Australian Open 2014: Stanislas Wawrinka beats Nadal in final

Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka won his first Grand Slam title with victory over an injury-hit Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.
Wawrinka withstood a fightback from the world number one, who was struggling with a back problem, to come through 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3.
The 28-year-old becomes only the second Swiss man to win a Grand Slam singles title after 17-time champion Roger Federer.

 

Fortunes fluctuated wildly over the course of two hours and 21 minutes as Wawrinka opened in scintillating form before a tearful Nadal appeared close to quitting at two sets down, only to stage a remarkable recovery in the third.

The Spaniard, 27, showed great spirit to hit back once again from a break down in the fourth, but a forehand winner gave Wawrinka the decisive break at 5-3 and he served out the biggest win of his life with a love game.
"The last thing that I wanted to do was retire. No, I hate to do that, especially in a final," said Nadal, who revealed he felt the back issue in the warm-up.
"It's not the moment to talk about that. It's the moment to congratulate Stan. He's playing unbelievable. He really deserved to win that title.
"I'm very happy for him. He's a great, great guy. He's a good friend of mine."
Wawrinka had never won a set, let alone a match, in 12 previous attempts against Nadal, and was making his Grand Slam final debut against a man in his 19th.
But Nadal's travails in the second half of the match should not overshadow what was a magnificent performance from Wawrinka for much of the contest.
He coped brilliantly with the Spaniard's fizzing forehand in the early stages, using his backhand to return the fire, and 12 winners almost helped him to a 5-1 lead.
Some nerves were finally revealed when he tried to close out a set against Nadal for the first time, failing to make a first serve as he fell 0-40 down, but the 2009 champion could not get a return in play as Wawrinka hit back to seal it with an ace.
Three sweeping forehands helped the Swiss break at the start of the second on a run of 12 straight points, and it was when serving at 2-0 down that Nadal first appeared to feel the problem with his back.
After leaving the court for treatment, to the annoyance of Wawrinka and boos from some sections of the crowd, Nadal returned unable to serve at anything like full speed, and at one stage was close to tears.

Another visit from the physio followed after game five, and when Wawrinka took the second set almost unopposed, the 13-time Grand Slam champion appeared close to calling it quits on a long walk back to his chair.

What followed was remarkable, with Nadal staging the unlikeliest of fightbacks - possibly as the pain killers kicked in - while Wawrinka completely lost his rhythm with victory apparently his for the taking.
The Swiss made 19 unforced errors and, despite still not moving freely, Nadal managed to increase his service speed just enough to keep the misfiring Wawrinka at bay and clinch the third set.
It now appeared to be a test of Wawrinka's nerve as much as Nadal's fitness, because the Spaniard was clearly not about about to give up, and he clung on magnificently.
Two break points were saved at the start of the fourth, and a break recovered at 4-2 down, but Wawrinka made the decisive move with a brilliant forehand into the corner to break for 5-3 and raced through the final game.
Looking a little shell-shocked at joining the elite club of major winners, Wawrinka becomes the first man outside the 'big four' of Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to win a Grand Slam since Juan Martin Del Potro at the 2009 US Open.

Australian Open 2014: Li Na vs Dominika Cibulkova

China's Li Na won her second Grand Slam title with victory over Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova at the Australian Open.

Li, seeded fourth, came through an edgy first set from both women to dominate the second and win 7-6 (7-3) 6-0.

It was the 31-year-old's third Australian Open final and brings her a second major title after the 2011 French Open.

Already a popular figure at Melbourne Park thanks to her previous success - and entertaining on-court interviews - Li was urged on by a large contingent of Chinese supporters on Rod Laver Arena.
"Finally I got her [the Australian Open trophy]," said Li. "The last two times [in 2011 and 2013] were very close.
"Now I have to thank my team. Thanks to my agent for making me rich, thanks a lot."
And speaking to her husband, who was courtside: "Thanks a lot, you are a nice guy. Also you are so lucky."
Seven years older, with a 4-0 head-to-head record and facing a player making her Grand Slam final debut, Li had been a strong favourite against 20th seed Cibulkova.
In the event, it was a difficult call as to who was the more nervous in the early stages of the match.
Cibulkova double-faulted twice to give up her serve in the opening game, but Li handed it back in similar fashion at 3-2 after a dreadful start that saw her make just two first serves in the first six games.

The pair had shared 30 unforced errors in that time, and it was a question of who could string together something approaching their normal game to take charge.

Cibulkova opened the door once again at 5-5 with a double fault but Li could not serve it out, struggling with her ball toss as a set point slipped by.
It was the Chinese player's aggressive start to the tie-break that eventually got her over the line, her backhand doing much of the damage as she moved into a 5-1 lead and sealed the set after a largely unconvincing 70 minutes.
With the tension lifted and now swinging more freely, Li found her range at the start of the second and swept a winner into the corner on her way to an immediate break.
The forehand that had been a liability at times in the first set was now a potent source of attack, and a barrage from that side took her to 5-0 within 20 minutes.
"Come on, Li, bagel her!" cried one voice from the crowd, keen for a love set, and she delivered.
A rasping backhand winner helped her to two match points and, when Cibulkova fired over the baseline on the second, Li raised her arms in delight at finally prevailing in a Melbourne final at the third attempt.

Roger Federer claims best tennis still ahead of him

Former world number one Roger Federer says his best tennis this year is still to come after losing his Australian Open semi-final to Rafael Nadal. 

