Serena williams
Beyond the Big Three: Djokovic sets sights on Williams, Court
Not content with challenging Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the men's Grand Slams record, Novak Djokovic has Serena Williams and Margaret Court in his...
But the Japanese star, a four-time major-winner at the age of just 23, insisted America's Serena Williams, 39 -- who has 23 Slam crowns -- remains the face of the women's game.
Serena Williams has been playing the Australian Open since 1998 - when Naomi Osaka, her semi-final conqueror, was a baby - and has grown to rule the tournament with seven titles, an Open-era record.
The Japanese third seed swept past the American veteran 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena in front of thousands of fans allowed back in after Melbourne lifted a snap five-day lockdown.
The seven-time champion, in her 20th Australian Open and 77th Grand Slam, raised her intensity and accuracy to beat the Romanian second seed 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.
The clinical seven-time champion, in her 20th Australian Open and 77th Grand Slam, was simply too intense in beating the Romanian 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.
The American withstood a barrage from the seventh seed to prevail 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in two hours and nine minutes and set up a mouth-watering clash with either world number two Simona Halep or French Open champion Iga Swiatek.
Williams, 39, continued her quest to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24 Grand Slams with a 6-3, 6-0 romp past 99th-ranked Serbian Nina Stojanovic in just 69 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Serena Williams started her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title in style with a 6-1, 6-1 romp past Germany's Laura Siegemund in 56 minutes.
Williams and Barty ground out tough wins at the Yarra Valley Classic, but a teary-eyed Australian Open champion Kenin lost a repeat of last year's final against Garbine Muguruza in straight sets.
Williams, who beat Daria Gavrilova in her Yarra Valley Classic opener in Melbourne, suffered the injury at last year's US Open then withdrew from the French Open before the second round, ending her 2020 campaign.
The onslaught of COVID-19 has forced a radical change to how the early 2021 tennis season will look, with the Australian Open pushed back three weeks to 8 February.
All the world's top players have signed on, led by world number ones Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty.
Rafael Nadal looked in ominous form as he stepped up his pursuit of Roger Federer's 20 major titles with a crushing win over 236th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald.
The three-time champion in Paris had arrived at the tournament carrying an Achilles tendon injury.
Rafael nadal defeated Egor Gerasimov, the world number 83 from Belarus, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to launch his assault on a 13th French Open title, 15 years after triumphing on his debut.
The 39-year-old American made a slow but successful start to her latest pursuit of Margaret Court's record with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 win over Kristie Ahn in the French Open first round on Monday.
Nadal, the undisputed king of clay, needs one more major to equal Roger Federer's record of 20, but the Spaniard comes to Paris short of preparation and unhappy with the French Open's choice of new balls.
But Serena Williams can never be discounted as she launches another bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown.