ALIZE CORNET

Czech Republic Tennis Billie Jean King Cup Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenko celebrates after defeating Alize Cornet of France in their group A Billie Jean King Cup finals tennis match in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (Petr David Josek)PRAGUE — (AP) — Russia eliminated defending champion France to become the first nation to reach the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup on Wednesday. After sweeping Canada 3-0 the previous day, Russia needed only one win from the best-of-three match against France to advance from Group A. After the 2019 champion was upset by outsider Canada 2-1 in its opener on Monday, France needed to beat Russia 3-0 to advance. Only the group winners advance to Friday's semifinals.

Russia has eliminated defending champion France to reach the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup.

Naomi Osaka made quick work of her first match in nearly two months.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Canada's Bianca Andreescu plays a return to Alize Cornet of France during the women's singles first round match on day three of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday June 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) (Alberto Pezzali)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):___12:45 p.m.Alize Cornet upset Bianca Andreescu for the second time in two weeks by beating the fifth-seeded Canadian 6-2, 6-1 in the first round at Wimbledon. French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova cruised into the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ana Bogdan. Camila Giorgi and 19th-seeded Karolina Muchova also advanced to the second round. Andy Murray, coming off a victory in his first Wimbledon match in four years, faces Oscar Otte of Germany.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic makes a forehand return to United States' Frances Tiafoe during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. 1, had never beaten anyone in the Top 5, and now he'd just won a tiebreaker against Novak Djokovic to level their second-round match at the Australian Open. But it wasn't quite enough to beat the eight-time Australian Open champion, who won the 3 1/2-hour afternoon match 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-3. AdAnother U.S. Open champion, Naomi Osaka, needed only an hour to sweep Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3. 29 Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in a rollicking night cap full of turns and twists.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Canada's Denis Shapovalov in their ATP Cup match in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – Rafael Nadal didn't make it for Spain's ATP Cup opener because of a sore back, deciding it wasn't worth the risk a week ahead of the Australian Open. Nadal played more of a hand in that, with Djokovic limiting his time on court because of a blister. Back at Melbourne Park, where he has won a record eight Australian Open titles, he had plenty of energy to consume. Osaka, who won the U.S. Open last year and the Australian Open in 2019, will next face No.

NEW YORK The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times EDT):12:05 p.m.Serena Williams and Maria Sakkari are on court in Arthur Ashe Stadium to warm up for their fourth-round meeting at the U.S. Open. It is a rematch of a contest Sakkari won less than two weeks ago at the Western & Southern Open, a hard-court tournament played this year at Flushing Meadows. Williams owns six U.S. Open titles and 23 Grand Slam singles championships in all. Sakkari, a 25-year-old from Greece, is trying to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. The winner will face Alize Cornet or Tsvetana Pironkova next.

Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts after defeating Maria Sakkari, of Greece, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK Theres no crowd at the U.S. Open this year to pull for Serena Williams and try to push her to victory. Shouting at herself point after point, Williams came back from a third-set deficit against a woman she lost to less than two weeks ago, and took another step closer to Grand Slam title No. When the match ended, Williams turned and yelled toward her husband, who stood at his front-row seat and yelled right back. She sent a backhand return long to give Sakkari her fifth set point, then pushed a forehand out.

Dominic Thiem, of Austria, returns a shot to Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in New York. 15 Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-1 in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. He is 0-3, losing twice to Nadal at the French Open and to Djokovic at the Australian Open this February. Thats all of his $250,000 prize money for reaching the fourth round, plus $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and an additional $7,500 for skipping his post-match news conference. On Monday, she extended her stay in her comeback event, beating Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in the fourth round.