The 32-year-old Swiss was beaten in straight sets by current number one Nadal in Melbourne on Friday.
Federer said: "This is a very good start to the season - I played some really good tennis.
"I still feel my best tennis is only ahead of me right now - hopefully by April I'm going to be 100% again."
Federer's defeat by Nadal was his 23rd in 33 encounters between the pair and he will drop to eighth in the world rankings when they are released on Monday.
He will also be overtaken by fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka as the country's number one player - the first time he has not been Switzerland's top player since 2001.
Wawrinka, who reached his first Grand Slam final by defeating Tomas Berdych, will face Nadal on Sunday and Federer added: "I wish I could have won tonight and given an all-Swiss final. That's something I'll regret for a long time."
However, Federer is taking heart from his more attacking performance in Melbourne, where he beat Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, after a back injury hampered him for much of 2013 and led to him winning only one title - his lowest haul in a year since 2001.
"What I like to do is I like to take it to the guy, I like to be in command," he said. "That's what I was able to do now the last couple of weeks, so that's very encouraging.

"That's why I'm not too disappointed tonight because I feel it's been a good start.

"I've come from far back. I didn't have surgery like Murray had or like Rafa, being out seven months.
"But I played with something that has been going on for a while. This is a step in the right direction, and that's the way I want to go. I have a belief this could be a very good year for me again."
Federer complained to the umpire about Nadal's grunting during the match, but added afterwards that while he found it distracting at times, it had not affected the result.
"It is not distracting when he does it every point," he said. "But it goes in phases. One point he does and he doesn't. That's just what I was complaining about.
"It had no impact on the outcome of the match."
When Nadal was asked whether he knew he was putting Federer off with his grunting, the Spaniard said: "I really didn't know that.
"When I am playing, when I am hitting the ball during the point, the last thing that I am thinking is trying to bother the opponent.
"The only thing that I am focusing is try to hit my ball well. That's it."

Tennis and swimming among sports to have funding cut

Tennis is one of six sports to have funding cut for their governing bodies because of falling participation levels.

Sport England has also reduced budgets for swimming, basketball, table tennis, squash and fencing.
However, extra funding will be provided directly to programmes at grassroots level.
"There are tough messages here for national governing bodies," said Sport England chief executive Jennie Price.
"If they don't grow participation we will reduce their funding, and we won't make long-term investments until we have confidence in their ability to deliver."

The last tennis participation survey confirmed the number of 16-25-years-olds playing the sport had fallen, so Sport England has reduced funding for Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) programmes with this age group by 20% over the next year.

Instead, it intends to invest directly into a pilot project to boost park court usage, and has followed a similar route with the other sports affected by the cuts.
LTA chief operating officer Nick Humby said: "We know that we have more to do and that change takes time, but we have started to transform our approach to participation by building effective partnerships and we are determined to change the long-term trend."
Table tennis, which was among four sports to have their elite-level funding withdrawn by UK Sport  ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, will benefit from greater grassroots investment from Sport England.
Sara Sutcliffe, chief executive of the English Table Tennis Association, said: "The past six months have been a major - and necessary - journey for the sport of table tennis.

Australian Open 2014: Defending champion Victoria Azarenka loses

Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka is out of the Australian Open after she was beaten in a thrilling quarter-final by Agnieszka Radwanska.

The second seed had won her previous 12 sets against Radwanska but the Pole started superbly, racing into a 5-0 lead before taking the first set.
Azarenka responded to claim the second but the fifth seed hit top form again in the decider to win 6-1 5-7 6-0.
Dominika Cibulkova awaits in the semi-finals after she thrashed Simona Halep.

Andy Murray says it was "stupid" to think he could win Australian Open

Britain's Andy Murray said it would have been "stupid" to think he could win the Australian Open so soon after back surgery. 

The Wimbledon champion lost 6-3 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 to Roger Federer in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
It was Murray's second tournament since he underwent surgery in September.
"I wasn't expecting to come in and win the event; that would have been completely stupid to think that," he told BBC Sport.

"It's a very tough thing to do playing against Roger at that level, and even if I'd won I would have had to play Rafa [Nadal] in a couple of days.

"I'm happy to be playing at a good level just now and, with a few more matches and a bit of training and working on a few things, I'll hopefully be back to my best at some stage this year."

Murray arrived in Melbourne having played just two competitive matches in 2014 following a lengthy recovery process.
"I've come a long way in four months," the Scot said. "Obviously right now I'm very disappointed.
"There's a few things I would have liked to have done differently if I was ever to have surgery again, possibly.

Andy Murray loses to Roger Federer in Australian Open

Four-time champion Roger Federer ended Andy Murray's Australian Open hopes with a dramatic win in the quarter-finals.

The Swiss, 32, won 6-3 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in three hours and 20 minutes to set up a semi-final against world number one Rafael Nadal.
Federer had been on the verge of wrapping up a faultless three-set performance but failed to serve out the match, and then missed two match points in the tie-break.

Murray was fighting to stay alive in only his second tournament since back surgery, and saved six break points in a marathon 19-minute game early in the fourth set.

But the Scot was constantly playing catch-up and eventually he could no longer hang on, as Federer brought his man into the net at 4-3 and flipped a backhand past the 26-year-old for the decisive break.
"I was proud of the way I fought," said Murray.
"I changed my tactics a little bit, started playing a little bit more aggressive, and that was maybe my undoing a little bit at the end, because I really started going for my shots to get myself back into the match.
"Then when I got broken in that fourth set, I went for three balls. Maybe one or two of them weren't there to be hit."
Federer was relieved to come through to clinch an 11th consecutive Australian Open semi-final place.
"Andy played well and put the pressure on me so I'm happy to get the win," he said.
"I probably miss more break points than other guys but I kept my composure and kept the poker face and tonight it worked."
The first two sets saw Federer pick up where he had left off against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Monday, serving magnificently and moving forward at every opportunity.
Playing with a larger, more powerful racquet this year, and under the guidance of six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edberg, his game was simply too strong for Murray.
By the time he closed out the second set, after only 80 minutes, he had been taken to deuce just once on serve.
Murray was unable to dominate from his home turf of the baseline and could not get his return game going when second serves came his way - and his evening looked as good as over when two errors saw him drop serve at 4-4 in the third.
Federer had not faced a break point all evening but, when the moment arrived to close out the match, the 17-time major winner looked more like the fragile player that had slipped down the rankings last year.

