Serena Williams fell short of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, as she was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semifinals. Osaka, who also beat Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open final, reached her fourth major title match and stretched her winning streak to 20 matches by claiming the last eight points.

“I don’t know if there are any little kids out here today, but I was a little kid watching her play,” Osaka, 23, said about Williams, 39, to ESPN. “Just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream.”

Osaka will face American Jennifer Brady for the championship on Saturday. Brady beat No. 25 Karolina Muchova, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the other semifinal. Brady previously lost to Osaka in three sets in the US Open semifinals back in September.

No. 3 seeded Osaka’s Grand Slam collection includes last year’s U.S. Open and the 2019 Australian Open, and she is one of the fiercest players in women’s tennis today. Before Osaka, that was Williams. However, Williams was off target for most of this contest, finishing with twice as many unforced errors (24) as winners (12). This may have been a passing of the torch as the greatest player of all time lost to this generation’s greatest player.

“I could have won. I could have been up 5-love,” Williams, who instead dropped five games in a row after taking a 2-0 lead, said. “I just made so many errors.”

Williams struggled particularly with her forehand, with no fewer than 10 unforced errors off that side in the first set alone. Williams was clearly frustrated early in the second set, as she leaned over and screamed, “Make a shot! Make a shot!”

Osaka got out to a shaky start, but it didn’t take long to correct herself and improve going forward. Osaka ended up powering in aces, putting groundstrokes where she wanted them, and successfully covering the court. Williams showed great quickness and movement in Melbourne but was not good enough to advance to the finals this time around.

Osaka became the third player to ever win their first two major matches against Williams. Venus Williams won her first three major meetings against her sister at the 1998 Australian Open, 2000 Wimbledon and 2001 U.S. Open. The other is Jennifer Capriati, who defeated Williams at the 2001 French Open and 2001 Wimbledon

Some are speculating that this might be the last match that Williams will play at the Australian Open. Although she is still one of the best in the game, retirement has to be on her mind. Williams turns 40 years old in September. After the match, Williams refused to answer if this would be her last appearance at the Australian Open. “I don’t know,” she said in her news conference. “If I ever say farewell, I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

It was obviously a very painful loss for Williams. Fans are hoping that they will be treated to many more majors from Williams. Time will tell. Ultimately, tennis is a better and more popular sports because of the legend.

Tennis star Venus Williams, 40, has suffered an ankle injury during the Australia Open Cup.

The injury occurred during the opening set of her second-round matchup against Sara Errani of Italy. Williams headed to the net for a volley and landed on her left leg awkwardly while twisting her right ankle. The tennis star was unable to then put pressure on her legs.

Williams was treated on the sidelines by a trainer. This caused the match to be delayed for 15 minutes. Play resumed because Williams wanted to play out the game. For the rest of the match, the 40-year-old limped and grunted in pain. The tennis star endured the pain, as she went on to lose the first set, six to one, and then the next by a score of six to zero.

Williams opponent Errani was shocked by the American’s decision to play through the injury. “I thought she would retire because she wasn’t running, she was walking badly…. I was worried about her more than thinking about how I should play,” she said. “I was thinking, who knows? Maybe at a certain point, she’ll say enough is enough. But instead, she continued right up until the end.”

For the second time her career, Venus Williams was defeated by fifteen-year old American Coco Gauff. Gauff took down Williams on Monday at the Australian Open, marking the second time she has dumped Williams out in a Grand Slam first round.

Gauff, ranked 67 in the world, is a fast-rising star in tennis.

“That was really difficult, she played really well.” Gauff said. “I was really nervous for today’s match.”

The former number one Williams now sits 55th in the world. She conceded the first-set tie break after hitting a routine backhand into the net.

Gauff won 7-6 and 6-3 in her victory and is set to play unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea next.

It will be an interesting match, with Gauff coming off a huge win and Cirstea carrying some experience into big situations.

Gauff’s key is to clean up on unforced errors and maintain control. If she keeps her serve game from the Williams match, she could be set to win in straight sets.

Former No. 1-ranked Maria Sharapova faced off against Anett Kontaveit, the 16th seed, in the Rogers Cup on Monday.

The round of 64 match was a tight series, with Estonian national Kontaveit just sliding by to advance to the round of 32. Kontaveit rallied from a set down to defeat her Russian opponent 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Rogers Cup.

“I was just trying to take it point by point and not think about the score that much. It worked in the end,” said Kontaveit, according to Firstpost. Kontaveit converted her first point in the match when Sharapova sent a poor service return.

Sharapova is in a bit of a bad spell in form and has slipped into the No. 82 rank after battling a few injuries. She was out four months with a right shoulder injury that needed surgery.

“I’m still building the confidence and my form, and that’s something that’s just going to come with time and with match play,” Sharapova said, according to WTA Tennis. “Unfortunately, I just haven’t had that yet, so will just hopefully try to build on it.”

This was Kontaveit’s first match since losing dramatically in the first round of the women’s Wimbledon tournament last month. The two-hour, 42-minute match on Center Court was a heated fixture, as Kontaveit had to earn her win against Sharapova.

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“It was a super close match, and I really felt the support of the crowd in the third set and in the end,” Kontaveit said after the match, according to WTA Tennis.

Kontaveit will next face either Venus Williams, the seven-time Grand Slam champion, or Spanish international Carla Suarez Navarro. They play their round of 64 match on Tuesday.

“It will be tough either way. I’ve played them both,” Kontaveit said, according to WTA Tennis. “They have very different game styles. We’ll see what happens tomorrow when they’re playing, and I think we can talk about the next match when they’re finished, when they’re finished playing each other.”

Sharapova will be looking to earn her confidence back after struggling in 2019 so far. “There’s never the perfect scenario. I’m going to be coming up against tough players, long matches, and there are always going to be tests,” she said, according to WTA Tennis. “And I always have to play my best tennis no matter who I play, so it will just take time to build that confidence again, because I have struggled with it for a long time.”

John McEnroe stated on Wednesday that President Donald Trump once offered him $1 million to play against either Serena or Venus Williams.

John McEnroe Reveals $1 Million Offer From Trump

According to BleacherReport, the tennis legend said the following on the sports television program In Depth with Graham Bensinger: “I was calling a match and suddenly I get this envelope, and it’s from Donald Trump, who is promoter galore.”

McEnroe, 59, continued: “So he wrote me a letter, it went, ‘Dear John, I want to offer you $1 million to play either Serena or Venus.”

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McEnroe — a former World No. 1 — went on to say he eventually rejected the offer, which he did not reveal when he received it, because he was simply not interested in facing off against either woman. However, he reportedly believed he could have defeated either of the two superstar tennis sisters.

According to a report from Sport24, McEnroe also turned down a $1 million offer to play Swedish rival Bjorn Borg in South Africa in 1980, when the country was being torn by apartheid.

McEnroe — who has donated to several Democratic political candidates over the years — was the subject of the 2017 biographical sports drama film Borg vs. McEnroe, which portrayed the famous 1980 Wimbledon Championship men’s singles final between himself and Borg. Shia LaBeouf starred as McEnroe in the Swedish-produced film, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The movie was then released in the U.S. on April 13.

Serena Williams returned to competitive tennis earlier this year after giving birth to her first child, a daughter named Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., late last year. She and Venus lost 6-2, 6-3 to Dutch duo Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs in the first round of the Fed Cup in February. Serena was also knocked out early in this year’s BNP Paribas at Indian Wells, California and the Miami Open.

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Serena Williams also withdrew this week from the 2018 Italian Open, which begins on Monday.

Venus Williams was initially blamed for a fatal car accident in Florida in June, but she has now been absolved of all responsibility in the case.

Venus Williams Car Crash news

A police report, cited by the Florida Sun-Sentinel, stated 37-year-old Williams will not be charged for the June 9 collision between her SUV and a sedan.

A previous police report in July said Williams had “lawfully entered the intersection… on a green traffic signal” before the crash, which sent 78-year-old Jerome Barson to the hospital, where he died days later from injuries sustained in the accident.

Some authorities had initially believed Williams was at fault because she had run a red light, and body camera footage later revealed that the officer on the scene “told Williams he’d say she was at fault” before adding that he didn’t feel comfortable “writing a citation when I’m not a hundred percent sure, and I’m not a hundred percent sure in this case.”

Despite this, Williams was reportedly cooperative with police.

Williams has repeatedly said she is “devastated” and “heartbroken” from the incident, even breaking into tears and saying she was “speechless” during a Wimbledon press conference when asked about the crash.

Barson’s family, however, has still filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Williams, according to NPR.

Barson’s wife Linda, 68, was reportedly driving the other car involved in the crash.

Williams lost to Spanish youngster Garbine Muguruza in two sets in the Wimbledon final in July. At the Canadian Open in August, she made it to the round of 16 before falling to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. 

Williams also lost to eventual US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the event’s semi-final in September. She is expected to compete in the 2018 Australian Open in January.

KEY BISCAYNE, FL – MARCH 29: Venus Williams his a forehand shot during a match against Angelique Kerber of Germany at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 29, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

Thieves reportedly stole approximately $400,000 worth of goods from Venus Williams’ home in Florida in September.

Venus Williams Home Burglary News

The burglary occurred between Sept. 1 and 5 at Williams’ 10,000-square-foot abode while she was playing in the U.S. Open. The 37-year-old’s home is located in a gated community. Palm Beach Gardens police blacked out the nature of the stolen goods from their report, and no arrests have yet been made.

Williams and her sister Serena purchased the home — which is valued at $2.3 million — in 2000.

Venus Williams’ agent, Carlos Fleming, did not respond to an email seeking comment

In June, Venus was involved in a traffic accident near her home that killed a passenger in the other car. Police have said the accident investigation remains open, and she is being sued by the dead man’s estate. Just as in this burglary case, local authorities did not publicly disclose details of the incident until after a news outlet reported the story.

“The department is not in the business of randomly releasing information on cases. Ms. Williams is a private citizen within our community and she will be extended the same privacy all our citizens expect,” Palm Beach County police department Maj. Eduardo Guillen said in a statement.

Williams is not the first prominent athlete to have been damaged in some way. NBA guard Nick Young had around $500,000 in valuables pilfered from him when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Burglars also robbed $150,000 in goods from Floyd Mayweather’s home in Las Vegas. UFC fighter Ronda Rousey had her Olympic rings and guns robbed, among other things, and LeBron James had his house vandalized with a racial slur.

Venus reached the U.S. Open semifinals this year, her best finish at the event since 2010. The seven-time Grand Slam champion — who is currently ranked No. 5 in the world per the WTA — recently reached the last stage of the WTA Finals before losing to Danish star Caroline Wozniacki.


NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 03: Venus Williams of the United States returns a shot during her women’s singles fourth round match against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain on Day Seven of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 3, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Sloane Stephens was two points away from losing her semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night, but the young American came back to defeat seven-time major champion Venus Williams 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 and reach her first US Open final.

