Australian Open: Venus Williams, US champion Stephens out in 1st round
January 15, 2018 11:44 ISTSerena Williams' exit followed U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens' 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 loss to Zhang Shuai.
Serena Williams' exit followed U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens' 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 loss to Zhang Shuai.
The 19-time major winner can afford to relax slightly longer, given the half of the draw that he shares with Djokovic doesn't start until day two of the Australian Open.
Bhambri overcame a first set lapse to tame Canadian Peter Polansky 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the third and final qualifying round.
Muguruza was forced to retire from two consecutive tournaments this month, first due to leg cramps at the Brisbane International and then at the Sydney International because of a thigh injury.
Despite a stellar 2017 season, which saw the 31-year-old claim the US Open and a record 10th French Open title, Nadal played down the significance of beginning the year with the No.1 ranking.
Kerber, the 2016 Australian Open champion, won four consecutive singles matches at the Hopman Cup, followed by five in Sydney International.
Simona Halep is looking to finally break through and win her first major after twice finishing runner-up.
Djokovic is seeded 14th and will be coming off just a couple of exhibition matches to prepare for his first-round encounter against Donald Young at Australian Open.
Let's have a quick look over male tennis icons, who are expected to shine at Melbourne Park
Federer beat Nadal in a five-set final for his 18th Grand Slam title — and his first since 2012 — and later won Wimbledon.
Angelique Kerber won all four singles at the Hopman Cup and now all four in Sydney en route to the final.
Del Potro's form in Auckland this week has been outstanding and he has shown no signs of a wrist injury which has dogged his career.
Kerber, who began last year at the top of the rankings before finishing at No. 22, won her seventh straight match of 2018, including four singles at the Hopman Cup last week.
Former world number one Novak Djokovic, who is making a comeback after a six-month layoff due to a tennis elbow injury, is ranked 14 in the first major of the season.
Top-ranked Nadal will start his campaign against Victor Estrella Burgos, has a potential fourth-round match against John Isner, and has No. 3-ranked Grigor Dimitrov in the same half of the draw, which was held on Thursday at Margaret Court Arena.
There was not much of a difference in the two teams as the winners won 70 points to the 64 of Bopanna and Roger- Vasselin.
Muguruza later has withdrawn from her next match because of a right thigh injury, handing a walkover to her quarterfinal opponent Daria Gavrilova.
Bhambri, with an ATP ranking of 121 and ranked 15th in the qualifiers, for the second time in his career defeated Canadian Davis Cupper B. Schnur 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Muguruza entered the fourth day of the tournament as the only female seeded player remaining following second-seeded Venus Williams' second-round loss on Tuesday.
Wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm to protect his troublesome elbow, Djokovic dominated the fifth-ranked Thiem 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday in an exhibition match at the Kooyong Classic tournament.
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