Rafael Nadal beats Grigor Dimitrov to make Australian Open semis

Rafael Nadal avoided becoming the latest victim of an Australian Open upset with a battling four-set win over Grigor Dimitrov. 

With a severe blister on his racquet hand, the world number one saved three set points in the third set to win 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (9-7) 6-2.
"I was lucky," said Nadal. "He missed an easy forehand and another one."
He will play four-time champion Roger Federer in Friday's semi-finals after the Swiss ended Andy Murray's hopes.
The Spaniard admitted the blister was affecting his game during the match, which lasted three hours and 37 minutes, "especially with the serve".
He added: "I will try and improve the hand tomorrow and then try to be ready for a tough match against Roger or Andy.
"The blister is much better, but if I am not playing with protection, it can be much worse."
Nadal, trying to win a 14th major title, had looked in trouble after losing the first set against Dimitrov.
Struggling to get anywhere against the Bulgarian 22nd seed's first serve, he finally made the breakthrough in game 11, only to hand it straight back in a shocking game of three double-faults.
The match would hinge on two tie-breaks, with the Spaniard prevailing in both, albeit in very different styles.

Nadal, 27, dominated the first, roaring in to pick up a Dimitrov drop shot and angle a one-handed backhand past the Bulgarian on set point, before celebrating wildly as the match seem to shift in his favour.

It was still far from comfortable for the 2009 champion, however.
A 4-2 lead was squandered in the third set when he double-faulted once again, and a series of uncharacteristic forehand errors - one a wildly framed drive volley - offered Dimitrov three chances to take the set.
The 22-year-old Bulgarian, playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, snatched at the first two chances, going for a huge return at 6-5 and missing a forehand into the corner in the tie-break, before Nadal saved the third with a sharp, angled volley.

A net cord then helped out Nadal as he won three points in a row to clinch the third set, and at two sets to one down after nearly three hours, Dimitrov's resistance ebbed away.

Two breaks in the decider were enough for Nadal to see out the victory, which he sealed when Dimitrov, playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, blazed a forehand wide on the fourth match point.
"I'm a bit shattered," said Dimitrov. "It's tough losing that match. I came out expecting nothing less than to win.
"Of course I shed a few tears, but it should hurt. And it does hurt.
"All the credit to Rafa. I think he played a great match. His physicality came over towards the end of the match. He's not one of the best, I think he's the best player right now."

Novak Djokovic 'satisfied' with coach Boris Becker

Novak Djokovic is satisfied with the early progress being made under new head coach Boris Becker, despite defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka at the Australian Open.

Djokovic, winner of the last three titles at Melbourne Park, was beaten 2-6 6-4 6-2 3-6 9-7 in the quarter-finals.

It was his first defeat since taking on former world number one Becker in December.
"It's been the first official tournament for us. I'm satisfied with things that we've been talking about, working on," said the Serb.
"Of course, it's unfortunate that we finished the tournament in the quarter-finals. But it's the beginning of the season and we'll see what's coming next."
Djokovic had brought back memories of three-time Wimbledon champion Becker when he chose to serve-volley facing match point, only to steer a forehand effort into the tramlines.
"[Wawrinka] had been blocking my serve," said Djokovic. "He'd been chipping the return for the whole match basically.
"And it was actually a good decision. I had a good serve and volley and good volley, but didn't put it away."
The shock result ended Djokovic's 28-match winning streak, a 25-match run at the Australian Open and 14 consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearances.

It was also the first time since 2006 that Wawrinka had beaten Djokovic, and gained the Swiss some revenge for five-set defeats at last year's Australian and US Opens.

"He's in great form," said Djokovic. "In the last 15 months he's had the best results. He's established now in the top 10, he's been winning against top players in big tournaments, he won against Murray in the US Open last year.
"So he knows how to play on the big stage. You could feel that with his game. He's really taking it to the opponent and stepping in.
"When you're playing like this, the only thing I can say is congratulations."
Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title on Rod Laver Arena in 2008, and began a spectacular winning run in 2011 that saw him beat Andy Murray in the 2011 and 2013 finals, and Rafael Nadal in an incredible six-hour final in 2012.
"I have to be very proud of my accomplishments in my whole career, and especially in this tournament," said the world number two.
"This is definitely by far the most successful Grand Slam that I have."
He added: "It's an amazing court, probably the court where I have had the most excitement in my tennis career.
"I mean, matches with Rafa, with Stan, last year, this year, some epic battles. I love that court. These are kind of matches that you work for, you live for, you practise for.

Australian Open Stanislas Wawrinka vs Novak Djokovic

Stanislas Wawrinka ended the three-year reign of Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic with a stunning quarter-final victory.

The Swiss eighth seed won 2-6 6-4 6-2 3-6 9-7 to set up a semi-final against Tomas Berdych, and gain revenge for an epic five-set defeat by Djokovic in the fourth round last year.
It was the first loss for Djokovic under the guidance of new coach Boris Becker, and brings to an end a winning streak of 28 matches on tour - and 25 matches over three years in Melbourne.
His last defeat in the Australian Open - which he also won in 2008 - was back in 2010 when he was ill and lost in the quarter-finals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
"He's an amazing champion, he never gives up. I'm really, really happy," said 28-year-old Wawrinka.
"I was really focused point after point. I had to stay aggressive, and not give up. I was tired, I was cramping a bit, and I was nervous too. But now I'm going to have an ice bath for a very long time."
Djokovic said: "He deserved this win. I congratulate him absolutely. There is nothing I can say.
"You know, I gave it my best. I gave it all. I tried to come out as the winner. I tried to fight until the last point as I did in a very similar match we did last year in the fourth round, same court, but it wasn't to be this time." 15th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final had looked there for the taking when the Serb rolled through the first set thanks to some loose errors from Wawrinka in game six, but a moment of brilliance turned the match.
Wawrinka won a breathtaking rally with a flowing backhand down the line to break at 3-3 on his way to taking the second set, and the winners kept coming.
Djokovic, 26, threw a few frustrated looks towards Becker in the stands as Wawrinka powered through the third set to take a grip on the match, but finishing the job remained another matter entirely.
There were signs of fragility on Wawrinka's more suspect forehand swing in a tight fourth set, and Djokovic came storming back from 40-0 down to break at 4-3.
After closing it out in a tense game with an ace, the champion let out a huge roar and Becker got to his feet to urge his man on.
Keeping it away from the Wawrinka backhand whenever possible, Djokovic made what seemed to be the decisive move with a break in game three of the decider, only to hand it straight back with four forehand errors in a woeful service game.

A packed crowd on Rod Laver Arena was now reaching fever pitch as the match clock ticked past three hours, and as serve began to dominate it headed towards a fourth. A re-run of last year's 22-game final set did not seem out of the question.

That match had lasted five hours and finished at 01:41 local time, but Wawrinka was determined to avoid a repeat and his pressure finally told.
Serving to stay in the match for the fourth time, Djokovic found himself match point down when a mishit Wawrinka return dropped in and, in the style of his coach, the Serb gambled on following his serve into the net at the crucial moment - only to steer a forehand volley into the tramlines.
After exactly four hours, Wawrinka had reached his second major semi-final and ended an eight-year, 14-match losing streak against Djokovic.
"It's a really great feeling," said the Swiss. "There were some special moments which went well together in this match, making it for the first time here to the semis, winning my first match on Rod Laver after all these years. It's been a very special match to me."
In Wednesday's quarter-finals, world number one Rafael Nadal takes on Grigor Dimitrov and Britain's Andy Murray plays Roger Federer.

Australian Open 2014 Maria Sharapova out of Australian Open

Maria Sharapova followed top seed Serena Williams out of the Australian Open with a shock defeat by Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova in the fourth round. The Russian, who won the title in 2008, lost 3-6 6-4 6-1 in an erratic display on Rod Laver Arena. Five-time champion Williams was beaten by Ana Ivanovic 24 hours earlier, leaving two-time winner Victoria Azarenka - the second seed - as the player with the most major titles in the draw.

Third seed Sharapova left the court for a medical timeout before the final set, and finished with a total of 45 unforced errors as Cibulkova closed it out in two hours and 12 minutes. "I have a bit of a strain, the trainer told me, in the hip area," said Sharapova, who was playing only her second tournament since missing the second half of 2013 with hip and shoulder injuries. "Those aches and pains are expected when you spend a long time on the court. You just have to play through it." Cibulkova, 24, moves on to face Simona Halep in her first Australian Open quarter-final, the third time she has reached the last eight of a Grand Slam. "It feels great, especially because I played well and it was a tough match," said Cibulkova, the 20th seed. "I went on the court and I was more than 100% sure that I really could beat her, and beat her on the big court, in an important match in a Grand Slam.
"I did it before. She knows me and I knew she knew it was going to be a tough match. I was prepared for it." Cibulkova added she had been "a little bit angry" as she felt the Russian's struggles with her ball toss in the closing stages were "on purpose". Sharapova had played an epic second-round match on Thursday against Karin Knapp that lasted three-and-a-half hours in temperatures of around 40C. The 26-year-old's serve had been wildly unreliable in that match but was functioning well enough in the early stages against Cibulkova as she edged the first set. It did not last, however, as the first-serve percentage dipped in the second and the 5ft 3in Cibulkova leapt gleefully on every opportunity. The Slovakian's nerve faltered from 5-0 up but she served it out at the third attempt and, after Sharapova returned from getting treatment off-court, dominated the final set. Seven Sharapova double faults contributed to her demise in the decider and Cibulkova showed no nerves as she matched her French Open victory over the Russian of five years ago. "It's tough," added Sharapova. "I will be genuine about it. It's never easy. We are very big competitors. I think that's why I have been so successful, because of my competitiveness in the past. "It's moments like this that ultimately shape you and make you who you are. That's how you bounce back. "It's easy just to be successful, but it's how many times you're able to come back from the tough moments and losses and injuries that really define who you are as an athlete. "That's why I'm here, because I believe I still can be up there and certainly can play better, that's for sure."

