KAROLINA PLISKOVA

Yet another of the highest-ranked players on the men’s tour is out of the tournament at Wimbledon.

Teenager Holger Rune has given a Denmark a man in the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time in 63 years.

France Tennis French Open France's Leolia Jeanjean serves against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their second round match at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Thursday, May 26, 2022. Bad one for her foes so far at Roland Garros, including Karolina Pliskova, a two-time major finalist and the No. 8 seed, who was unable to offer much resistance Thursday and was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Jeanjean on Thursday. She also has reached the semifinals at the French Open in 2017. 4, knew Jeanjean way back when.

The surprising results in the women's draw at the French Open keep piling up and now only three of the top 10 women's seeds are still in the field before the third round has even started.

Alizé Cornet has beaten 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 to advance to the third round at the French Open.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is on the entry list for the BNP Paribas Open in California, where the Serb would face a vaccine mandate.

Wimbledon champion Ash Barty has finished No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings for the third consecutive season.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — (AP) — Garbiñe Muguruza ended Anett Kontaveit´s 12-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-4 victory Sunday that propelled her into the semifinals at the WTA Finals. Muguruza, who will be playing in her first semifinals of this tournament since 2015, needed the win to advance to the semifinals at the expense of Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova. Muguruza avenged a recent loss to Kontaveit, who beat her in just 48 minutes in the Kremlin Cup quarterfinals in Moscow last month. The WTA Finals are played in a round-robin format with the top two players from each group advancing. I think was combination of both me not playing really well and (her) playing just amazing,” Pliskova said.

Garbiñe Muguruza has ended Anett Kontaveit´s 12-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-4 victory that propelled her into the semifinals of the WTA Finals.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — (AP) — Anett Kontaveit stretched her winning streak to 12 matches by beating Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-0 on Friday to secure a spot in the semifinals at the WTA Finals. “I think each win towards the end of the year just gave me a little bit of more confidence," Kontaveit said. Krejcikova, the French Open champion, is not eliminated at 0-2, but needs to beat Pliskova in two sets and a Muguruza loss. “I am very happy about my fighting spirit today, I lost the first match in a tough way and won this one in a tough way,” Muguruza said. The WTA Finals are being played in Guadalajara for this year only, with the event scheduled to return in 2022 to Shenzhen, China.

Anett Kontaveit stretched her winning streak to 12 matches by beating Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-0 to secure a spot in the semifinals at the WTA Finals.

Nikoloz Basilashvili beat American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (5), 6-3 to set up a final against Cameron Norrie at the BNP Paribas Open.

Grigor Dimitrov beat top-seeded Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, extending the parade of upsets that has knocked out several top players.

Emma Raducanu’s qualifier-to-champion run at the U.S. Open has vaulted her 127 spots in the WTA rankings to a career-high No. 23.

British teenager Emma Raducanu has become the first qualifier in the professional era to reach the U.S. Open semifinals.

Novak Djokovic will take his Grand Slam bid into the U.S. Open semifinals.

This is the first time in U.S. Open history that no men or women from the host country has made it to the quarterfinals in singles.

Kei Nishikori is the next man standing between Novak Djokovic and the completion of a calendar-year Grand Slam at the U.S. Open.

“You need that sometimes.”Pliskova is a 29-year-old from the Czech Republic who lost in the U.S. Open final in 2016 and the Wimbledon final in July. He is coming off a semifinal run at Wimbledon in July for the best Grand Slam showing of his career. Djokovic improved to 15-0 in second-round matches at the U.S. Open and remained unbeaten in Grand Slam matches this season. Pavic and Mektic both reached the U.S. Open final last season but with different partners. Zverev is trying to make the U.S. Open final for the second straight year.

Two-time Grand Slam runner-up Karolina Pliskova has saved a match point and edged 75th-ranked American Amanda Anisimova in three sets to reach the U.S. Open’s third round.

US Open Tennis Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns a shot to Sam Querrey, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. Zverev, the runner-up here last year, followed up his victory in the Olympics by winning the hard-court title at Cincinnati. Djokovic would break a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most major titles among men if he wins the tournament. He stormed past Djokovic in the final two sets of their Olympic semifinal and then rolled past Karen Khachanov in the final. That made Zverev one of three men, along with Djokovic and Casper Ruud, with four titles this season.

Novak Djokovic has started his bid to make history at the U.S. Open with a four-set victory over Danish teenager Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune.

US Open Tennis Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, serves to Catherine McNally, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (John Minchillo)NEW YORK — (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):__1:40 p.m.Karolina Pliskova and Reilly Opelka were among the early winners on the second day of the U.S. Open. Pliskova, a 2016 finalist, beat Caty McNally 6-3, 6-4 in her first-round match as the former world No. Pliskova lost the Wimbledon final this year and fell to 0-2 in major finals. ___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Alexander Zverev opened his bid for a second straight U.S. Open final appearance with a win in his opening match.

Ash Barty and Bianca Andreescu are back at the U.S. Open after missing it last year.

Novak Djokovic will begin his bid to win the U.S. Open for a men’s-record 21st major tennis championship and to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam by facing a player who comes through qualifying.

How well do you know the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Ash Barty bounced back from a disappointing loss at the Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics Tennis Naomi Osaka, of Japan, plays against Saisai Zheng, of China, during the first round of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (Seth Wenig)TOKYO — (AP) — Naomi Osaka is back and still winning. Osaka hadn't played since she withdrew from the French Open in May to take a mental health break, revealing that she has dealt with depression. For other top players in the tennis tournament at the Tokyo Games, it wasn't so straightforward. ___More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports___Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampfCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

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

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova reacts after winning runners up during the presentation ceremony after her defeat bye Australia's Ashleigh Barty in the women's singles final on day twelve of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 10, 2021. “Of course,” Pliskova acknowledged, “some nerves were there.”It already was 3-0, love-30 for Barty before Pliskova managed to grab a single point. “You always have to believe that things can go your way, things can get better, which of course was not easy. It was a tough moment because I thought, like, I can just play much better than I did,” Pliskova said about the way things began. “Yeah, I just found a way," Pliskova said.

Karolina Pliskova is able to laugh about it now.

(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) (Alberto Pezzali)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):6:05 p.m.Seventh-seeded Neal Skupski of Britain and Desirae Krawczyk of the United States have reached the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon. The Centre Court crowd enjoyed a bit of royal and Hollywood glitz during the women’s final at Wimbledon. ___2:35 p.m.Ash Barty won the first set of the women’s Wimbledon final against Karolina Pliskova, 6-3. Prince William and his wife Kate are in the Royal Box for the women's Wimbledon final. Cicak was the chair umpire for the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later.

The Centre Court crowd enjoyed a bit of royal and Hollywood glitz during the women’s final at Wimbledon. ___2:35 p.m.Ash Barty won the first set of the women’s Wimbledon final against Karolina Pliskova, 6-3. The women’s Wimbledon final between top-ranked Ash Barty and eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova is underway. Prince William and his wife Kate are in the Royal Box for the women's Wimbledon final. Cicak was the chair umpire for the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — Everything came so easily for Ash Barty at the start of the Wimbledon final. Barty is the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. Never.”Barty’s most significant wobble came in the second set. But in the first Wimbledon women's final to go three sets since 2012, Barty went up 3-0 in the decider and never relented. The key stat probably was this: Barty won 22 of 31 points that lasted nine strokes or more.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Australia's Ashleigh Barty reacts after defeating the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova in the women's singles final on day twelve of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 10, 2021. Barty’s most significant wobble came late in the second set. Because of the threat of showers, Barty and Pliskova shared a warmup session under the roof at No. The key stat by the finish probably was this: Barty won 22 of 31 points that lasted nine strokes or more. Pliskova finally got the measure of her strokes in the second set, in which she twice trailed by a break before pulling it out.

(Mike Hewitt/Pool Via AP) (Mike Hewitt)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):4:05 p.mTop-ranked Ash Barty won her first Wimbledon title by beating Karolina Pliskova in three sets. ___3:25 p.m.Karolina Pliskova won the second set of the women’s Wimbledon final against Ash Barty. ___2:35 p.m.Ash Barty won the first set of the women’s Wimbledon final against Karolina Pliskova, 6-3. Prince William and his wife Kate are in the Royal Box for the women's Wimbledon final. Cicak was the chair umpire for the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later.

Ash Barty has won the Wimbledon championship for her second Grand Slam title.

(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) (Alberto Pezzali)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):3:25 p.m.Karolina Pliskova won the second set of the women’s Wimbledon final against Ash Barty. ___2:35 p.m.Ash Barty won the first set of the women’s Wimbledon final against Karolina Pliskova, 6-3. The women’s Wimbledon final between top-ranked Ash Barty and eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova is underway. Prince William and his wife Kate are in the Royal Box for the women's Wimbledon final. Cicak was the chair umpire for the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later.

(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) (Alberto Pezzali)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):Ash Barty won the first set of the women’s Wimbledon final against Karolina Pliskova, 6-3. The women’s Wimbledon final between top-ranked Ash Barty and eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova is underway. Prince William and his wife Kate are in the Royal Box for the women's Wimbledon final. Cicak was the chair umpire for the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later. ___1 p.m.Top-seeded Ash Barty will be looking for her second Grand Slam title when she takes on eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the final at Wimbledon.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Australia's Ashleigh Barty enters the court for the women's singles final match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova on day twelve of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 10, 2021. The women’s Wimbledon final between top-ranked Ash Barty and eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova is underway. Barty is looking for her second Grand Slam title and is trying to become the first Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong in 1980 to win the Wimbledon title. Prince William and his wife Kate are in the Royal Box for the women's Wimbledon final. Cicak was the chair umpire for the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later.

Seventh-seeded Neal Skupski of Britain and Desirae Krawczyk of the United States have reached the mixed-doubles final at Wimbledon.

Ash Barty will face Karolina Pliskova in the first Wimbledon final for both.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):6:30 p.m.Top-seeded Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic reached their 10th doubles final of the season by beating Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury at Wimbledon. In a matchup of two big servers playing in their first Wimbledon semifinal, Pliskova won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. ___3:05 p.m.Top-ranked Ash Barty has reached her first Wimbledon final by beating Angelique Kerber 6-3, 7-6 (3). Kerber served for the second set at 5-3 but was broken at love on Centre Court. ___1 p.m.Angelique Kerber will try to reach her third Wimbledon final when she takes on top-ranked Ash Barty on Centre Court.

APTOPIX Britain Wimbledon Tennis Australia's Ashleigh Barty celebrates after defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber during the women's singles semifinals match on day ten of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 8, 2021. 1 and now stands one win from a second Grand Slam title after beating 2018 champion Kerber 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Thursday. 8 seed Karolina Pliskova, who emerged from a power-hitting and serving display to come back to defeat No. “That's what I did.”Neither she nor Barty had ever been past the fourth round at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. That was part of a 38-16 advantage in total winners for Barty, responsible more than anything else for her triumph.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):5:25 p.m.Eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova reached her second Grand Slam final after rallying to beat No. In a matchup of two big servers playing in their first Wimbledon semifinal, Pliskova won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. ___3:05 p.m.Top-ranked Ash Barty has reached her first Wimbledon final by beating Angelique Kerber 6-3, 7-6 (3). ___1 p.m.Angelique Kerber will try to reach her third Wimbledon final when she takes on top-ranked Ash Barty on Centre Court. 8 Karolina Pliskova.

The Wimbledon semifinal between second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and No. 8 Karolina Pliskova is going to a third set. Sabalenka won the first set 7-5 and Pliskova took the second 6-4 on Centre Court. Aryna Sabalenka was playing Karolina Pliskova in the second semifinal. 8 Karolina Pliskova.

Eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova has reached her second Grand Slam final after rallying to beat No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets at Wimbledon.

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has been beaten in straight sets by 14th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals at the All England Club.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Australia's Ashleigh Barty plays a return to compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic during the women's singles quarterfinals match on day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):5:50 p.m.Top-ranked Ash Barty has reached her first Wimbledon semifinal. Barty beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-3 in the first all-Australian Grand Slam quarterfinal in 41 years. She finished with 23 winners to just five for Tomljanovic, who was playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. ___2:50 p.m.Karolina Pliskova finally had a chance to play in a Wimbledon quarterfinal, and she made the most of it.

APTOPIX Britain Wimbledon Tennis Britain's Emma Raducanu receive medical attention during the women's singles fourth round match against Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic on day seven of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, July 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) (Alastair Grant)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):___4:45 p.m.British 18-year-old Emma Raducanu says she retired reluctantly from her fourth-round Wimbledon match because of dizziness and difficulty breathing. ___2:50 p.m.Karolina Pliskova finally had a chance to play in a Wimbledon quarterfinal, and she made the most of it. Only one women's quarterfinal involves players who have advanced this far before at Wimbledon. Crowds on Centre Court and Court 1 can increase to 100% capacity beginning with the quarterfinals as Britain eases pandemic restrictions.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a return during the women's singles quarterfinals match against Tunisia's Ons Jabeur on day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):___4:30 p.m.Glad to be back on grass, Angelique Kerber advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals for the fourth time by beating an erratic Karolina Muchova 6-2, 6-3. ___2:50 p.m.Karolina Pliskova finally had a chance to play in a Wimbledon quarterfinal, and she made the most of it. ___1:10 p.m.Six first-time Wimbledon quarterfinalists will be in action as four women's matches determine the lineup for the semifinals. Only one women's quarterfinal involves players who have advanced this far before at Wimbledon.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a return during the women's singles quarterfinals match against Tunisia's Ons Jabeur on day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) (Kirsty Wigglesworth)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):___4:10 p.m.Aryna Sabalenka has won more matches this year than anyone else in women’s tennis, and now she’s even winning at Grand Slams. ___2:50 p.m.Karolina Pliskova finally had a chance to play in a Wimbledon quarterfinal, and she made the most of it. ___1:10 p.m.Six first-time Wimbledon quarterfinalists will be in action as four women's matches determine the lineup for the semifinals. Only one women's quarterfinal involves players who have advanced this far before at Wimbledon.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova celebrates after defeating Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic during the women's singles quarterfinals match on day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) (Alberto Pezzali)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — Karolina Pliskova's tennis success is predicated on a big serve, which rewards her with plenty of easy points and can get her out of trouble when needed. Thanks largely to that stroke, she is headed to the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time. ... Everything today was working quite well,” said Pliskova, the 2016 U.S. Open runner-up and a former No. That group included both the eighth-seeded Pliskova, a 29-year-old from the Czech Republic, and the unseeded Golubic, a 28-year-old from Switzerland.

Angelique Kerber has reached the semifinals at Wimbledon for the first time since winning the title there in 2018.

Britain Wimbledon Tennis Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova celebrates after defeating Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic during the women's singles quarterfinals match on day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) (Alberto Pezzali)WIMBLEDON, England — (AP) — The Latest on Wimbledon (all times local):___2:50 p.m.Karolina Pliskova finally had a chance to play in a Wimbledon quarterfinal, and she made the most of it. The tour veteran lost only 13 points on her serve and beat unseeded Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals. First up on Court 1 is Karolina Pliskova against unseeded Viktorija Golubic, now underway with the retractable roof closed because of rain. 2-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, goes against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.

Top-ranked Ash Barty has reached her first Wimbledon semifinal.

Wimbledon’s traditional Middle Sunday of rest will disappear in 2022.

Sebastian Korda is the son of two former professional tennis players and the brother of two current stars of women's golf.

Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon after she stopped playing her first-round match because of a right leg injury.

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have been placed on opposite sides of the Wimbledon bracket.

Lucky losers Max Purcell and Kwon Soon-woo have won quarterfinals at the grass-court Eastbourne tournament to mark the first time in ATP Tour history that more than one man who lost in qualifying reached the semifinals of the same event.

Roger Federer dislikes the implication he’s slowing down.

France Tennis French Open United States's Sloane Stephens serves toCzech Republic's Karolina Pliskova during their second round match on day 5, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Thursday, June 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) (Michel Euler)PARIS — (AP) — The Latest on the French Open (all times local):___3:10 p.m.Former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens has beaten a top-10 player for the first time in 2 1/2 years to reach the third round at the French Open. She was the runner-up at the 2018 French Open and made the quarterfinals in 2019. ___2:35 p.m.Matteo Berrettini has matched his best result at the French Open by reaching the third round. Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina also progressed by defeating French Open debutant Ann Li of the United States 6-0, 6-4.

Italy Tennis Open Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after defeating Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova at the final match of the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 16, 2021. Swiatek won 6-0, 6-0. The 19-year-old Pole routed Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 with what is known as a “double bagel” score in an Italian Open final that lasted just 46 minutes Sunday. Blasting winners at will with both her forehand and backhand, Swiatek won 51 of the 64 points. Pliskova was playing in her third consecutive final at the Foro Italico, having won the title in 2019.

Rafael Nadal has beaten a tired Novak Djokovic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 for a record-extending 10th Italian Open title.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won a total of three matches over younger players and will renew their record-setting rivalry in the Italian Open final.

Rafael Nadal has ended a run of three straight losses to Alexander Zverev with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over the German to reach the Italian Open semifinals.

Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, walks gingerly to the net after defeating Alexei Popyrin, of Australia, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)MIAMI – Daniil Medvedev could barely walk, much less run. Hobbled by cramps, the top-ranked Medvedev limped through the final few games Sunday to edge Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (3), 6-7 (7), 6-4 in the third round at the Miami Open. To keep rallies short, Medvedev began hitting high-risk shots, and made enough of them to close out the 2 1/2-hour match. 11-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). “One of the best points I played all match,” Isner said.

Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic receives medical treatment during her quarterfinal against Australia's Ash Barty at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE – Top-ranked Ash Barty built a big lead in the Australian Open quarterfinals before her opponent took a medical timeout and left the court. Brady reached her second Grand Slam semifinal, following a run that far at the U.S. Open in September. Muchova played poorly at the start of her second major quarterfinal, and Barty raced to a 5-0 lead while losing only six points. This was the first Grand Slam tournament since last year's Australian Open to permit thousands of people to sit in the stands.

Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic serves to compatriot Karolina Pliskova during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Crowds were gone from the Australian Open on Saturday because of a five-day hard lockdown imposed by the state government to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 cases. And with the lack of fans, players were faced with an all-too-familiar feeling: a distinct lack of buzz. The Australian Open was allowed to continue during the lockdown — but without fans. He struggled without a crowd in a warm-up tournament before the Australian Open.

He reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the 14th time in 16 trips. The top-seeded Australian beat Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open for the third straight year. The seventh-seeded Rublev will meet Casper Ruud of Norway in the fourth round. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Mikael Ymer of Sweden 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 in the third round. ___3:35 p.m.Unseeded American Mackenzie McDonald has matched his best Grand Slam result by reaching the round of 16 at the Australian Open.

United States' Sofia Kenin leaves the court following her second round loss to Estonia's Kaia Kanepi during at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)MELBOURNE – Sofia Kenin knew this would be a tough test at the Australian Open, a potentially early end to her first attempt to defend a Grand Slam title. Upon realizing she probably would be playing big-hitting veteran Kaia Kanepi in the second round, Kenin acknowledged, she “maybe kind of broke down a little bit.”Kenin was right to be worried. Kenin walked off the court crying after a 6-2, 6-2 loss last week in a tuneup event at the site of the Australian Open and explained afterward that her left leg was sore. 21 Alex de Minaur and Mackenzie McDonald, who beat 22nd-seeded Borna Coric 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, and 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez.

Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating United States' Michael Mmoh during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)MELBOURNE – The Latest from the Australian Open (all times local):11:50 p.m.Rafael Nadal shrugged off some heckling from a spectator before beating American qualifier Michael Mmoh 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Australian Open. The Australian Open is the first major in a year to allow sizeable crowds with the government allowing up to 50% capacity. Ad___11:20 p.m.Fabio Fognini and Salvatore Caruso clearly still hadn’t had enough of their all-Italian second-round duel at the Australian Open even after four hours and five sets. ___9:30 p.m.Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina beat 16-year-old Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Australian Open.

2 seed Karolina Pliskova at the French Open on Thursday, the conversation quickly turned to 2017. And just, like, the world doesn’t stop with winning only one Grand Slam. That’s not very different from where she was three years ago in Paris, ranked 47th and just two days past her 20th birthday when she became an impossible-to-predict Grand Slam champion. Pliskova, who came into the French Open dealing with a leg injury, was not the most gracious foe after Thursday’s loss. The first time I’m in the third round in a Grand Slam.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the second round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – At the mere mention of Novak Djokovic’s name, at the mere thought of sharing a court with a 17-time Grand Slam champion and the French Open’s No. He used these phrases: “really, really excited” and “really, really happy” and “really, really special.”Galan is, after all, ranked 153rd and never had won so much as one main-draw match at any major tournament until this week. Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champ, plays 87th-ranked Paula Badosa, who arrived in Paris with a 1-5 Grand Slam record. “Well,” came Galan’s reply, “I was wondering that, to be honest.”And then he launched into a story about how he was “really, really nervous” before playing former top 10-member David Goffin in the Davis Cup Finals last November.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – The Latest from the French Open (all times local):____6:10 p.m.Former runner-up Sloane Stephens lost in the second round for her earliest exit at Roland Garros since a first-round defeat on her debut in 2011. ___4:15 p.m.Novak Djokovic's biggest concern seemed to be dealing with a rare bit of sunshine during his second-round victory at Roland Garros. ___2:30 p.m.Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin reached the third round at Roland Garros by beating Ana Bogdan 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. ____1:10 p.m.Danish teen Clara Tauson's surprise run is over after losing to American player Danielle Collins 6-2, 6-3 in the second round. Pliskova's twin sister, Kristyna, was also playing a former French Open champion when she faced 2016 winner Garbiñe Muguruza.

France's Kristina Mladenovic plays a shot against Germany's Laura Siegemund in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – Kristina Mladenovic blamed her French Open meltdown on her U.S. Open lockdown — and she wasn’t too pleased about a no-call on a double bounce that helped her opponent avoid ceding the first set Wednesday, either. Mladenovic was furious that chair umpire Eva Asderaki didn’t spot the extra bounce that came during a 10-stroke exchange. “If she would have done it, she would have all my respect and be super fair play,” Mladenovic said. “It’s brutal for the body when you (have) eight days (of) lockdown in a hotel room,” Mladenovic said Wednesday.