survived a big scare from the Australian wildcard entry. "I think I`m in a bit of a different position than I was in January when we played against each other," Barty, now ranked 20 in the world, said.

Tennis: US open champ Stephens suffers fresh Asian defeat

Britain&#39;s world number three Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;has stressed the importance of gender equality in tennis, saying the&nbsp;work&nbsp;ethic required to succeed is the same for both men and women.

Murray, who is seen as the voice of&nbsp;women&#39;s equality within the game for his previous views on various issues, was coached by French woman Amelie Mauresmo for two years from 2014.

The Scot, who won seven titles and reached two Australian Open finals with Mauresmo, said he had a better understanding of the struggles&nbsp;women&nbsp;face in the game because of the partnership.

&quot;People often underestimate the amount of&nbsp;work&nbsp;that it takes to become a top tennis player,&quot; Murray&nbsp;said in comments published by BBC Magazine. &quot;And that&nbsp;work&nbsp;ethic is the same whether you are a man or a woman.

&quot;There are hours spent in the gym, on court, in physio, travelling, analysing matches and opponents, talking with your team, managing your body, and of course, making plenty of sacrifices,&quot; added the three-time grand slam champion.

&quot;Anyone who has spent any time with any of the top&nbsp;women&nbsp;will know they make those same sacrifices and are as determined and committed to winning as any of the top men on the tour.&quot;

Murray&nbsp;said he&nbsp;worked with Mauresmo because she was the right person to coach him and not because of her gender but discovered she wasn&#39;t treated the same as men in similar jobs.

&quot;Since then, I have been asked about&nbsp;women&#39;s equality and I would find it&nbsp;hard&nbsp;to look any of the top female tennis players in the eye if I did not speak my mind,&quot; he said.

Murray, who is seen as the voice of?women's equality within the game for his previous views on various issues, was coached by French woman Amelie Mauresmo for two years from 2014.

Britain's world number three Andy Murray has stressed the importance of gender equality in tennis, saying the work ethic required to succeed is the same for both men and women. Murray, who is seen as the voice of women's equality within the game for his previous views on various issues, was coached by French woman Amelie Mauresmo for two years from 2014. The Scot, who won seven titles and reached two Australian Open finals with Mauresmo, said he had a better understanding of the struggles women face in the game because of the partnership. "People often underestimate the amount of work that it takes to become a top tennis player," Murray said in comments published by BBC Magazine. "And that work ethic is the same whether you are a man or a woman. "There are hours spent in the gym, on court, in physio, travelling, analysing matches and opponents, talking with your team, managing your body, and of course, making plenty of sacrifices," added the three-time grand slam champion. "Anyone who has spent any time with any of the top women will know they make those same sacrifices and are as determined and committed to winning as any of the top men on the tour." Murray said he worked with Mauresmo because she was the right person to coach him and not because of her gender but discovered she wasn't treated the same as men in similar jobs. "Since then, I have been asked about women's equality and I would find it hard to look any of the top female tennis players in the eye if I did not speak my mind," he said.

Women work just as hard, sacrifice as much as men: Murray

Shattered Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has said his young Davis Cup team will be better for their heart-breaking semi-final loss to Belgium and backed them to bounce back quickly from the disappointment.

Chasing their first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis.

Hewitt said he could not fault the effort of his players in front of a parochial home crowd on clay courts, their least-preferred surface, but as a member of the team that beat Spain in the 2003 title-decider, he was still crushed by the defeat.

&quot;You come here to get the result. It&#39;s a bit raw at the moment,&quot; the two-time grand slam champion told reporters. &quot;Everyone gave 100 per cent. We left it all out there. But that doesn&#39;t make it hurt any less.

&quot;It&#39;s disappointing, but I&#39;ve told the boys, if it hurts it&#39;s because it means something.

&quot;These boys take a lot of pride wearing the green and gold and will bounce back.&quot;

With Bernard Tomic overlooked for the tie amid a deep form slump, Hewitt sprung a couple of selection surprises over the weekend, neither of which paid off.

After including the in-form Thanasi Kokkinakis in his squad, Hewitt ignored the young talent and plumped for 183rd-ranked John Millman, who lost the opening singles to Goffin on Friday.

Millman played well in defeat to Goffin but was discarded in favour of 69th-ranked Jordan Thompson who duly lost to Darcis on Sunday.

&quot;It was always going to be the case for a long time (to play Thompson on Sunday), so nothing in our plans changed,&quot; Hewitt said, defending the decision.

&quot;A lot of these boys haven&#39;t played in Davis Cup ties away from home,&quot; added Hewitt. &quot;It is different. It&#39;s tough. Especially in semis and finals. They&#39;ll be better for the run.&quot;

Belgium will play away to France in the decider in November.

Chasing their first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis.

Shattered Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has said his young Davis Cup team will be better for their heart-breaking semi-final loss to Belgium and backed them to bounce back quickly from the disappointment. Chasing their first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis. Hewitt said he could not fault the effort of his players in front of a parochial home crowd on clay courts, their least-preferred surface, but as a member of the team that beat Spain in the 2003 title-decider, he was still crushed by the defeat. "You come here to get the result. It's a bit raw at the moment," the two-time grand slam champion told reporters. "Everyone gave 100 per cent. We left it all out there. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. "It's disappointing, but I've told the boys, if it hurts it's because it means something. "These boys take a lot of pride wearing the green and gold and will bounce back." With Bernard Tomic overlooked for the tie amid a deep form slump, Hewitt sprung a couple of selection surprises over the weekend, neither of which paid off. After including the in-form Thanasi Kokkinakis in his squad, Hewitt ignored the young talent and plumped for 183rd-ranked John Millman, who lost the opening singles to Goffin on Friday. Millman played well in defeat to Goffin but was discarded in favour of 69th-ranked Jordan Thompson who duly lost to Darcis on Sunday. "It was always going to be the case for a long time (to play Thompson on Sunday), so nothing in our plans changed," Hewitt said, defending the decision. "A lot of these boys haven't played in Davis Cup ties away from home," added Hewitt. "It is different. It's tough. Especially in semis and finals. They'll be better for the run." Belgium will play away to France in the decider in November.

Davis Cup: Australia will bounce back, says Hewitt

Rafael Nadal notched up his 50th win at the US Open to reach the quarter-finals for the seventh time Monday as teen sensation Andrey Rublev and comeback queen Kaia Kanepi muscled into the spotlight.

World number one Nadal, who could meet old rival Roger Federer for the first time in New York at the semi-final stage, crushed Ukraine&#39;s Alexander Dolgopolov 6-2, 6-4, 6-1.

The 31-year-old Spaniard goes on to face Russian 19-year-old Rublev, who stunned Belgian ninth seed David Goffin 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to become the youngest quarter-finalist since Andy Roddick in 2001.

As Rublev pondered a first Slam quarterfinal, the women&#39;s draw saw Estonia&#39;s world number 418 Kanepi book her place in the last eight of a major for the sixth time.

The 32-year-old is just the second qualifier to make the quarters in New York.

Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, showed no signs of the struggles that bedeviled him in the two previous rounds when he dropped the opening set before prevailing in four.

His 23 winners were just shaded by world number 64 Dolgopolov&#39;s 25 but the Ukrainian&#39;s 39 unforced errors were more than three times those committed by Nadal.

&quot;I played a solid match with not many mistakes,&quot; said Nadal, the reigning French Open champion.

&quot;He&#39;s a player who can play amazing shots but sometimes he can be very unpredictable so I just waited for my opportunity.&quot;

Rublev, ranked 53, has won 13 of his last 17 matches after breaking the top 100 for the first time in June.

He marked his entry into the top 50 by winning the Umag title as a lucky loser in July and he insists all the pressure will be on Nadal who is chasing a 16th major.

&quot;Rafa is a real champion. I will try to do my best -- I have nothing to lose,&quot; said Rublev, whose push to victory on Monday was helped by Goffin suffering a left knee injury.

&quot;It was impossible to win today,&quot; said the Belgian.

Federer, bidding for a sixth US Open and 20th major, will tackle Philipp Kohlschreiber later Monday.

After stretching his runs of dominance over Mikhail Youzhny to 17-0 and Feliciano Lopez to 13-0, the 36-year-old Federer takes an 11-0 advantage into his night-time duel with German 33rd seed Kohlschreiber.

The remaining last-16 tie of the day sees 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, the 24th seeded Argentine, up against Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem.

Thiem, who was forced to quit with an injury against del Potro at the same stage in 2016, celebrated his 24th birthday on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Kanepi, a former world number 15 whose career was almost ended by illness and a crippling injury, downed Russia&#39;s Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-4.

She will next face either Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina or Madison Keys of the United States.

It will be Kanepi&#39;s sixth quarter-final at the majors and second in New York after also reaching the last eight in 2010.

&quot;It&#39;s very tough to believe where I am now after all that has happened. I didn&#39;t expect it,&quot; said Kanepi, who is playing in the main draw of an event for the first time this year.

In 2016, she appeared just once in Rabat as she battled the effects of Epstein-Barr virus and then painful plantar fasciitis in both feet.

Top seed Kristina Pliskova, the runner-up in 2016, needed just 46 minutes to sweep past Jennifer Brady of the United States 6-1, 6-0 and make her third Slam quarter-final of 2017.

The tall Czech had needed back-to-back three-setters to get to the last 16, including having to save a match point against Zhang Shuai of China in the third round.

Pliskova will next face American 20th seed CoCo Vandeweghe, who made the last eight for the first time by beating Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).

World number one Nadal, who could meet old rival Roger Federer for the first time in New York at the semi-final stage, crushed Ukraine's Alexander Dolgopolov 6-2, 6-4, 6-1

Rafael Nadal notched up his 50th win at the US Open to reach the quarter-finals for the seventh time Monday as teen sensation Andrey Rublev and comeback queen Kaia Kanepi muscled into the spotlight. World number one Nadal, who could meet old rival Roger Federer for the first time in New York at the semi-final stage, crushed Ukraine's Alexander Dolgopolov 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. The 31-year-old Spaniard goes on to face Russian 19-year-old Rublev, who stunned Belgian ninth seed David Goffin 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to become the youngest quarter-finalist since Andy Roddick in 2001. As Rublev pondered a first Slam quarterfinal, the women's draw saw Estonia's world number 418 Kanepi book her place in the last eight of a major for the sixth time. The 32-year-old is just the second qualifier to make the quarters in New York. Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, showed no signs of the struggles that bedeviled him in the two previous rounds when he dropped the opening set before prevailing in four. His 23 winners were just shaded by world number 64 Dolgopolov's 25 but the Ukrainian's 39 unforced errors were more than three times those committed by Nadal. "I played a solid match with not many mistakes," said Nadal, the reigning French Open champion. "He's a player who can play amazing shots but sometimes he can be very unpredictable so I just waited for my opportunity." Rublev, ranked 53, has won 13 of his last 17 matches after breaking the top 100 for the first time in June. He marked his entry into the top 50 by winning the Umag title as a lucky loser in July and he insists all the pressure will be on Nadal who is chasing a 16th major. "Rafa is a real champion. I will try to do my best -- I have nothing to lose," said Rublev, whose push to victory on Monday was helped by Goffin suffering a left knee injury. "It was impossible to win today," said the Belgian. Federer, bidding for a sixth US Open and 20th major, will tackle Philipp Kohlschreiber later Monday. After stretching his runs of dominance over Mikhail Youzhny to 17-0 and Feliciano Lopez to 13-0, the 36-year-old Federer takes an 11-0 advantage into his night-time duel with German 33rd seed Kohlschreiber. The remaining last-16 tie of the day sees 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, the 24th seeded Argentine, up against Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem. Thiem, who was forced to quit with an injury against del Potro at the same stage in 2016, celebrated his 24th birthday on Sunday. The 32-year-old Kanepi, a former world number 15 whose career was almost ended by illness and a crippling injury, downed Russia's Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-4. She will next face either Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina or Madison Keys of the United States. It will be Kanepi's sixth quarter-final at the majors and second in New York after also reaching the last eight in 2010. "It's very tough to believe where I am now after all that has happened. I didn't expect it," said Kanepi, who is playing in the main draw of an event for the first time this year. In 2016, she appeared just once in Rabat as she battled the effects of Epstein-Barr virus and then painful plantar fasciitis in both feet. Top seed Kristina Pliskova, the runner-up in 2016, needed just 46 minutes to sweep past Jennifer Brady of the United States 6-1, 6-0 and make her third Slam quarter-final of 2017. The tall Czech had needed back-to-back three-setters to get to the last 16, including having to save a match point against Zhang Shuai of China in the third round. Pliskova will next face American 20th seed CoCo Vandeweghe, who made the last eight for the first time by beating Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).

Tennis: Nadal hits 50 at US Open as Rublev, Kanepi grab spotlight

Spanish reigning Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza were shaken and saddened by Thursday&#39;s attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and another 100 injured.

&quot;Shattered by what has happened in Barcelona! All my support for the families affected and the city,&quot; Nadal tweeted.

Nadal&#39;s scheduled third-round match against countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Masters was postponed due to rain.

The 31-year-old winner of 10 French Open crowns captured the ATP title this year at Barcelona as well as in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Roland Garros for his 15th Grand Slam crown in June. 
A van driver slammed into crowds on Las Ramblas, Barcelona&#39;s most popular street, in a daylight attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Police was treating the incident as a terrorist attack.

Sixth-ranked Muguruza, who captured the Wimbledon title last month, learned of the incident during a two-hour rain delay in her 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3) victory over American Madison Keys.

&quot;I couldn&#39;t believe it. I have been so many times to that place, so many times. It&#39;s like a main street with a lot of shops and people,&quot; Muguruza said.

&quot;I was very surprised because you always hear what happened in Paris and in London, and you&#39;re, like, &#39;Shit.&#39; But now, I&#39;ve been so many times to this place, it&#39;s like my home. And I feel, like, &#39;Shit.&#39;

&quot;I&#39;ve been there so many times. So it really shocked me. Really shocked me.

&quot;I&#39;m just sad for the people that were there. I feel like if you&#39;re in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can happen anywhere.&quot;

Once Muguruza learned of the attack, she called to make certain her family was unharmed.

&quot;During the rain delay. I&#39;m like OK, I was listening to music, I checked for news and stuff, and I&#39;m like, &#39;Oh,&#39;&quot; Muguruza said. &quot;I checked with my family. Everything is OK, but, you know, it&#39;s just incredible.&quot;

&nbsp;Emotional shock&nbsp;

Muguruza said she was able to set aside the emotional shock and return to finish her match, deadlocked 2-2 in the third set when the storm struck. She saved three match points before breaking in the 12th game, then led all the way in the tie-breaker.

&quot;I&#39;m used to putting so many things aside to be able to compete. That&#39;s my every day, putting things aside and going out there and have two hours of concentration of tennis,&quot; Muguruza said. 
&quot;I just make sure that people around me are fine. There is not a lot I can do anymore. Just support the people. Be with them. But at the end I&#39;ve got to go play. And after, we can talk again. But I have to kind of block it for two hours.&quot;

David Ferrer, who also advanced to the quarter-finals, tweeted after his match: &quot;All my solidarity with the people affected in the attack of Barcelona .. Very sad all that is happening.&quot;

And Ramos-Vinolas tweeted ahead of his meeting with Nadal: &quot;Great pain when seeing what is happening in #Barcelona. A part of me is today with you. A hug to all affected families.&quot;

Thursday's attack in Barcelona had left 13 people dead and another 100 injured

Spanish reigning Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza were shaken and saddened by Thursday's attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and another 100 injured. "Shattered by what has happened in Barcelona! All my support for the families affected and the city," Nadal tweeted. Nadal's scheduled third-round match against countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Masters was postponed due to rain. The 31-year-old winner of 10 French Open crowns captured the ATP title this year at Barcelona as well as in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Roland Garros for his 15th Grand Slam crown in June. A van driver slammed into crowds on Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most popular street, in a daylight attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Police was treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Sixth-ranked Muguruza, who captured the Wimbledon title last month, learned of the incident during a two-hour rain delay in her 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3) victory over American Madison Keys. "I couldn't believe it. I have been so many times to that place, so many times. It's like a main street with a lot of shops and people," Muguruza said. "I was very surprised because you always hear what happened in Paris and in London, and you're, like, 'Shit.' But now, I've been so many times to this place, it's like my home. And I feel, like, 'Shit.' "I've been there so many times. So it really shocked me. Really shocked me. "I'm just sad for the people that were there. I feel like if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can happen anywhere." Once Muguruza learned of the attack, she called to make certain her family was unharmed. "During the rain delay. I'm like OK, I was listening to music, I checked for news and stuff, and I'm like, 'Oh,'" Muguruza said. "I checked with my family. Everything is OK, but, you know, it's just incredible." Emotional shock Muguruza said she was able to set aside the emotional shock and return to finish her match, deadlocked 2-2 in the third set when the storm struck. She saved three match points before breaking in the 12th game, then led all the way in the tie-breaker. "I'm used to putting so many things aside to be able to compete. That's my every day, putting things aside and going out there and have two hours of concentration of tennis," Muguruza said. "I just make sure that people around me are fine. There is not a lot I can do anymore. Just support the people. Be with them. But at the end I've got to go play. And after, we can talk again. But I have to kind of block it for two hours." David Ferrer, who also advanced to the quarter-finals, tweeted after his match: "All my solidarity with the people affected in the attack of Barcelona .. Very sad all that is happening." And Ramos-Vinolas tweeted ahead of his meeting with Nadal: "Great pain when seeing what is happening in #Barcelona. A part of me is today with you. A hug to all affected families."

Nadal and Muguruza shocked by Barcelona attack

A rejuvenated Roger Federer believes he is still reaping the benefits of his extended break from tennis after a comfortable opening victory at the ATP &nbsp;Montreal openers Masters gave him his best start to a season since 2006.

The Swiss star, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday, swatted aside Canada&#39;s world number 116 Peter Polansky 6-2, 6-1 in just 53 minutes to book his place in the second round.

Federer was joined in the last 16 by top seed and old adversary Rafael Nadal, who made similarly short work of his opening assignment.&nbsp;

Nadal, who will depose the absent Andy Murray as world number one if he reaches the semi-finals in Montreal this week, routed Croatian youngster Borna Coric 6-1, 6-2.

Federer is riding high after a spectacular year which has netted him both the Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns.

On Wednesday&#39;s evidence, few would bet against him adding the US Open to that haul after a masterful performance that left Polansky groping at shadows.

A one-sided win gave him a 32-2 start to the season, his best beginning to a campaign since 2006 when he began 38-2 and finished the year at world number one.

Federer attributed his renaissance to rediscovering full fitness after knee surgery in 2016 and taking a two-month break from the game earlier this year.

&quot;I guess for me the key is that I&#39;m actually healthy,&quot; Federer said.&nbsp;

&quot;I knew that when I was healthy, I was going to be able to have chances to win slams again, to play against the best, beat the best.&nbsp;

&quot;That&#39;s also reasons why I&#39;m still playing today. If I felt like I couldn&#39;t do all these things, it would not be enjoyable or I wouldn&#39;t be doing it anymore.

&quot;I think the belief was always there. The body always needed to be there, too. I think the break just rejuvenated me ... I came in refreshed. It was a different mindset.&quot;

Federer took control immediately against Polansky, holding his opening service game comfortably before quickly going 0-40 up in the second game.&nbsp;

A Polansky double fault gave Federer the break and the Swiss were soon 3-0 up after holding serve to love in the next game.

Polansky held his next two service games but never looked like breaking Federer&#39;s serve as the veteran moved into a 5-2 lead.

Federer then broke Polansky to take the first set, following a signature backhand with a deft forehand volley that left the 29-year-old Canadian scrambling.

Federer was soon in control in the second set, scoring an early break and holding twice to move 3-0 up before a further break made it 4-0.

Polansky earned a stay of execution after holding serve in the sixth game to make it 5-1, but Federer raced into the next round with a comfortable hold, finishing with an emphatic overhead smash.

Federer will face Spain&#39;s David Ferrer in the third round. Ferrer upset 15th seed Jack Sock 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-1.

Elsewhere Wednesday, France&#39;s Gael Monfils saved four match points before digging deep to defeat Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori in an attritional three-set duel.

Monfils prevailed 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) to advance.

There was almost another French Houdini act in the evening session when Richard Gasquet fought back from triple match point down to earn three match points in the final set of his duel with Germany&#39;s Alexander Zverev.

Fourth-seed Zverev, however, fought back brilliantly to claim victory in a tiebreak, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3).

Zverev will now face Australia&#39;s Nick Kyrgios in the last 16. Kyrgios swatted aside Victor Troicki 6-1, 6-2.

Federer was joined in the last 16 by top seed and old adversary Rafael Nadal, who made similarly short work of his opening assignment

A rejuvenated Roger Federer believes he is still reaping the benefits of his extended break from tennis after a comfortable opening victory at the ATP Montreal openers Masters gave him his best start to a season since 2006. The Swiss star, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday, swatted aside Canada's world number 116 Peter Polansky 6-2, 6-1 in just 53 minutes to book his place in the second round. Federer was joined in the last 16 by top seed and old adversary Rafael Nadal, who made similarly short work of his opening assignment. Nadal, who will depose the absent Andy Murray as world number one if he reaches the semi-finals in Montreal this week, routed Croatian youngster Borna Coric 6-1, 6-2. Federer is riding high after a spectacular year which has netted him both the Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns. On Wednesday's evidence, few would bet against him adding the US Open to that haul after a masterful performance that left Polansky groping at shadows. A one-sided win gave him a 32-2 start to the season, his best beginning to a campaign since 2006 when he began 38-2 and finished the year at world number one. Federer attributed his renaissance to rediscovering full fitness after knee surgery in 2016 and taking a two-month break from the game earlier this year. "I guess for me the key is that I'm actually healthy," Federer said. "I knew that when I was healthy, I was going to be able to have chances to win slams again, to play against the best, beat the best. "That's also reasons why I'm still playing today. If I felt like I couldn't do all these things, it would not be enjoyable or I wouldn't be doing it anymore. "I think the belief was always there. The body always needed to be there, too. I think the break just rejuvenated me ... I came in refreshed. It was a different mindset." Federer took control immediately against Polansky, holding his opening service game comfortably before quickly going 0-40 up in the second game. A Polansky double fault gave Federer the break and the Swiss were soon 3-0 up after holding serve to love in the next game. Polansky held his next two service games but never looked like breaking Federer's serve as the veteran moved into a 5-2 lead. Federer then broke Polansky to take the first set, following a signature backhand with a deft forehand volley that left the 29-year-old Canadian scrambling. Federer was soon in control in the second set, scoring an early break and holding twice to move 3-0 up before a further break made it 4-0. Polansky earned a stay of execution after holding serve in the sixth game to make it 5-1, but Federer raced into the next round with a comfortable hold, finishing with an emphatic overhead smash. Federer will face Spain's David Ferrer in the third round. Ferrer upset 15th seed Jack Sock 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-1. Elsewhere Wednesday, France's Gael Monfils saved four match points before digging deep to defeat Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori in an attritional three-set duel. Monfils prevailed 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) to advance. There was almost another French Houdini act in the evening session when Richard Gasquet fought back from triple match point down to earn three match points in the final set of his duel with Germany's Alexander Zverev. Fourth-seed Zverev, however, fought back brilliantly to claim victory in a tiebreak, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3). Zverev will now face Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the last 16. Kyrgios swatted aside Victor Troicki 6-1, 6-2.

Tennis: Federer, Nadal stroll in Montreal openers

Australian star Bernard Tomic admits he is playing tennis just for the money and says he has no love for a game that has earned him millions.

In a frank Australian television interview, the 24-year-old told his fans to stay at home rather than paying to watch him play if they were opposed to his polarising on-court antics. &quot;Don&#39;t come,&quot; Tomic said late Sunday. &quot;Just watch on TV, you don&#39;t have to pay anything.&quot;&nbsp;

Tomic, who was slugged with a US$15,000 fine after he claimed he was &quot;bored&quot; during his lacklustre first round defeat at Wimbledon last month, said he oscillates between full commitment and apathy on court.

&quot;Throughout my career I&#39;ve given 100 per cent. I&#39;ve given also 30 per cent. But if you balance it out, I think all my career&#39;s been around 50 per cent,&quot; Tomic, who has slid down the rankings to 73 from a career-high 17, said in the interview.&nbsp;

&quot;I haven&#39;t really tried, and (still) achieved all this. So it&#39;s just amazing what I&#39;ve done.&quot;

Asked to provide advice to aspiring tennis players he was blunt.&nbsp;&quot;Don&#39;t play tennis. Do something you love and enjoy, because it&#39;s a grind, and it&#39;s a tough, tough, tough life. My position, I&#39;m trapped. I have to do it,&quot; he said.

&quot;Tennis chose me. It&#39;s something I never fell in love with. You know, I like it.&quot;

Tomic also stood by his comments after being controversially eliminated at Wimbledon by German Mischa Zverev.

&quot;I don&#39;t regret what I said. That&#39;s why I said it -- to piss a few people off,&quot; he said.

&quot;I didn&#39;t come from a rich family. We had no money.

&quot;And now living in all these lavish houses and property around the world, it&#39;s my choice. It&#39;s something that I&#39;ve worked for.&quot;

Tomic was axed by his racquet sponsor just hours after his Wimbledon fine, deeming his behaviour unacceptable.

Tomic said he 'didn't come from a rich family' and he's working in tennis to make a living

Australian star Bernard Tomic admits he is playing tennis just for the money and says he has no love for a game that has earned him millions. In a frank Australian television interview, the 24-year-old told his fans to stay at home rather than paying to watch him play if they were opposed to his polarising on-court antics. "Don't come," Tomic said late Sunday. "Just watch on TV, you don't have to pay anything." Tomic, who was slugged with a US$15,000 fine after he claimed he was "bored" during his lacklustre first round defeat at Wimbledon last month, said he oscillates between full commitment and apathy on court. "Throughout my career I've given 100 per cent. I've given also 30 per cent. But if you balance it out, I think all my career's been around 50 per cent," Tomic, who has slid down the rankings to 73 from a career-high 17, said in the interview. "I haven't really tried, and (still) achieved all this. So it's just amazing what I've done." Asked to provide advice to aspiring tennis players he was blunt. "Don't play tennis. Do something you love and enjoy, because it's a grind, and it's a tough, tough, tough life. My position, I'm trapped. I have to do it," he said. "Tennis chose me. It's something I never fell in love with. You know, I like it." Tomic also stood by his comments after being controversially eliminated at Wimbledon by German Mischa Zverev. "I don't regret what I said. That's why I said it -- to piss a few people off," he said. "I didn't come from a rich family. We had no money. "And now living in all these lavish houses and property around the world, it's my choice. It's something that I've worked for." Tomic was axed by his racquet sponsor just hours after his Wimbledon fine, deeming his behaviour unacceptable.

Tomic says he has no love for tennis

This year&#39;s US&nbsp;Open will become the first tennis tournament to top $50 million in prize money following a nine per cent increase in the total purse, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Tuesday.

Winners of the men&#39;s and women&#39;s singles titles will each earn $3.7 million, while runners-up will pocket $1.825 million from the $50.4 million total pot.

The men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s doubles champion teams will each earn $675,000, also the highest in U.S. Open history.

The qualifying tournament for the season&#39;s final grand slam will offer more than $2.9 million in prize money, a 49.2 per cent increase from 2016.

&quot;Five years ago, we committed to the players that total player compensation for players would reach $50 million at the US&nbsp;Open, and we are honouring that commitment,&rdquo; USTA President Katrina Adams said in a statement.

&quot;In addition to unprecedented prize money increases, players also will see a host of new amenities at this year&rsquo;s tournament including upgrades to player dining, a more generous meal allowance, upgrades to all player workout facilities, and additional quiet room space.

&quot;Our goal is to make every experience at the US&nbsp;Open, whether for the players, our fans, or our partners, the best, world-class experience possible.&quot;

The US&nbsp;Open runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York.

Winners of the men's and women's singles titles will each earn $3.7 million, while runners-up will pocket $1.825 million

This year's US Open will become the first tennis tournament to top $50 million in prize money following a nine per cent increase in the total purse, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Tuesday. Winners of the men's and women's singles titles will each earn $3.7 million, while runners-up will pocket $1.825 million from the $50.4 million total pot. The men’s and women’s doubles champion teams will each earn $675,000, also the highest in U.S. Open history. The qualifying tournament for the season's final grand slam will offer more than $2.9 million in prize money, a 49.2 per cent increase from 2016. "Five years ago, we committed to the players that total player compensation for players would reach $50 million at the US Open, and we are honouring that commitment,” USTA President Katrina Adams said in a statement. "In addition to unprecedented prize money increases, players also will see a host of new amenities at this year’s tournament including upgrades to player dining, a more generous meal allowance, upgrades to all player workout facilities, and additional quiet room space. "Our goal is to make every experience at the US Open, whether for the players, our fans, or our partners, the best, world-class experience possible." The US Open runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York.

Tennis: US Open to top $50 million in prize money

Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic.

Federer, 35, and playing in his 100th match at the All England Club, will now face 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych for a place in Sunday&#39;s final.

Berdych made the last-four when three-time champion Novak Djokovic retired with a right elbow injury when trailing the Czech 7-6 (7/2), 2-0.

Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39.

&quot;100 matches, I can&#39;t believe it, that&#39;s a lot,&quot; said Federer, who is chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy my body kept me going over all these years. It was a perfect setting, beautiful weather -- a Mexican wave on Centre Court, you don&#39;t see that every day. I&#39;m so happy to be through.

&quot;I&#39;m very pleased with how I&#39;m playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions.

&quot;It&#39;s like going to work, you can&#39;t produce the best every single day but you have to make sure your average is as high as possible.&quot;

Canadian sixth seed Raonic had knocked out Federer in the semi-finals in 2016, a defeat which led the Swiss superstar to shut down the rest of his season to rest a knee injury.

On Wednesday, Federer matched the big-serving Canadian with 11 aces while crunching a spectacular 46 winners.

He also saved all five break points he faced and has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set.

Elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final

Novak Djokovic said a right elbow injury was to blame for his retirement from Wednesday&#39;s Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych.

Djokovic needed treatment on his elbow at the end of the first set and was already dealing with a long-term right shoulder problem.

The three-time Wimbledon champion, who would have regained the world number one ranking if he had won the tournament, was trailing 7-6 (7/2), 2-0 when he called it quits on Court One.

Czech world number 15 Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, goes on to face seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday&#39;s final.

&quot;It&#39;s my elbow. It&#39;s been bothering me for a year and a half. It&#39;s unfortunate I have to finish Wimbledon like this,&quot; said Djokovic after his first Grand Slam retirement since the 2009 Australian Open quarter-finals.

&quot;I started feeling it at the beginning of the tournament. The level of pain was always increasing and today was the worst day.

&quot;I tried what I could do to get it in condition to be able to play.

&quot;All the treatments couldn&#39;t really help. The serve and forehand were the shots I could feel it most.&quot;

Djokovic was especially frustrated to have had to pull out with an injury after complaining bitterly that Wimbledon organisers should have allowed his last 16 match to be played on Monday evening instead of Tuesday morning.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion had to face Adrian Mannarino a day later than scheduled due to the late finish of Rafael Nadal&#39;s defeat against Gilles Muller.

Djokovic had needed treatment on his shoulder during his victory over Mannarino.

&quot;Those kinds of circumstances don&#39;t really help. This is the kind of situation you have to accept and try to make the most out of it,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;I spent about two hours on the treatment table in between the warm-up and the match to make me fit.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t to be. For an athlete in an individual sport, there is no way out when you are injured.

&quot;I will have to take some time and see what needs to be done. I guess a break is something I will have to consider right now.&quot;

Decline

The 30-year-old Serb had held a 25-2 career record over Berdych and hadn&#39;t lost to the Czech in four years.

But instead of extending that streak, the world number four will leave London nursing his injury and his pride as the worst period of his career shows no sign of improving.

Since winning the French Open last year to complete his career Grand Slam, Djokovic has failed to win another major title.

He crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round and the French Open in the quarter-finals.

With world number one Andy Murray crashing out against Sam Querrey earlier on Wednesday, Djokovic walked onto Court One knowing he would regain top spot in the rankings if he won Wimbledon for a fourth time.

But if that should have served as extra motivation for Djokovic, there were immediate signs that his fitness was a problem when a sloppy tie-break cost him the first set.

The Serb called for a medical timeout after the first set to have his right elbow massaged by a physio.

But Berdych seized the chance to add to Djokovic&#39;s woes with a break in the second game of the second set.

That was the signal for Djokovic to trudge forlornly to the net to withdraw from the match.

Federer becomes the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals, elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final

Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic. Federer, 35, and playing in his 100th match at the All England Club, will now face 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych for a place in Sunday's final. Berdych made the last-four when three-time champion Novak Djokovic retired with a right elbow injury when trailing the Czech 7-6 (7/2), 2-0. Federer is the second oldest man to reach the semi-finals after Ken Rosewall who finished runner-up in 1974 at the age of 39. "100 matches, I can't believe it, that's a lot," said Federer, who is chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title. "I'm very happy my body kept me going over all these years. It was a perfect setting, beautiful weather -- a Mexican wave on Centre Court, you don't see that every day. I'm so happy to be through. "I'm very pleased with how I'm playing. You can always play a little better. You adjust to the conditions. "It's like going to work, you can't produce the best every single day but you have to make sure your average is as high as possible." Canadian sixth seed Raonic had knocked out Federer in the semi-finals in 2016, a defeat which led the Swiss superstar to shut down the rest of his season to rest a knee injury. On Wednesday, Federer matched the big-serving Canadian with 11 aces while crunching a spectacular 46 winners. He also saved all five break points he faced and has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set. Elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit quarter-final Novak Djokovic said a right elbow injury was to blame for his retirement from Wednesday's Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych. Djokovic needed treatment on his elbow at the end of the first set and was already dealing with a long-term right shoulder problem. The three-time Wimbledon champion, who would have regained the world number one ranking if he had won the tournament, was trailing 7-6 (7/2), 2-0 when he called it quits on Court One. Czech world number 15 Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, goes on to face seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday's final. "It's my elbow. It's been bothering me for a year and a half. It's unfortunate I have to finish Wimbledon like this," said Djokovic after his first Grand Slam retirement since the 2009 Australian Open quarter-finals. "I started feeling it at the beginning of the tournament. The level of pain was always increasing and today was the worst day. "I tried what I could do to get it in condition to be able to play. "All the treatments couldn't really help. The serve and forehand were the shots I could feel it most." Djokovic was especially frustrated to have had to pull out with an injury after complaining bitterly that Wimbledon organisers should have allowed his last 16 match to be played on Monday evening instead of Tuesday morning. The 12-time Grand Slam champion had to face Adrian Mannarino a day later than scheduled due to the late finish of Rafael Nadal's defeat against Gilles Muller. Djokovic had needed treatment on his shoulder during his victory over Mannarino. "Those kinds of circumstances don't really help. This is the kind of situation you have to accept and try to make the most out of it," Djokovic said. "I spent about two hours on the treatment table in between the warm-up and the match to make me fit. "It wasn't to be. For an athlete in an individual sport, there is no way out when you are injured. "I will have to take some time and see what needs to be done. I guess a break is something I will have to consider right now." Decline The 30-year-old Serb had held a 25-2 career record over Berdych and hadn't lost to the Czech in four years. But instead of extending that streak, the world number four will leave London nursing his injury and his pride as the worst period of his career shows no sign of improving. Since winning the French Open last year to complete his career Grand Slam, Djokovic has failed to win another major title. He crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round and the French Open in the quarter-finals. With world number one Andy Murray crashing out against Sam Querrey earlier on Wednesday, Djokovic walked onto Court One knowing he would regain top spot in the rankings if he won Wimbledon for a fourth time. But if that should have served as extra motivation for Djokovic, there were immediate signs that his fitness was a problem when a sloppy tie-break cost him the first set. The Serb called for a medical timeout after the first set to have his right elbow massaged by a physio. But Berdych seized the chance to add to Djokovic's woes with a break in the second game of the second set. That was the signal for Djokovic to trudge forlornly to the net to withdraw from the match.

Wimbledon: Federer cruises, Djokovic defaults

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday.

Williams&#39; 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994.

The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta or Romania&#39;s Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday.

World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year&#39;s Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008.

Williams&#39; victory equalled her sister Serena&#39;s total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player.

She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena&#39;s record to become the tournament&#39;s oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus.

&quot;I love this game. That&#39;s why I put in the effort and the time. It&#39;s a beautiful game. It&#39;s been so good to me,&quot; Venus said.

&quot;The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant.&quot;

&quot;I love the challenge. It&#39;s not always easy dealing with the pressure. It&#39;s only you that can have the answer.&quot;

Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth.

That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion.

Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors.

But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up.

Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot.

After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back.

Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko&#39;s spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win.

Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova.

Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph.

Stormy

Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four.

The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick.

&quot;I played good. I&#39;m trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I&#39;m happy it worked out,&quot; Muguruza said.

&quot;It seems far away since I last made the final here. I&#39;m a completely different player.

&quot;It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here.&quot;

Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978.

Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women&#39;s title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year.

Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong.

Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

World number 11 Venus Williams has become the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist in 23 years

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday. Williams' 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994. The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain's Johanna Konta or Romania's Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday. World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year's Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008. Williams' victory equalled her sister Serena's total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player. She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena's record to become the tournament's oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus. "I love this game. That's why I put in the effort and the time. It's a beautiful game. It's been so good to me," Venus said. "The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant." "I love the challenge. It's not always easy dealing with the pressure. It's only you that can have the answer." Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth. That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion. Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors. But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up. Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot. After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back. Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko's spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win. Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova. Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph. Stormy Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four. The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick. "I played good. I'm trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I'm happy it worked out," Muguruza said. "It seems far away since I last made the final here. I'm a completely different player. "It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here." Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978. Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women's title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year. Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong. Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

Tennis: Venus, Muguruza into Wimbledon semi-finals

Rafael Nadal suffered fresh Wimbledon misery on Monday as the two-time champion crashed to a stunning 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 15-13 fourth round defeat against Luxembourg&#39;s Gilles Muller.

Just weeks after winning his 10th French Open title, Nadal was condemned to his fifth exit before the quarter-finals in his last five visits to Wimbledon.

&quot;It was not my best match against a very uncomfortable opponent,&quot; said Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion.

&quot;Well done to him. He played great, especially in the fifth set but I fought to the last ball.&quot;

The 31-year-old Spaniard, finally worn down by Muller after four hours and 48 minutes on Court One, hasn&#39;t made the quarter-finals since 2011.

&quot;Tired,&quot; was 34-year-old Muller&#39;s response after the thrilling encounter, which had the knock-on effect of pushing Novak Djokovic&#39;s last 16 match against Adrian Mannarino back to Tuesday.

World number two Nadal converted just two of 16 break points, while Muller fired 30 aces and 95 winners.

Muller, seeded 16th, will make his first Wimbledon quarter-final appearance against former US Open champion Marin Cilic.

In a pulsating final set, which stretched to 95 minutes, Nadal saved two match points in 10th game and two more in the 20th.

In between, Muller had to fight off a break point in the 13th game and four more in the 19th.

Amidst relentless tension, even a mundane women&#39;s scarf played a part when it was used to block out the evening sunlight reflecting off the stands into Nadal&#39;s eyes.

Nadal was always chasing the score and he finally cracked in the 18th game of the decider when he went long with a return.

Great feeling&nbsp;

&quot;It was a long match. I did really well in the first two sets then Rafa stepped it up and in the end it was just a big battle. I had match points and didn&#39;t make them so it was getting really tough,&quot; said Muller after a second career win over Nadal, 12 years after his first which also came at Wimbledon.

&quot;I was kind of feeling that it was going to be over pretty soon. I said just give it a shot, go 100 percent and a great feeling to be winning that match.

&quot;I didn&#39;t feel like was playing bad in the third and fourth sets. I just told myself keep it up and if it&#39;s not happening, he&#39;s just too good.&nbsp;

&quot;I started serving a bit better and then at the end, it&#39;s just a matter of a few points here and there. It&#39;s tough to say exactly what made the difference.

&quot;I haven&#39;t really realised what just happened. It&#39;s a great feeling. I was worried it was going to be over pretty soon.&nbsp;

&quot;I was already thinking about coming back the next day and finishing the match. I&#39;m just glad it&#39;s over and I&#39;m in the quarter-finals.&quot;

Muller was watched by a VIP fan in the shape of Prince Felix of Luxembourg, second in line to the country&#39;s throne.

&quot;I heard he was going to come. We know each other. He&#39;s a big tennis fan. The whole family likes tennis,&quot; said Muller.

World number two Nadal converted just two of 16 break points, while Muller fired 30 aces and 95 winners

Rafael Nadal suffered fresh Wimbledon misery on Monday as the two-time champion crashed to a stunning 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 15-13 fourth round defeat against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller. Just weeks after winning his 10th French Open title, Nadal was condemned to his fifth exit before the quarter-finals in his last five visits to Wimbledon. "It was not my best match against a very uncomfortable opponent," said Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion. "Well done to him. He played great, especially in the fifth set but I fought to the last ball." The 31-year-old Spaniard, finally worn down by Muller after four hours and 48 minutes on Court One, hasn't made the quarter-finals since 2011. "Tired," was 34-year-old Muller's response after the thrilling encounter, which had the knock-on effect of pushing Novak Djokovic's last 16 match against Adrian Mannarino back to Tuesday. World number two Nadal converted just two of 16 break points, while Muller fired 30 aces and 95 winners. Muller, seeded 16th, will make his first Wimbledon quarter-final appearance against former US Open champion Marin Cilic. In a pulsating final set, which stretched to 95 minutes, Nadal saved two match points in 10th game and two more in the 20th. In between, Muller had to fight off a break point in the 13th game and four more in the 19th. Amidst relentless tension, even a mundane women's scarf played a part when it was used to block out the evening sunlight reflecting off the stands into Nadal's eyes. Nadal was always chasing the score and he finally cracked in the 18th game of the decider when he went long with a return. Great feeling "It was a long match. I did really well in the first two sets then Rafa stepped it up and in the end it was just a big battle. I had match points and didn't make them so it was getting really tough," said Muller after a second career win over Nadal, 12 years after his first which also came at Wimbledon. "I was kind of feeling that it was going to be over pretty soon. I said just give it a shot, go 100 percent and a great feeling to be winning that match. "I didn't feel like was playing bad in the third and fourth sets. I just told myself keep it up and if it's not happening, he's just too good. "I started serving a bit better and then at the end, it's just a matter of a few points here and there. It's tough to say exactly what made the difference. "I haven't really realised what just happened. It's a great feeling. I was worried it was going to be over pretty soon. "I was already thinking about coming back the next day and finishing the match. I'm just glad it's over and I'm in the quarter-finals." Muller was watched by a VIP fan in the shape of Prince Felix of Luxembourg, second in line to the country's throne. "I heard he was going to come. We know each other. He's a big tennis fan. The whole family likes tennis," said Muller.

Tennis: Muller beats Nadal in Wimbledon epic

He&#39;s a sharp-eyed, no-nonsense killer who rules the roost at Wimbledon and the prestigious tennis championships wouldn&#39;t function without him: Meet Rufus, the hawk who makes pigeons&#39; lives hell.

Up at the crack of dawn throughout the two-week tournament which he has patrolled for 10 years, the sharp-eyed Harris hawk keeps pigeons in their place and makes sure they are not gobbling up the grass seed and fouling the pristine grounds.

Weighing just one pound, six ounces (625 grammes), he has been training at the All England Club in southwest London since he was 16 weeks old.

&quot;You couldn&#39;t do this with just any bird. He&#39;s just so chilled, calm and relaxed,&quot; said his handler Imogen Davis.

&quot;We start at 5:00 am. We clear the pigeons, if there&#39;s any around, and get ready for the day&#39;s play.

&quot;But we&#39;re here all year round which is when the majority of the work is done.

&quot;The courts are constantly reseeded and the pigeons think it&#39;s a picnic for them. They come in their absolute flocks and eat the grass seed.

&quot;We&#39;re here to ascertain that it&#39;s Rufus&#39;s territory -- and it&#39;s not a safe place for them.&quot;

Pigeons would soon wreck the championships for players and spectators alike, Davis insisted.

&quot;As soon as you&#39;ve got a problem, it gets out of hand very quickly,&quot; the 30-year-old said. &quot;If pigeons cause trouble throughout play, that can make a massive difference to a player, interrupting you when you&#39;re in the zone. And the mess they can cause is pretty outrageous.&quot;

&nbsp;

Fight or flight

It would be game, set and match to Rufus should any dim-witted pigeon try and take him on. &quot;If a pigeon wants to fight him, they can hang around and give it a go but ultimately it&#39;s predator versus prey -- and they&#39;re going to take off every time,&quot; said Davis.

Technology can be used to deter pigeons but Rufus&#39;s job is safe: The natural terror Rufus instils in the pigeons of southwest London would be difficult to replace with gadgets.

Wimbledon is known for strawberries and cream but Rufus the Hawk prefers a protein-rich diet of chicken, quail, rabbit and pigeon.

Besides the All England Club, Rufus has also been known to do a job at Westminster Abbey, Northampton Saints rugby club and the occasional landfill site.

Rufus was mysteriously stolen back in 2012 but the culprit, who was never caught, had a change of heart and freed him two days later.

Now he is never out of his handler&#39;s sight during the championships and even stays in Davis&#39;s house.

Around 40,000 people a day pour through the gates during the tournament, but Rufus is unruffled by the commotion.

&quot;These two weeks of the year are absolutely crazy. The rest of the year it&#39;s just me and Rufus on the roof,&quot; said Davis.

&quot;He loves to fly and be out. His thing is to be out hunting. It&#39;s all he knows. He&#39;s not a show bird.

&quot;He likes to keep me on my toes. He disappears down the golf club (across the road from the tennis site) and makes me go into the lake after him. But if I don&#39;t go in after him he&#39;ll make himself comfortable and I won&#39;t be able to get him back.&quot;

Rufus has patrolled for 10 years, keeping pigeons in their place to make sure they are not gobbling up the grass seed or defecating

He's a sharp-eyed, no-nonsense killer who rules the roost at Wimbledon and the prestigious tennis championships wouldn't function without him: Meet Rufus, the hawk who makes pigeons' lives hell. Up at the crack of dawn throughout the two-week tournament which he has patrolled for 10 years, the sharp-eyed Harris hawk keeps pigeons in their place and makes sure they are not gobbling up the grass seed and fouling the pristine grounds. Weighing just one pound, six ounces (625 grammes), he has been training at the All England Club in southwest London since he was 16 weeks old. "You couldn't do this with just any bird. He's just so chilled, calm and relaxed," said his handler Imogen Davis. "We start at 5:00 am. We clear the pigeons, if there's any around, and get ready for the day's play. "But we're here all year round which is when the majority of the work is done. "The courts are constantly reseeded and the pigeons think it's a picnic for them. They come in their absolute flocks and eat the grass seed. "We're here to ascertain that it's Rufus's territory -- and it's not a safe place for them." Pigeons would soon wreck the championships for players and spectators alike, Davis insisted. "As soon as you've got a problem, it gets out of hand very quickly," the 30-year-old said. "If pigeons cause trouble throughout play, that can make a massive difference to a player, interrupting you when you're in the zone. And the mess they can cause is pretty outrageous." Fight or flight It would be game, set and match to Rufus should any dim-witted pigeon try and take him on. "If a pigeon wants to fight him, they can hang around and give it a go but ultimately it's predator versus prey -- and they're going to take off every time," said Davis. Technology can be used to deter pigeons but Rufus's job is safe: The natural terror Rufus instils in the pigeons of southwest London would be difficult to replace with gadgets. Wimbledon is known for strawberries and cream but Rufus the Hawk prefers a protein-rich diet of chicken, quail, rabbit and pigeon. Besides the All England Club, Rufus has also been known to do a job at Westminster Abbey, Northampton Saints rugby club and the occasional landfill site. Rufus was mysteriously stolen back in 2012 but the culprit, who was never caught, had a change of heart and freed him two days later. Now he is never out of his handler's sight during the championships and even stays in Davis's house. Around 40,000 people a day pour through the gates during the tournament, but Rufus is unruffled by the commotion. "These two weeks of the year are absolutely crazy. The rest of the year it's just me and Rufus on the roof," said Davis. "He loves to fly and be out. His thing is to be out hunting. It's all he knows. He's not a show bird. "He likes to keep me on my toes. He disappears down the golf club (across the road from the tennis site) and makes me go into the lake after him. But if I don't go in after him he'll make himself comfortable and I won't be able to get him back."

Wimbledon: If you like the court's impressive grass, thank Rufus the Hawk

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