Andy Murray set for Australian Open reunion with Roger Federer

Andy Murray is ready to face a rejuvenated Roger Federer at his attacking best in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday. The Wimbledon champion takes on 17-time Grand Slam winner Federer in the night session on Rod Laver Arena at 08:30 GMT. It is a repeat of last year's semi-final, when Murray won in five sets to claim his first Grand Slam victory over the Swiss. "I've played him around 20 times," said the Scot, who leads their head-to-head 11-9. "You know how you need to play against him, and you know tactically the things that work and the things that don't work." What Murray can certainly expect is an opponent keen to get to the net at every opportunity, something Federer, 32, has done 112 times in four matches, compared to 54 from Murray. Federer, seeded sixth, is in the early stages of working with six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edberg, one of the game's great volleyers. "It's just a different perspective," said the Swiss, who swept past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the previous round. "He did things his way back in the day - I'm sure things were different back then - but still you can take so many things from his experience. "I want to maybe try out a few things that worked for him, try out a few things that he thinks would work out for me this time around. "Sure, we'll discuss it, assess it, but he's here now more for support, making me feel comfortable, giving me right advice, pre-match, post-match, discussing it with Severin [Luthi] my coach." Perhaps of equal significance are the four-time Australian Open champion's now healthy back, which hampered him in a disappointing 2013, and a new racquet with a 98-square-inch head - as opposed to the 90-inch frame he used beforehand. "I do believe I have easier power with the racquet on the serve," said Federer. "It might help me on the return, as well. I hope it is the case. It's a great start to the season with the racquet and with my body. Everything is going really well. I'm very happy." Murray, playing his second tournament since recovering from back surgery, takes confidence from his last meeting with Federer at the same venue 12 months ago. "Obviously last year is pretty relevant because it's on the same court and it will be under the same conditions," he said. "But in an individual sport, any day is a new day. Anything can happen. "You play 10% below your best and you can be off the court quickly. So whether my tactics are great or not, I need to play a great match to win." Murray, 26, seemingly set the current trend for players to work with great names of the past when he hired Ivan Lendl two years ago, and the early influence of Edberg on Federer has not passed him by.

Australian Open 2014 Berdych (Cze) [7] beat Ferrer (Spa) [3] 6-1 6-4 2-6 6-4

Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych reached his first Australian Open semi-final with victory in just over three hours.
The 2010 Wimbledon finalist ended a streak of three consecutive quarter-final defeats at Melbourne Park, breaking Ferrer in the fifth game of the fourth set and then fending off a break-point chance and holding the crucial subsequent game to hang on for the win.
"It's a really great feeling," Berdych said after his first ever win on Rod Laver Arena.
"There were some special moments which went well together in this match - making it for the first time here in the Aussie Open to the semis, winning my first match on Rod Laver after all those years. That's been a very special match to me. I'm extremely happy to go through."

Li (Chn) [4] beat Pennetta (Ita) [28] 6-2 6-2

Two-time finalist Li Na raced into a fourth Melbourne semi-final as she produced a ruthless display against Pennetta.
The fourth seed from China broke the Italian in the first game of the match, following it up with two more to lead the first set 5-0.
Pennetta, the 28th seed, stopped the rot with a break of her own but Li still took the opener 6-2.
And the second set was equally one-sided as Li eased to a 6-2 6-2 victory.
Li said her belief that she can repeat her final appearances of 2011 and 2013 has been growing ever since she recovered from being on the brink of defeat in the third round against Lucie Safarova.
"I've got a lot of confidence because I was match point down and I came back to win that match," said the 31-year-old. "I believe in myself even more. I hope I can take one more step this year."

Australian Open 2014 Bouchard (Can) [30] beat Ivanovic (Ser) [14] 5-7 7-5 6-2

Ana Ivanovic, conqueror of top seed Serena Williams in the previous round, looked on course to reach the semi-finals when she won the first set, finally ending a run of five consecutive breaks of serve. An inability to hold serve by both players was to prove a theme throughout, with Eugenie Bouchard in particular struggling when tossing the ball into the sun.
But it was the Canadian, who had never previously made it beyond the third round of a Grand Slam, who came out on top in a second set littered with service errors. She kept her composure after Ivanovic left the court midway through it for treatment and, as the former world number one struggled, Bouchard asserted herself with some aggressive play.
In the decider, the teenager managed to overcome her previous service wobbles, breaking Ivanovic to lead 3-1 and looking comfortable thereafter. Asked how she was coping with her new-found level of success, Bouchard said: "It's something I've been doing since I was five years old and working my whole life for and sacrificing a lot of things for. So it's not exactly a surprise. I always expect myself to do well. "I'm just happy to have gone through this step. I'm not done. I have a match on Thursday. I'm just looking forward to that." Ivanovic said: "I was battling with my right leg since the beginning of the tournament. Then the left one came on today. Despite all that, I was still on court. I was doing my best. Today she was the better player."

Australian Open 2014 Eugenie Bouchard reaches semi-finals

Teenager Eugenie Bouchard reached the Australian Open semi-finals with a 5-7 7-5 6-2 win over Ana Ivanovic. 

The Canadian, 19, took control after an Ivanovic medical timeout and will face Li Na in the semi-finals after the Chinese star beat Flavia Pennetta.
Seventh seed Tomas Berdych beat third seed David Ferrer 6-1 6-4 2-6 6-4 to become the first man into the semis.
He will meet Stanislas Wawrinka after the Swiss beat four-time champion Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller.
British doubles number one Dom Inglot and Treat Huey of the Philippines missed out on a first Grand Slam semi-final, losing 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 to American Eric Butorac and Raven Klaasen of South Africa.

Berdych (Cze) [7] beat Anderson (SA) [19] 6-2 6-2 6-3

Tomas Berdych trounced Kevin Anderson in a battle of big servers to set up a quarter-final with David Ferrer.
The 28-year-old, wearing his trademark blue-and-white striped shirt, broke Anderson five times, while he held his own serve for the fourth match - a run of 53 service games.
"There is still a lot of petrol left which I'm definitely going to need in the next match so I'm really happy for that," he said.

Na (Chi) [4] beat Makarova (Rus) [22] 6-2 6-0

Li Na trounced Ekaterina Makarova in just under an hour to storm into a Melbourne quarter-final against Flavia Pennetta.
The former French Open champion faced four break points but her performance was far more assured than the second round when she had to battle back from match point down against Lucie Safarova.
Li, 31, was runner up in Melbourne in 2013 and 2011 and reached the semi-finals in 2010.
"At least she's one day older than me, so I'll play an older player," said Li, referring to Pennetta. "So nobody will talk about my age."

Bouchard (Can) [30] beat Dellacqua (Aus) 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-0

Teenager Eugenie Bouchard, named the WTA's Newcomer of the Year in November, continued her impressive run to set up a quarter-final with Ana Ivanovic.
In beating Dellacqua, Bouchard became the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 22 years.
"It was a tough battle but I'm really excited to keep getting better as a tennis player," she said. "I just tried to stay calm and focus on every point."

Wawrinka (Swi) [8] beat Robredo (Spa) [17] 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5)

Wawrinka kept his nerve in two tie-breaks to set up a quarter-final with Djokovic.
The eighth seed, who lost to Djokovic in a five-set fourth-round duel last year, won 90% of his first serve points against Robredo.
"The serve was really good," he said. "I feel really good and I haven't had too many matches before today.
"I had one walkover and my first opponent pulled out after the first set, so it was good to have a tough match."

Novak Djokovic reaches Australian Open quarter-finals

Novak Djokovic eased past Fabio Fognini to reach the quarter-finals and keep alive his bid for a fourth straight Australian Open title and fifth in all. 

The Serb beat Italy's 15th seed 6-3 6-0 6-2 and will play Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka in the last eight.
Spain's third seed David Ferrer also progressed with a 6-7 7-5 6-2 6-1 win against Germany's Florian Mayer.
Women's fourth seed Li Na of China was untroubled in a 6-2 6-0 win over Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.
The undoubted shock of the day was world number one Serena Williams's defeat by Ana Ivanovic.
Meanwhile, Britain's Dominic Inglot partnered Treat Huey of the Philippines to a 6-4 7-6 (7-1) third-round victory against India's Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan in the men's doubles.

Australian Open Day eight as it happened

So, a vintage performance from Federer sees the sixth seed set up a quarter-final tie with Andy Murray. That heavyweight battle will be played on Wednesday.
Thanks, as always, for your company and join us on Tuesday for game-by-game coverage of Novak Djokovic's bout with Stanislas Wawrinka.

Australian Open : Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova win

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka all won in straight sets but Maria Sharapova had to work much harder to reach the fourth round. 

Federer beat Teymuraz Gabashvili while top seed Nadal saw off Gael Monfils on a cooler day in Melbourne.
Defending champion Victoria Azarenka brushed aside Yvonne Meusburger but Sharapova survived a scrappy second set to beat France's Alize Cornet 6-1 7-6.
Spain's Garbine Muguruza knocked out 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki.
Meanwhile, Dom Inglot is the only remaining Briton in the men's doubles after Colin Fleming, Ross Hutchins and Jamie Murray all went out in round two.

Australian Open Ana Ivanovic vs Serena Williams

Ana Ivanovic vs Serena Williams 4-6 6-3 6-3

Serena Williams went out of the Australian Open as a back injury hindered the five-time champion against a rampant Ana Ivanovic.

The Serb came back from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-3 - her first ever victory over Williams in five attempts.
There had been reports before the match that Williams had a back problem, and so it proved.
"I almost pulled out. I'm such a competitor, I probably should have," said the world number one.
"I don't want to blame anything. I feel like Ana deserves all the credit. I feel she played unbelievable today. I think she went for her shots."
Williams revealed that she did not know the exact nature of her injury but had been dealing with it for "a few days".
She added: "It's not anything that's life threatening or anything. I feel like it will get better. I just need a couple days off.
"Unfortunately I don't have that in a Grand Slam."
The reigning French and US Open champion had been tipped by some to complete the Grand Slam of all four major titles in 2014.
"I have given up on that a long time ago," said the 32-year-old. "I feel like I don't even think about winning four in a row.
"Maybe I can win four in a row, but it seems like in the one year it's kind of difficult for me for whatever reason."
Ivanovic, 26, goes on to face Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in the last eight.
"It's amazing," said the 14th seed. "Honestly, I went on the court and I just wanted to play the best I could. I'm so thrilled."

Ivanovic is a former world number one and 2008 French Open champion, but since then she has reached just one major quarter-final at the 2012 US Open.

A 0-4 record against Williams gave little cause for optimism either, but from the outset Ivanovic was able to threaten the American's usually impregnable serve.
The Serb fashioned four break points in the opening set, converting one, but was broken twice as Williams edged it.
Ivanovic took over from that point, her once fragile serve holding up well as Williams appeared to struggle with her movement, and she did not face another break point.
Williams was warned for a time violation when serving to stay in the contest and managed to save two match points , but Ivanovic closed it out nervelessly with a love hold after one hour and 56 minutes.
"I was very consistent," added Ivanovic.
"It's not easy playing such a champion, but she's also just a human and I know she has lots of pressure too.
"I just went out there swinging and I think I did that really well."

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic into round four

Novak Djokovic continued his impressive progress at the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Denis Istomin.

The Serb, who has won the past three titles in Melbourne, won 6-3 6-3 7-5 and plays Fabio Fognini in round four.
Serena Williams won a tournament-record 61st singles match by beating Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-3 in round three.
Ana Ivanovic, who beat Australia's Sam Stosur 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-2, is next for top seed Williams, while China's Li Na beat Lucie Safarova 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
Third seed David Ferrer beat 29th seed Jeremy Chardy in straight sets and 15th-ranked Fognini saw off the challenge of Sam Querrey 7-5 6-4 6-4.
Spain's Tommy Robredo, the number 17 seed, beat France's ninth seed Richard Gasquet 2-6 7-5 6-4 7-6 (8-6).
The conditions continued to be an issue for players, with the temperature reaching a high of 41.4C a day after matches were suspended on Thursday because of 43.3C heat,

Australian Open Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal - I Played Well From Everywhere Tonight, This Was One Very Good Day!

Rafael Nadal dominated Gael Monfils tonight 61, 62, 63 in the third round at the Australian Open. Monfils, who played Nadal to close earlier this month, was no match for the World No. 1 Spaniard on this day. The only moment of concern for Rafa came early in the second set when he tweaked his ankle, but otherwise it was a picture perfect match against the dangerous Frenchman. Nadal, the 2009 Australian Open champ, now plays Kei Nishikori on Monday in the fourth round as he bids to win a second career Grand Slam.

Australian Open Roger Federer

Roger Federer Isn’t Going To Go Crazy Looking At His Australian Open Draw

Roger Federer roared into his 13th straight Australian Open fourth round on Saturday after a comprehensive 62, 62, 63 victory over Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili. The Swiss wrapped up a good first week with new coahc Stefan Edberg without losing a set but was fortunate to not have faced any real competition. However moving forward Federer could be on a treacherous path that might take him through Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic if he is to win a fifth Australian Open. That four players who have all beaten Federer in Grand Slam play. “I have had tough draws throughout my career,” Federer said. “Not every time, but I have played what, 60 slams and many tournaments, so I remember tough draws in early rounds. Clearly now it’s not how it used to be when there was only 16 seeds and I was the 32 seed. Now with the 32 seeds it’s a bit more predictable. A lot more predictable actually. That’s one of the reasons I think I have always been able to go deep in slams, especially once I got was able to be seeded. I took advantage of that. “This is clearly, you know, a tough draw I have had, especially looking forward now. But important now for me is just that I keep playing well and I don’t go crazy of who I play now.” Federer’s road will begin Monday night with a rematch against Tsonga who Roger beat in five sets a year ago in Australia. “He clearly is going to surprise you just by shot making or whatever it is,” Federer said. “If he hits a winner, I know probably where he’s going to go, what the percentage is. But then again, because he hits it so well and so consistently, that’s what makes it hard then, you know. He’s got a huge serve, which then is also is a huge part of the game which increases the pressure or not on your own service games. “He’s a great mover. So, I mean, you just know what to expect, which is good for better tennis for both players. I know that Simon and Tsonga are going to be tough opponents, and it’s just now up to me to bring it, you know, in the next match.”

Australian Open 2014 Maria Sharapova wins amid extreme heat

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova survived a scare to reach the Australian Open third round as the temperature exceeded 40C for the third consecutive day in Melbourne.

The 2008 champion edged a punishing encounter against Karin Knapp as both players struggled with the heat, which halted play on outside courts.
Sharapova, 26, squandered three match points but eventually won 6-3 4-6 10-8.
Top seed Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer cruised through their second-round matches, both winning in straight sets.
In the men's doubles, Briton Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers progressed to the second round.

Australian Open Medical officer defends extreme heat policy

Medical officer defends extreme heat policy

The chief medial officer at the Australian Open has defended criticism of the competition's "extreme heat policy" after Jamie Murray was treated for heatstroke.

Play was suspended on uncovered courts for more than four hours on Thursday as temperatures breached 40C for a third consecutive day, but Dr Tim Wood insisted the players' health was not being compromised.
"We evolved on the high plains of Africa chasing antelope for eight hours under these conditions," he said.
"There will be some players who complain and no-one is saying it is terribly comfortable to play out there but from a medical perspective we know that man is well adapted to exercising in the heat. Whether it is humane or not is a whole other issue."
At 13:53 local time (02:53 GMT) in Melbourne and with the temperature at 41C, the "extreme heat policy" was implemented, suspending matches on uncovered courts.
Play continued on Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena as their roofs were brought across.
The suspended matches resumed soon after 18:00 (07:00 GMT).

Australian Open Andy Murray vs Vincent Millot in night session in round two

Andy Murray vs Vincent Millot

Andy Murray should avoid the worst of the heat in round two of the Australian Open as he will take on France's Vincent Millot in the night session on Thursday.

The temperature reached 41C for the Wimbledon champion's opening win over Go Soeda on Monday, and similar temperatures are expected on day four.
Murray will play Millot in the second night match on Rod Laver Arena at around 20:30 local time (09:30 GMT), but it is still likely to be far from comfortable.

The temperature has remained as high as 36C during the previous two evening sessions.

As well as the heat, Murray is also continuing his return after back surgery, with just three competitive matches under his belt since the US Open last September.
"In these conditions you want to win fast," said the fourth seed. "Whether I've played a lot of matches or not, every player would want to get off the court as quickly as possible.
"I'm well aware if I go further in the tournament the matches are going to get longer and tougher.
"I'm still waiting to see every day how I'm going to wake up. I'm confident that I'm going to be OK.
"But these tournaments over best-of-five-set matches on the hard courts, over two weeks, it's tough on the body."

Australian Open 2014 Serena Williams - heat problems

Serena Williams

Williams beat Vesna Dolonc 6-1 6-2 but admitted the heat had an impact on her preparation.
"I kept waking up in the middle of the night last night just paranoid," said the 32-year-old American. "I just wanted to stay hydrated. The last thing I want to do is to cramp in this weather. It can happen so easily.
"The conditions in my match were OK. I wasn't here [on Tuesday]. I heard they were a little bit extreme. I didn't really even go outside."
Temperatures are expected to reach maximums of 42C and 43C on Thursday and Friday respectively, before cooling to around 20C.
Britain's Andy Murray faces Vincent Millot of France at around 20:30 local time (09:30 GMT) on Thursday.
Several bushfire warnings are in place in south-east Australia because of the extreme weather.

Australian Open 2014 Ivan Dodig - heat problems

Ivan Dodig

Croatian Ivan Dodig feared he "could maybe even die" before retiring from his match as heat was once again a significant factor on day three of the Australian Open.

After temperatures of 42C (107.6F) on Tuesday, there was a peak of 41.5C, with greater cloud cover, on Wednesday.
Dodig, 29, withdrew two hours and 22 minutes into his second-round match with Damir Dzumhur in Melbourne.
"Thirty minutes after the match, I could not walk," he said.

The 32nd seed led Dzumhur 2-1 in sets but trailed 4-1 in the fourth set when he retired with cramp.

Australian Open 2014 Federer and Azarenka into second round

Australian Open 2014 Federer and Azarenka

Roger Federer overcame stifling heat as his bid for a fifth Australian Open title began with a routine victory against James Duckworth.

The Swiss, 32, swept the Australian aside 6-4 6-4 6-2 and is joined in round two by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Filippo Volandri 7-5 6-3 6-3.
Defending women's champion Victoria Azarenka toiled but was too strong for Johanna Larsson, winning 7-6 6-2.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki also made it safely through.
The Dane beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-0 6-2 in just 66 minutes.
It was a much less enjoyable day for John Isner, though, as the 13th seed retired injured from his match against Martin Klizan.
The American hurt his right ankle at the Hopman Cup exhibition event at the beginning of the year but won a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, last week. However, he withdrew at 30-0 down in the third after losing the first two sets.
Temperatures reached 38C in the morning on day two and crept up to 40C in the hours before British number one Andy Murray and top seed Rafael Nadal were due on court.

Azarenka (Blr) [2] beat Larsson (Swe) 7-6 6-2  

Azarenka's quest to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three consecutive Australian Open titles began slowly as she struggled against world number 91 Larsson.
Larsson twice served for the first set but, after squandering opportunities at 5-4 and then 6-5, the Swede was punished as the second seed stepped up a level, winning the tie-break before breaking in the third game of the second set to assume complete control.
"It was a tough first set," said Azarenka. "The first match can often be tricky and the weather was not helping. It was important to win that first set and I really found my rhythm in the second set."

Australian Open 2014 Roger Federer can get back to his best

Australian Open 2014 Roger Federer

Stefan Edberg believes he can help get Roger Federer back to his best.

The Swedish six-time Grand Slam winner will be a part of Federer's coaching team for 10 weeks in 2014, starting with the Australian Open.
Swiss Federer, 32, won the last of his 17 Grand Slams at Wimbledon in 2012.
"I am doing it because I really think I can make a little difference," said Edberg, 47. "If I can make a little difference, maybe that will take him back where he was."

Former world number one Federer is seeded sixth at Melbourne Park and begins his campaign against Australian wildcard James Duckworth on Tuesday.

"Roger has to do the work on the court but it's maybe just a different voice, different opinions and obviously I've been in this situation before, in the big tournaments," added Edberg.
"Tennis-wise, he's such a great player but there are always many things you can work on, maybe minor things in his game.
"It's going to be a tough road but I still believe he's good enough on a given day to beat anybody.
"If he could win a slam here this year, it would be great, but it's a tough task; (there are) a lot of good players."
Edberg quit the ATP Tour in 1996, six years after winning his second Wimbledon title.
He is the latest high-profile former player to join the coaching circuit after Ivan Lendl teamed up with Andy Murray and Boris Becker began working with Novak Djokovic.

Australian Open 2014: Novak Djokovic & Serena Williams win

Novak Djokovic & Serena Williams

Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame the stubborn resistance of Slovakian Lukas Lacko to reach the second round of the Australian Open.

The Serbian second seed battled through the first two sets but cruised through the third to win 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-1.

Women's top seed Serena Williams thrashed Ashleigh Barty 6-2 6-1.
Sixth seed Petra Kvitova lost 6-2 1-6 6-4 to Thai world number 87 Luksika Kumkhum, while Germany's Julia Goerges beat seventh seed Sara Errani 6-3 6-2.

Australian Open Serena Williams

Australian Open 2014: Serena Williams can win all 2014 Slams

Serena Williams can become the first woman since 1988 to win all four Grand Slam titles in the same year, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes. He says it would be an "exceptional" achievement, but told BBC Sport: "With Serena, everything is possible."

Speaking on the eve of the draw for the first Grand Slam of the season in Melbourne, he added: "Look at the level she plays at at the moment.

"She's beaten all the top players many times, so you can aim that high."

Williams, 32, held all four Grand Slams simultaneously when she won the Australian Open of 2003, but Steffi Graf in 1988 was the last female player to lift all four titles in the same calendar year.
"Of course it would be exceptional because it's crazy to do that," added the Frenchman. "It's happened just a few times in the history of tennis - but she can do it and the goal is to do the best possible in all four Grand Slams. So why not?"
Last year, the world number one won the French Open and the US Open, but was hindered by an ankle injury when she lost to Sloane Stephens in Melbourne and, according to Mouratoglou, was feeling the effects of a 34-match winning run when she lost to Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round of Wimbledon.
He believes there is room for improvement, and describes 2013 - in which Williams lost only four matches - as a "transitional year" where she increased her schedule to develop greater consistency.
The American expects to play the same number of tournaments in 2014, and has already won a title in Brisbane without dropping a set after beating both Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka.