Sharapova Wins Australian Open

Semifinals set: Ivanovic vs. Hantuchova, Sharapova vs. Jankovic

(NEWSER) - Ana Ivanovic had never taken a set off Venus Williams until she took down the American today in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open 7-6 (3), 6-4. Venus’ sister Serena, was also bounced from the tournament in the quarters by a Serbian, Jelena Jankovic. The fourth-seeded Ivanovic will face Daniela Hantuchova in the semifinals, reports the AP. More»

Beat Hantichova and Sugiyama 6-3, 6-3

(AP) - Serena and Venus Williams won their eighth Grand Slam women's doubles title today, beating Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-3 in the Australian Open final. The Williams sisters, seeded 10th, were untroubled as they served out the first set in just 38 minutes on center court. The temperature topped 113 degrees and the arena’s roof was closed because of the heat. More»

(NEWSER) - When the first tennis Grand Slam of the year gets under way in Australia Monday, a familiar name won't be atop the seedings. Roger Federer will be the No. 2 seed after four straight years in the top spot at Melbourne, the AP reports. Spaniard Rafael Nadal will be No. 1 for the men, and Serbia's Jelena Jankovic for the women. Other notables include Andy Roddick (7), three-time winner Serena Williams (2), and her sister, Venus (6). For photos of the stars warming up Down Under, click on the image control. More»

With Henin retired, she's got a chance to regain her dominance

(NEWSER) - Justine Henin's abrupt retirement clears the way for Serena Williams to reassert herself in women's tennis, writes Tom Perrotta in the New York Sun, and there's no better place to start than this week's French Open. Last year, Henin took Williams down in all three majors, but Serena now seems to be at the top of her game mentally and phyiscally. The Open starts Sunday. More»

Two will meet in Family Circle Cup quarterfinals

(NEWSER) - Serena Williams set up a quarterfinal match against Maria Sharapova in the Family Circle Cup, overcoming a sprained ankle and sluggish performance to beat Katarina Srebotnik 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 today. "I just kept making errors and it wasn't pretty out there," the fifth-seeded Williams said after her more than two-hour match. "It wasn't the best tennis for me." More»