US Open 2017 women’s final preview

Stephens, 24, will face 22-year-old Madison Keys in the women’s title game, which will begin at 4 pm EST on Saturday. No. 15 seed Keys advanced easily by cruising past 20th-seeded American CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-2 in just over one hour in Thursday’s first semifinal.

“I have a lot of grit,” said Stephens, who is ranked 83rd after undergoing surgery on her left foot in January and is the fourth unseeded finalist at the tournament in the Open era, which dates to 1968. “I don’t give up. Like, I’m not just going to give it to someone. I’m not just going to let them take it from me.”

Ninth-seeded Williams, 37, was hoping to become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open era. She was also striving to reach her third major final of 2017 (after reaching the title game at the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon this summer). Williams made her US Open debut in 1997 and reached the final that year. The American has won the tournament at Flushing Meadows, Queens twice, in 2000 and 2001.

“I just wasn’t playing well. Those are moments where you have to dig deep and figure out how to get the ball on the court and have a big game. I can’t be tentative and try to figure out how to put that ball in,” Williams said. “Clearly she’s seen me play many, many times. I haven’t seen her play as much,” she added of Stephens.

Williams finished with six double-faults and a total of 51 unforced errors, 24 more than Stephens.

Williams was up 5-4 with Stephens serving at 30-all in the final set, and was thus just two points away from clinching the match. A 25-stroke point ensued, until Stephens fired a backhand passing winner down the line, then turned around and pumped her fists in excitement.

At 5-5, Stephens broke with a fantastic arching winner — “That lob-thingy,” as she referred to it after the match — that led to a standing ovation from the crowd at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Stephens then managed to return a short ball by making a full sprint to the net and hit the shot from an impossible angle.

“There was nothing I could do about those shots,” Williams said.

Keys — who missed the first two months of the year after undergoing left wrist surgery and needed another procedure in June due to pain in that arm — recorded 25 winners and only nine unforced errors in her victory over 25-year-old Vandeweghe.

“It was kind of one of those days where I came out and I was kind of in a zone,” Keys said of her play Thursday, “and I just kind of forced myself to stay there.”

Keys never faced a break point during her semifinal. Play was delayed for more than five minutes when Keys left the court to have her upper right leg taped at 4-1 in the second set.

“Madison played an unbelievable match,” said Vandeweghe, who couldn’t help but cry during her news conference. “I didn’t really have much to do with anything out there.”

Stephens and Keys have only played once before, on a hard court at Miami in 2015. Stephens won in straight sets.

The two youngsters are reportedly close off the court.

“She’s one of my closest friends on tour. It’s obviously going to be tough,” Stephens said. “It’s not easy playing a friend.”

Keys and Stephens — the first All-American women’s final at the US Open since 2002 — will face off at 4 pm EST on Saturday at Arthur Ashe. The match will air on ESPN and online at WatchESPN.

On the men’s side, 28th-seeded South African Kevin Anderson and 12th-seeded Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta will face off in the first semifinal at 4 pm EST on Friday. The second men’s semifinal will begin at 5:30 pm EST and will see top seed Rafael Nadal play Juan Martin del Potro, the 24th-seeded Argentine who eliminated Roger Federer in the previous round to erase fan’s hopes for the first-ever Nadal-Federer final at Flushing Meadows.

The men’s final will begin at 4 pm EST on Sunday. All three remaining men’s games will also air on ESPN and online at WatchESPN.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 07: Sloane Stephens of the United States returns a shot against Venus Williams of the United States during their Women’s Singles Semifinal match on Day Eleven during the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7, 2017 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images for USTA)

Juan Martin del Potro ended Roger Federer’s hopes of securing a record-stretching 20th Grand Slam title and a sixth U.S. Open trophy by defeating the third-seeded Swiss 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 in a thrilling quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday night, Day 10 of the the tournament.

US Open 2017 Semifinals News

The 24th-seeded Argentine — who will be 29 later this month — beat Federer in the 2009 Final in Flushing Meadows, Queens and will next face World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in Friday’s second semifinal.

Tennis fans had been eagerly hoping for the first-ever US Open matchup between Federer and the top-ranked Spaniard, who advanced by eliminating Russian teenager Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesay, but del Potro dashed those hopes.

The first men’s semifinal on Friday will see 28th-seeded South African Kevin Anderson play 12th-seeded Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta. 

Del Potro hit big serves and huge forehands and remained concentrated when Federer appeared to regain control in the second set. In the first set, the Argentine boasted a 79 first-serve percentage.

“I think I played my best match of the tournament, I did everything well,” said del Potro. “I served so good, I hit my forehand as hard as I could and I think we played a great match and I think I deserved to win.”

Del Potro had a chance at 5-5 in the first set when Federer recorded a double fault and then smacked a strong forehand shot, with which he also took the opening set over the Swiss in the following game.

Federer — who had been suffering from back problems — barely sat during the pause between sets, and he broke for 3-1 with a forehand passing shot as del Potro’s serve began to falter, and the Swiss easily won the second set.

After del Potro regained control in the third set tie-breaker — during which Federer double-faulted in the second game — the Swiss saved another break point in the fourth game of that set, setting up one for himself in the seventh. Del Potro lost that seventh game with a double fault.

In the tie-breaker, Federer took a 6-4 lead to earn two set points, although del Potro saved them with an amazing service return on the baseline and a powerful serve.

A Del Potro double fault gave Federer another opportunity, but the Swiss messed up a backhand half-volley and the Argentine took the set with a forehand winner on the fourth set point.

After forcing Federer to hit a volley long in the final set, del Potro broke for 3-2 with an amazing cross-court backhand winner.

The sold-out crowd of 23,771 at Arthur Ashe roared when the Argentine won the match with a powerful forehand winner.

“I think it’s my home court, too, you make me feel happy every time I play here and I love your support guys. I love to see you cheer for me,” del Potro told the crowd. “After all my injuries and surgeries … New York is my favorite tournament, my favorite city to play tennis.”

 On the women’s side, all four ladies playing in this year’s semifinals are American. This marks the first time since 1985 that four U.S. women advance to the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament, and the first time four American female players reach the US Open semis since 1981.

Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe have all made it through to the last four. Both women’s semifinals will be held on Thursday night and will air on ESPN.

Williams will face Stephens in the first semifinal at 7 pm EST, after the latter advanced by beating 16th-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova in three sets on Tuesday.

In her last three tournaments — Toronto, Cincinnati and US Open — Stephens reached the semi-finals. Before Toronto, Stephens ranking had dropped to 934 in the world after a year of inaction. By making the last-four at Flushing Meadows, Stephens has assured that she will be back in the top-35.

The 24-year-old Stephens — who is playing in her first US Open — is also seeking her first Grand Slam title after undergoing foot surgery in January and serving as a broadcaster earlier this year as well.

No. 15 seed Keys and No. 20 seed Vandeweghe will face off in the second semi-final at 8:15 pm EST on Thursday. Keys, 22, advanced by defeating Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday, while 25-year-old Vandeweghe eliminated top-seeded Czech Karolína Plíšková with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory on Wednesday.

Keys underwent her second wrist surgery in 10 months after a devastating three-set loss at the French Open in May. Thursday’s game will be her second Grand Slam semifinal: she previously reached the last four at the Australian Open in 2015. Vandeweghe, meanwhile, has defeated two World No. 1 players thus far in 2017: Pliskova and German star Angelique Kerber, whom she beat in Melbourne in January.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 06: Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina returns a shot against Roger Federer of Switzerland during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Ten of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 6, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Venus Williams has advanced to her 23rd Grand Slam semifinal and is now one step closer to reaching her third Grand Slam final of 2017 after defeating Petra Kvitova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) in a thrilling quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night.

Venus Williams Quarterfinal US Open Score

The 37-year-old American — a two-time U.S. Open champion — eliminated her 13th-seeded Czech opponent to enter her first semifinal in Flushing, Queens since 2010.

Williams — who reached the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals earlier this year and lost to sister Serena in the former — thanked the crowd at Arthur Ashe for standing by her.

“I have to say I felt every single one of you guys behind me, all 23,000,” Williams said, smiling. “That feels good and I didn’t want to let you guys down. Thanks for the support.”

The ninth-seeded American began her post-match interview, however, by praising 27-year-old Kvitova, whose participation in the U.S. Open marked her first major tennis tournament since she was attacked with a knife in a home invasion in December 2016. The assailant stabbed Kvitova in her left (playing) hand, which required surgery.

“First of all, everything she’s been through, it’s unbelievable,” Williams said of her Czech opponent after her match, which lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes. “You don’t wake up imagining you’ll go through that. I was fortunate to win that match. It came down to the wire. I’m wishing her more titles and more wins.”

Williams has reached eight U.S. Open semifinals since first playing at the event in 1998. Should she win the tournament, she could become No. 2 in the World. The American played fantastically in the third-set tiebreaker, only losing two points, although she double-faulted on her first match point at 6-1. Williams then sealed the victory on her second match point by forcing Kvitova into a backhand return error off a powerful serve.

Williams will next face fellow American Sloane Stephens in the first women’s semi-final on Thursday. This will mark Stephens’ first semifinal appearance at the U.S. Open. She advanced by defeating 16th-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 36-, 7-6 (7-4) on Tuesday.

The last time Williams reached three finals in one season was in 2002.

On the men’s side, 17th-seeded American Sam Querrey was eliminated Tuesday after losing to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-7, 7-6, 3-6, 6-7, while Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreño Busta has reached the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman. Busta and Anderson will face off in the first men’s semifinal on Friday.

The other two remaining men’s quarterfinals are Rafael Nadal against Russian teen Andrey Rublev at 1:15 pm EST on Wednesday, and Roger Federer against 24th-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro at 8:15 pm EST.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 03: Venus Williams of the United States returns a shot during her women’s singles fourth round match against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain on Day Seven of the 2017 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 3, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Roger Federer easily eliminated German qualifier Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday to reach the US Open quarter-finals, thus inching one step closer to winning his 20th Grand Slam.

US Open Quarterfinals Preview

Now, the 35-year-old third-seed from Switzerland will face Argentine No. 24 Juan Martin del Potro in Wednesday’s second quarter-final.

“The only time when he was really better, in my opinion, was the fifth set,” Federer told reporters, recalling his five-set loss to del Potro in the US Open quarter-finals in 2009.

Maria Sharapova may have been playing her first major tournament in 18 months on Monday, but she looked as powerful as ever in securing a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 first-round victory over No. 2 seed Romanian Simona Halep at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

US Open Day 1 recap, Round 2 preview

The 30-year-old Russian was granted a wild-card entry into the 2017 U.S. Open after she returned from a 15-month doping suspension in April. Sharapova received the ban for testing positive for the prohibited heart drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. She later claimed that the positive test occurred because of a miscommunication as a result of the drug being added to the World Tennis Association’s banned substances list earlier in 2016.

Halep — who has now lost all seven matches against Sharapova — struggled with her first serve and couldn’t handle her Russian opponent’s incredible display of power.

During the first set alone, Sharapova — the World No. 146 and a five-time major champion — recorded 18 forehand winners and ten backhand winners.

In the final set, Sharapova again took advantage of Halep’s weak second serve.

Sharapova has suffered from several different injuries since her return from her doping ban, including a forearm injury last month that forced her to withdraw from the Bank of the West Classic after just one match, but seemed in fine shape on Monday.

The Russian — who won the U.S. Open in 2006 — will next face Hungarian Tímea Babos in the second round in Flushing on Wednesday. Babos defeated Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic on Monday.

Meanwhile, No. 9 seed Venus Williams also reached the second round by defeating 19-year-old Slovakian qualifier Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Monday.

Williams — who  helped inaugurate Ashe, reaching the first women’s final played in the venue in 1997 — has now won 50 three-set matches over her 22-year Grand Slam career, tied with Chris Evert for second most by a woman in the Open era.

“It’s been a beautiful 20 years,” said the 37-year-old American. “I love this game.”

Williams will next face 20-year-old French qualifier Océane Dodin in Round 2 on Wednesday at 11 am EST. Dodin advanced by beating countrywoman Pauline Parmentier 3-6, 6-0, 7(8)-6(6) on Monday.

On the men’s side, 17th ranked American Sam Querrey will face Israel’s Dudi Sela on Wednesday at 11 am EST following the cancellation of his first-round match against compatriot Tim Smyczek.

American Steve Johnson will face Britain’s Kyle Edmund, while fourth-seeded German 20-year-old Alexander Zverev will play Croatian Borna Ćorić after a first-round victory over Barbardian Darian King. 

Here is the TV schedule for Round 2 on Wednesday:

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 27: Maria Sharapova of Russia in action during a practice session prior to the US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic in Sunday’s Wimbledon final to become the first man to win eight singles titles at the All England Club.

Roger Federer Wimbledon highlights

The Swiss third seed, who will be 36 on August 8, is now the oldest male player since the Open Era began in 1968 to win the grass-court tournament in London.

Federer — who was playing in his 11th Wimbledon final — thrashed his seventh-seeded Croatian opponent 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in just one hour and 41 minutes on Centre Court to secure his first trophy at the All England Club since 2012.

Cilic, 28, battled a blister on his left foot and even began crying during the second set.

“It is cruel sometimes,” Federer said of Cilic’s injury. “But Marin fought well and is a hero, so congratulations on a wonderful tournament.”

The Swiss now boasts 19 Grand Slam victories — the most for any male player — and is also the first man since Swedish former World number one Bjorn Borg in 1976 to sweep through the final without losing a set.

“You go through these waves of highs and lows and try to navigate through, and it’s not always simple,” said Federer, who took a six-month break from tennis earlier this year. “It’s actually quite difficult with the amount of things in my life. You’ve got to still stay focused at the end of the day, and I was able to do that.”

Federer skipped clay-court events (like the French Open) and hard-court competitions earlier this year in order to focus on grass play.

“I should take more time off,” he joked following his major victory.

When he won his first Wimbledon title in 2003, Federer was sporting a ponytail and a scraggly beard. Now, the father of four had short hair and was clean-shaven. The Swiss has beaten both Pete Sampras and William Renshaw, who won their seventh Wimbledon trophies in 2000 and 1889, respectively. Only Czech and American retired former tennis star Martina Navratilova boasts more titles at All England Club: the 60-year-old won her ninth trophy in 1990.

Cilic — who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina — hit several great shots, including this incredible drop-shot back-hand volley in the second set that won him a game and cut his deficit to 3-1 in that set, after Federer had won five straight games.

Federer recorded several double faults early in the match. However, the first break came in game five after Cilic fell hard chasing down a drop shot and eventually hit a backhand into the net.

The Swiss then reached set point in game nine with a spectacular cross-court forehand and his Croatian adversary double-faulted, thus ending the set with a 49 percent first-serve percentage.

After Federer gained a 3-0 lead in the second set, Cilic sat down and a doctor and the Wimbledon referee both attended to his aching foot. Federer won the first two sets in a mere 61 minutes.

Cilic later revealed that he was ailing more emotionally than physically at that point in the match, saying he knew in that moment that he wouldn’t be able to play his best. The Croatian took a medical timeout before the beginning of the third set and had straps and pads applied to his left foot.

“Obviously, was very tough emotionally, because I know how much I went through the last few months in preparation with everything,” Cilic said. “It was also tough because of my own team. They did so much for me. I just felt it was really bad luck.”

Tied 3-3 in the final set, Cilic began to severely hurt his winning chances after smashing a backhand and consecutive forehands into the net. By that stage, only the weather seemed to threaten delaying Federer’s victory, as the sky above Centre Court grew dark and cloudy.

After securing his title with an ace, Federer did not fall to the grass like he did at All England Club in 2007 or 2012. Instead, the Swiss simply raised his arms and took in the moment. He was also brought to tears after looking at his two 3-year-old sons and two 7-year-old daughters, who were sitting in the players’ box with their mother.

“That was really the first moment I had to myself out there,” he said. “And I guess that’s when it sunk in that, man, I was able to win Wimbledon again, and I broke a record, and my family is there to share it with me. I was hoping the boys were going to be there, too, not just the girls. And so I just felt so happy, and I guess I also realized how much I had put into it to be there. It was all those things together.”

Federer will return to London this fall to compete in his 15th Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held from November 12-19.

“I look forward to returning to London in November,” said Federer. “I was sad not to be able to compete last year as I love playing there and had not missed the event since 2002.”

Federer made a record 14 consecutive appearances at the prestigious season-ending competition from 2002-15, amassing a 52-12 match record with trophies in 2003-04, 2006-07, and 2010-11.

On Saturday, women’s 14th seed Garbine Muguruza routed tenth seed Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 in 77 minutes for her first-ever Wimbledon title.

The 23-year-old Spaniard — who lost to 37-year-old Williams’ sister Serena Williams in the 2015 Wimbledon Finals — was particularly ecstatic to defeat her American opponent, as Muguruza cited Venus Williams as a role model.

“I was expecting the best Venus, because she was playing very good and I knew she was going to make me suffer for it,” said Muguruza, who defeated Serena Williams in the 2016 French Open final to secure her first major trophy. “I was very nervous and tense. I wanted it to go my way.

“But when I had those set points against me, I’m like: ‘Hey, it’s normal. I’m playing Venus here.’ So I just kept fighting. And I knew I was going to eventually have an opportunity.”

Venus, meanwhile, admitted that day had not been her finest.

“She played amazing,” Williams said of Muguruza after ignoring a question about how tired she felt down the stretch in the final. The American suffers from Sjogren’s syndrome, an energy-depleting autoimmune disorder.

Muguruza, who is now fifth in the ATP World rankings, is the first woman to beat both Williams sisters in a Grand Slam singles final.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 16: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a backhand during the Gentlemen’s Singles final against Marin Cilic of Croatia on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on July 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas – Pool/Getty Images)

Venus Williams made tennis history on Wednesday evening by becoming the oldest player (age 36) to beat a world No. 1 by defeating Angelique Kerber in the Miami Open quarterfinals.

Venus Williams to Face Britain’s Johanna Konta In Miami Open Semifinals, Rafael Nadal Advances

The American eliminated her German opponent in an hour and 39 minutes with a 7-5, 6-3 victory in Key Biscayne, Florida, while her father Richard Williams watched from a court-side box usually reserved for photographers.

It was the first match Venus played that her father got to attend in nearly a year, and it proved to be very emotional for Serena Williams’ older sister.

“[My dad] really wanted it for me,” Venus said afterward, a broad smile lighting her face. “I could hear him on the sidelines. It’s always a happy moment, when I come off the court. Even if I lose, he’s still very happy. But to see the joy and the pride and the excitement — I could win the match just for that.”

Williams will next face tenth-seeded Johanna Konta, the British number one, in the semifinals on Thursday night at 9 pm EST. Konta advanced by defeating third-seeded Romanian Simona Halep 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 on Wednesday.

Halep, who saved a match point in her victory over 14th-seed Sam Stosur of Australia in the previous round, edged an even first set thanks to just one break of Konta’s serve, but struggled at the beginning of the second as the Brit started to dominate.

Konta was just one point away from gaining a 4-0 lead but Halep fought back, breaking in the next set to get said set back on service. After that however, Konta didn’t struggle much to get the victory, as Halep lost her rhythm.

“I went up to a 3-0 lead and had chances to go 4-0 up, but she’s an incredible player and I knew it wouldn’t be over until we shook hands,” said Konta.

The Brit won her game in two and a half hours.

“I’m really happy to have come through and am looking forward to the next round,” added Konta. “It’s going to be a tough one.”

On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal beat 13th-seeded American Jack Sock 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semifinals.

The 30-year-old Spaniard, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, will next face Italian Fabio Fognini in Friday’s semifinal at 10 am EST. Fognini, 29, advanced by beating second-seed Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-4, 6-2 to become the first unseeded player in a decade to reach the semi-finals.

The remaining two men’s quarterfinals on Thursday will feature fourth-seeded Roger Federer against tenth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych at 3 pm EST, and then 16th-seeded German Alexander Zverev against 12th-seeded Australian Nick Kyrgios at 7 pm EST.


KEY BISCAYNE, FL – MARCH 29: Venus Williams his a forehand shot during a match against Angelique Kerber of Germany at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 29, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

Alexander Zverev, a 19-year-old German 16th-seed, stunned at the Miami Open on Tuesday by defeating top-seed Stan Wawrinka on the Swiss star’s 32nd birthday.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal Reach Miami Open Quarterfinals

Zverev, who also beat 2016 U.S. Open champion Wawrinka at the St. Petersburg Open in September to claim his first ATP title, topped the Swiss 4-6, 6-,2 6-1 to reach the Miami Open quarterfinals.

The German will next face 12th-seeded Australian youngster Nick Kyrgios on Thursday morning at 10 am EST. Kyrgios defeated Belgian David Goffin. 

Fifth-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, saw off Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (4), while fourth-seed Roger Federer eliminated 14th-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4). Federer will play tenth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych in Thursday morning’s other quarterfinal. Nishikori will face Italian Fabio Fognini on Wednesday afternoon (3 pm EST), while Nadal will play 24-year-old American Jack Sock, a 13th-seed from Nebraska, on Wednesday night (9 pm EST).

Sock had beaten compatriot Jared Donaldson 6-2, 6-1, and Fognini eliminated American Donald Young, 6-0, 6-4. Federer’s win was his 16th in 17 matches in 2017.

Second-seed Kei Nishikori of Japan, a finalist at Key Biscane last year, rallied from a break down in the last set to top Argentina’s Federico Delbonis 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Second-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova reached the women’s semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 26th-seeded Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

Caroline Wozniacki progressed to the women’s semi-finals with a straight sets win over Lucie Safarova.

The Danish former world number one, seeded 12th in Miami, was a 6-4 6-3 winner against her Czech opponent.

Wozniacki and Pliskova will face off on Thursday morning (10 am EST).

Top-seeded German Angelique Kerber and 11th-seed Venus Williams will play each other in Wednesday night’s quarterfinal at 7 pm EST.

KEY BISCAYNE, FL – MARCH 28: Alexander Zverev of Germany in action against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 28, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Roger Federer reached the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 29th-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Roger Federer, Angelique Kerber Advance In Miami Open

The fourth-seeded Swiss, who was playing del Potro for the first time since 2013, never lost serve and improved to 15-1 this year. Federer, 35, broke the Argentine twice, once in each set.

Federer, who now boasts 15 victories in 16 matches in 2017, next faces 14th-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut on Tuesday’s Round of 16. Agut defeated 22nd-seeded American Sam Querrey 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

“I feel like I earned it more,” said Federer, the champion in 2005 and 2006. “I was more the aggressor. It was more my racket, and I like it that way.”

The other third-round winners in the men’s singles were Swiss top-seed Stan Wawrinka, David Goffin, Tomas Berdych, Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev.

Wawrinka, who has never won the tournament, beat Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri 6-3 6-4, while 12th-seeded Australian Kyrgios defeated 17th-seeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic in a deciding tie break 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2). He next faces 16th-seeded Zverev, a 19-year-old German who beat 18th-seeded American John Isner in three sets, all tie-breakers.

Czech 10th seed Berdych beat Luxembourg’s 24th-seed Gilles Muller 6-3 6-4 and will next face Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. 

On the women’s side, top-seed Angelique Kerber reached the quarterfinals by beating Japan’s Risa Ozaki, 6-2, 6-2. The German next faces 11th-seeded Venus Williams, who defeated seventh-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova , 6-3, 7-6 (4), in a matchup of former Miami Open winners. Williams last won the tournament in 2001.

One shocking women’s upset was sixth-seeded Garbine Muguruza, who retired after just one set against 12th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark after feeling dizzy from the heat. The 23-year-old Venezuelan-born Spaniard and 2016 French Open champion was tended to by doctors after 70 minutes of play, and lost 7-6 (7-1) to Wozniacki.

“I started normal, and then like at 3-3 or something like this I started to feel headache, pain in my stomach,” said Muguruza. “And then it kind of went more and more during the match.

“When I was getting to the 5-4, something like this, I started to feel a little bit dizzy. I think it was the heat. The heat affected me suddenly like that.”

Wozniacki will next face Lucie Safarova, who beat Slovakian fourth seed Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.

The ESPN tennis announcer who was fired last month following backlash over him using racist language to describe Venus Williams’ playing style at the Australian Open has sued the network for wrongful termination.

Tennis Announcer Doug Adler Sues ESPN for Wrongful Termination

Doug Adler, a former tennis pro, said the remark on Jan. 18 during Williams’ 6-3, 6-2 win over Stefanie Voegele in Melbourne. Adler claims he was describing the American’s aggressive, net-charging playing strategy as the “guerrilla effect,” and not “gorilla effect,” as many people believed he did given the similarity of the two words’ pronunciation. The 58-year-old commentator was allegedly referencing a style of play made famous in the 1990s.

He later apologized for his comment but was still fired by ESPN mid-tournament.

Several Twitter users, including New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, rapidly called for Adler’s termination following his comment.

Adler had been with ESPN since 2008. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, reiterated Adler said “guerrilla” adding “ESPN bowed to pressure from those using social media, including Twitter, who mistakenly believed Adler used the word ‘gorilla’ to describe Venus Williams.”

The commentator said he was “treated badly and unfairly,” and that after he realized that his remarks were beginning to tarnish his reputation, he knew that he would have to “fight for his name.”

The lawsuit claims ESPN’s termination of him “has since caused other employers to shun Adler, causing Adler serious financial and emotional harm.” Consequently, Adler is seeking an undisclosed amount in compensation and damages.

According to the Southern California News Group, Adler only became aware that his comment had drawn controversy after ESPN replayed the tape for him 24 hours later and asked him and his broadcast partner whether they noticed anything unusual. Neither did, per Adler, who was then explained what specifically had caused the backlash.

“They told me the Twitter world had basically started labeling me as a racist,” Adler said.

In his on-air apology– which ESPN wrote for him– Adler said he “simply and inadvertently chose the wrong word to describe her play,” before adding of Williams, “She’s a great champion and I respect her immensely.”

The lawsuit also notes that “Guerrilla Tennis” was the name of a Nike TV commercial from the 1990s featuring Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.

“Obviously, (Adler) saw that commercial many times and the phrase became widely used by those who actually understood tennis vernacular and followed the sport closely,” the lawsuit said.

Peter Bodo, senior editor of Tennis magazine, used the term “guerrilla” in a 2012 profile of Agnieszka Radwanska, according to court papers.

When reached for comment on the lawsuit, ESPN told The Washington Post on Tuesday, “We have not been served.” The network declined to comment further.

Williams and her younger sister Serena have been victims of racism at major tennis tournaments several times.

One of the most prominent racist episodes occurred in 2001 when the Williams sisters were jeered, and according to their father Richard, called racial epithets at Indian Wells in California. The incident was so nasty that the sisters, who would go on to achieve the sport’s highest honors, decided to boycott the event for 13 years.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 24: Venus Williams of the United States plays a forehand in her quarterfinal match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia on day nine of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Serena Williams set up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus by routing Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1 on Thursday.

Australian Open 2017: Williams Sisters To Face Off In Ninth Grand Slam Final

The world No. 2 player is just one victory away from her 23rd Grand Slam. Serena, 35, defeated Lucic-Baroni in just 50 minutes.

The unseeded Croat, in her second major semifinal but first since 1999, particularly struggled with her forehand.

Thirteenth seed Venus, 36, defeated fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-3 to reach her first major final since 2009, the year she faced Serena in the Wimbledon finals and lost to her sister in straight sets.

Serena, a six-time Australian Open winner, is just one win away from surpassing Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open Era.

Serena broke twice in her first set against Lucic-Baroni and lost just five points on serve to gain total control.

A clean forehand return winner put her 2-1 ahead in the second set before a double fault from the Croat gave her a 4-1 lead she would not give up.

“It is unbelievable to watch Serena play tennis – the way she hits the ball and the competitor she is,” Venus said after the first semi-final. “It would be a dream to see her on the opposite side of the net on Saturday.”

Speaking after her victory, Serena returned her sister’s praise:

“I am really proud of Venus – she is a total inspiration,” she said. “I am really happy for her and to be in the final together is a dream for us. She is my toughest opponent, no-one has ever beaten me as much as Venus. I feel no matter what that we have both won after all we have been through. I know a Williams is going to win this tournament.”

On the men’s side, four-time Melbourne champion Roger Federer reached his sixth Australian Open final by defeating Swiss countryman Stan Wawrinka 7-5 6-3 1-6 4-6 6-3 and to move within one win of an 18th Grand Slam title.

Federer, 35, is the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall at the 1974 US Open. Wawrinka won the tournament at Melbourne Park in 2014.

“I’ll leave all the energy here in Australia, and then I can relax after here,” said Federer, who will contest his 28th major final on Sunday. “It’s gone much better than I thought it would. That’s also what I was telling myself in the fifth set. I was talking to myself, saying like, ‘Just relax, man. The comeback is so great already. Let it fly off your racquet and just see what happens’.

“I think that’s the mindset I got to have as well in the finals – a nothing-to-lose mentality. It’s been nice these last six matches to have that mentality. It worked very well, so I’ll keep that up.”

On Sunday, the top-ranked Swiss will play his 100th Australian Open match against either Rafael Nadal or Grigor Dimitrov. Nadal and Dimitrov will face off in Friday’s second semifinal.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 26: Serena Williams of the United States serves in her semifinal match against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia on day 11 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Venus Williams was 22 the last time she made it to the Australian Open semifinals.

Australian Open 2017: Venus Williams Reaches Semifinals For First Time In 14 Years

Now, 14 years later, the American has accomplished that feat again, defeating Russian 24th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in the first of Tuesday’s quarterfinals in Melbourne.

At 36, Williams, the 13th seed, is the oldest woman to reach the final four at Melbourne in the Open era.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited,” Venus said in her on-court interview, her voice rising. “I want to go further. I’m so happy to be in a position to go further.”

She has never won the title, her best performance a runner-up finish to younger sister Serena Williams in 2003.

She will next face unseeded American Coco Vandeweghe, who routed Spain’s seventh seed Garbine Muguruza, 6-4, 6-0.

Vandeweghe, 25, followed up her win over world number one and defending champion Angelique Kerber with her victory over Muguruza, the 2016 French Open winner.

“I really wasn’t feeling all that great out there, I was feeling kind of nervous,” said Vandeweghe. “I just tried to play my best, stay within myself, keep my patterns. I fought through a few break points on her serve, kept on the pressure in the first set and then she finally cracked. Once I got rolling in the second it was like a freight train. You couldn’t stop it.”

Venus maintained the pressure on Pavlyuchenkova, a two-time junior Australian Open champion. The Russia made several unforced errors, including nine double faults, two of them in the key second-set tiebreaker.

Williams, who won her 50th match at the Australian Open, has yet to drop a set.

“What a wonderful result,” said Venus in her postmatch interview. “It’s a great win for the U.S. To have that thought that there’s going to be at least one U.S. player in the final is great for American tennis. “I’m sure she’s going to want to be in her first final. I’m going to want to be in only my second final here. So it’s going to be a well-contested match.”

With Serena Williams in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, opposite Britain’s Johanna Konta, there could be three Americans among the four semifinalists.

The last time that happened at a major was 2002, when Serena, Venus and Lindsay Davenport reached the final four at the US Open.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 24: Venus Williams of the United States plays a forehand in her quarterfinal match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia on day nine of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

An ESPN commentator has been dropped from coverage of the 2017 Australian Open for his remarks on Venus Williams’ playing style in her second-round match.

ESPN Drops Commentator Doug Adler Over Venus Williams ‘Gorilla/Guerrilla’ Comment

Former tennis pro Doug Adler apologized Thursday for describing the 36-year-old American’s aggressive play as “guerrilla” tactics, which many understood as him calling Williams a “gorilla.”

Given that the two words are pronounced almost identically, this naturally led to some confusion.

Adler stated he “simply and inadvertently chose the wrong word to describe her play.”

ESPN released the following statement regarding the incident to the Associated Press:

“During an Australian Open stream on ESPN3, Doug Adler should have been more careful in his word selection. He apologized and we have removed him from his remaining assignments,” the statement read.

Williams defeated Swiss Stefanie Vogele 6-3, 62. Adler was specifically referring to an instance where Vogele faulted on a serve, and Williams moved in and charged the net. Twitter immediately began blowing up with comments from users who felt the “gorilla” comment was offensive since Williams is African-American.

Williams also defeated China’s Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 on Friday, and will next face German Mona Barthel in the third round on Saturday night.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 20: Venus Williams of the United States plays a forehand in her third round match against Ying-Ying Duan of China on day five of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images)