MARIA SAKKARI

The timing for Jessica Pegula’s run to the Australian Open quarterfinals has even accommodated another of her sporting passions.

Rafael Nadal is into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the 14th time after beating Adrian Mannarino in straight sets following a long opening tiebreaker.

Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini has completed a Grand Slam set by advancing to the Australian Open quarterfinals with a 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over 19th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta.

Defending champion Naomi Osaka didn’t make it to a much-anticipated fourth-round contest against top-ranked Ash Barty at the Australian Open.

The Australian Open continues to march on through the opening week of the tournament, as the fields have been cut down to just 32, as third round action begins in Melbourne on Thursday. Watch the Australian Open on FuboTV (Free trial) and ESPN+THURSDAY, JANUARY 20On the women’s side, the third round opens with Barbora Krejcikova taking on Latvian Jelena Ostapenko. The 2021 French Open Champion Krejcikova had a career year last year, and is making her deepest run in Australian Open career. Maria Sakkari made it to two Grand Slam semifinals last year, and wants to try and go beyond that in the Australian Open. NOTABLE DRAWS(1) Ash Barty vs. (30) Camila Giorgi(13) Naomi Osaka vs. Amanda Anisimova(6) Rafael Nadal vs. (28) Karen Khachanov(2) Daniil Medvedev vs. Botic van de ZandschulpFind the full Australian Open draws and results here

The Australian Open has started without nine-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari has beaten Tatjana Maria in straight sets in one of three early results on the first day of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.

At least Novak Djokovic knows who he'll face in the first round of his Australian Open title defense — if he’s allowed to play.

Top-ranked Ash Barty has started her 2022 season with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 comeback win over 17-year-old American Coco Gauff in the second round of the Adelaide International.

Leylah Fernandez, 19, and Emma Raducanu, 18, will compete in the first major final between two teens since the 1999 U.S. Open, when Serena Williams, 17, defeated Martina Hingis, 18.

British teenager Emma Raducanu has become the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final in the professional era by beating 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 at the U.S. Open.

Novak Djokovic enters his U.S. Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev needing two wins to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man in more than a half-century.

Emma Raducanu has set up an all-teenager U.S. Open women’s final.

U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S SEMIFINALSWhere: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (Queens, N.Y.)Time: 7 p.m. ETChannel: ESPN, ESPN DeportesStream: FuboTV (7-day free trial)(2) Aryna Sabalenka vs. Leylah Fernandez (7 p.m.)The heavily-favored Sabalenka looks to finally make it to a Grand Slam Final. She has already eclipsed her best finish at the U.S. Open after making it to the quarterfinals this year. The 18-year-old is making her first Grand Slam semifinal in only her second Grand Slam she has ever qualified for. In the U.S. Open, Sakkari has been almost unbeatable, and against some of the best in the world.

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

Novak Djokovic has won two straight sets to put himself on the verge of the U.S. Open semifinals.

ETChannel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes (All day)Stream: FuboTV (7-day free trial), ESPN+ (Individual Courts)The men’s side sees a couple rising stars taking on the Cinderella stories of the tournament. There is a heavyweight bout in the women’s draw on day one of the quarterfinals. She will take on eighth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova, who won the French Open earlier this year. The heavy-hitting Matteo Berrettini takes on Novak Djokovic in the third straight Grand Slam tournament. Djokovic, searching for the Calendar Grand Slam, beat the Italian in the quarters at the French Open, before beating him again in the final at Wimbledon, both in four sets.

Maria Sakkari has eliminated 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu in the latest-finishing women’s match in tournament history to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time.

Maria Sakkari has eliminated 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu in the latest-finishing women’s match in tournament history to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time. Sakkari came back to win 6-7 (2), 7-6 (6), 6-3 as Andreescu had trouble with a left leg that was taped by a trainer during a medical timeout in the third set.

Oscar Otte has given the U.S. Open men’s bracket a trio of qualifiers in the fourth round for the first time since the tournament began keeping qualifying records in 1982.

Novak Djokovic has moved into the third round of the U.S. Open as he tries to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam and collect a 21st major championship.

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.

The host country’s superstar is out of the Tokyo Olympics.

Coco Gauff has won in her return to Centre Court at Wimbledon.

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

Wimbledon has returned after being canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic and some things have not changed at the All England Club.

Naomi Osaka’s agent says the four-time Grand Slam champion will sit out Wimbledon and compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova’s twin titles at Roland Garros have allowed her to jump in the WTA rankings to No. 15 in singles and No. 1 in doubles.

The 5,000 fans attending the French Open semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have been allowed to stay in the stadium in spite of the nationwide coronavirus curfew starting at 11 p.m. After Djokovic moved ahead 2-1 on sets, a stadium announcement said that following talks with French authorities the fans were allowed to stay until the end of the match.

Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic has overcome a match point and an apparent blown call to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova saved one match point to book a spot if the French Open final, where she will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Saturday.

Novak Djokovic has set up another showdown against Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

Maria Sakkari has ended defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek's 11-match winning streak at Roland Garros in the quarterfinals.

Diego Schwartzman has put an end to Rafael Nadal’s 36-set winning streak at Roland Garros.

Anastasia Pavlychenkova finally has a Grand Slam quarterfinal victory.

American 17-year-old Coco Gauff completely overwhelmed Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-1 at the French Open to become the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals at any Grand Slam tournament in 15 years.

Novak Djokovic has rallied from a two-set deficit to reach the French Open quarterfinals for the record 15th time.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek is into the quarterfinals of the French Open after beating unseeded 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round.

Italian Jannik Sinner has advanced to the Miami Open final by beating Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets.

Maria Sakkari, of Greece, reacts after winning a point against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, during the quarterfinals of the Miami Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Sakkari won 6-0, 6-4. 23-seeded Maria Sakkari, who upset Osaka 6-0, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. Osaka won her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in February, but in five Miami appearances she has never advanced beyond the quarterfinals. Good job.”AdOsaka made just 41% of her first serves and paid a price, because Sakkari aggressively attacked the second set. “I just did what I had to do.”Osaka took a 40-0 lead in the opening game, but didn’t win another point on her serve until the second set.

Ashleigh Barty of Australia, returns to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 29, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)MIAMI – Ash Barty is tough to beat under any circumstances, especially when she’s on the ropes. The world’s top-ranked player has reached the Miami Open quarterfinals, getting there by holding off 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. This, too, was cool: The match lived up to its showdown potential, with the reigning Miami Open champion and current world No. 1 in Barty facing someone who has won the Miami title three times and a previous world No. Svitolina will play unseeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in the quarters; Sevastova was a 6-1, 7-5 winner over wild-card Ana Konjuh of Croatia.

There was no certainty until last month that the Australian Open would even be staged. Wimbledon was canceled in 2020, there were no fans permitted at the U.S. Open and very few allowed at Roland Garros. The three-week delay to start the Australian Open this year will mean a slightly different atmosphere — the summer holidays are over, for a start — but that’s unlikely to upset organizers or players. “That’s the first thing I’m looking forward to when I come to Australia, so it was great. Ad“I don’t have a professional tournament back home, so ... every time I come back to Australia, it feels like I’m at home.”___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Kenin is the top-seeded woman in Abu Dhabi, where the first womens tour-level tennis event of 2021 begins main-draw play on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)ABU DHABI – Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the United States came back from match point down to beat Yulia Putintseva and reach the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday. Kenin posted 57 unforced errors to Putintseva's 43 but still prevailed 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 over the 13th-seeded Putintseva. Kenin dropped the opening set for the second consecutive match in Abu Dhabi. Also, Aryna Sabalenka recorded her 12th consecutive win in tour matches with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ons Jabeur.

Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Tsvetana Pironkova, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in New York. Two more victories for Williams would allow her to claim a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Williams last lost before the semifinals in New York all the way back in 2007, when Justine Henin eliminated her in the quarterfinals. Another 15 strokes followed, with Williams hitting a forehand passing shot that Pironkova volleyed into the tape of the net. That afforded Williams a third break point, which was converted for a 1-0 lead when Pironkova sent a forehand long.

Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Tsvetana Pironkova, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in New York. Williams last lost before the semifinals in New York in 2007, when Justine Henin eliminated her in the quarterfinals. Another 15 strokes followed, with Williams smacking a forehand passing shot that Pironkova volleyed into the net tape. A couple of times, Pironkova drew Williams forward with a drop shot, then took the point with a perfectly arced lob. But after compiling only five unforced errors in the first set, Pironkova had 21 over the last two.

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

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

NEW YORK The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):11:30 a.m.Day 6 has started at the year's second Grand Slam tournament the U.S. Open normally closes the major tennis championship season but the pandemic caused changes to the calendar. The sun is shining and the temperature is in the mid-70s Fahrenheit (mid-20s Celsius) as the third round continues Saturday. The highlight of the afternoon is expected to be Serena Williams against Sloane Stephens in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles, including six in New York. Stephens won the 2017 U.S. Open.

Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Sloane Stephens, of the United States, during the third round of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK In danger of her earliest exit at the U.S. Open since her debut 22 years ago, Serena Williams turned things around and took over against Sloane Stephens. Williams collected 10 of the last 12 games by lifting her level, to be sure. You know, Serena is Serena," Sakkari said after advancing earlier Saturday by beating 19-year-old American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-1. Quickly, that set belonged to Stephens, who held at love when all four points ended with Williams miscues.

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, leaves the court after winning her match with Anett Kontaveit, of Estonia, during the quarterfinals at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in New York. Soon after, the whole tournament was put on hold for a day. Osaka tweeted that as a Black woman, she feels compelled to pull out of the tournament to put a focus on police shooting Black people. "Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach. I have to be patient, to try to enjoy every single match I play here after six months without competing.

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot from Tennys Sandgren during the third round at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK Novak Djokovics neck felt much better, and his tennis looked much better, in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over unseeded American Tennys Sandgren at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday that improved the No. The Western & Southern Open is usually held in Ohio but was moved to the U.S. Opens site in Flushing Meadows this year to make for a two-event, no-spectator bubble amid the pandemic. He has won five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments, including at the Australian Open in February. Womens quarterfinal matchups set earlier in the day were two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka against Anett Kontaveit, former No.

A trainer works on the neck of Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during his match with Ricardas Berankis, of Lithuania, during the second round at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in New York. 1-ranked Djokovic was playing his first ATP match in six months because of the coronavirus pandemic; he pulled out of the doubles event Sunday because of his neck. That major championship's site in Flushing Meadows is hosting the Ohio-based Western & Southern Open, too, as part of an unusual doubleheader with no spectators. Like Djokovic, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka emerged with difficult wins, while two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova, the No. Djokovic now meets American Tennys Sandgren, a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (5) winner over No.

FILE -- In this June 8, 2017 file photo Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko plays a shot against Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France. With second-ranked Simona Halep joined by 2017 French Open champion Jeena Ostapenko and last years Roland Garros finalist Markta Vondrouov, this years Palermo Ladies Open, the Aug. 3-9 event marking the return of tour-level tennis following a five-month break for the coronavirus pandemic, will be like no other. A finalist from last years French Open. With second-ranked Simona Halep joined by 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and last years Roland Garros finalist Markta Vondrouov, this years Palermo Ladies Open tennis tournament will be like no other. Theyre coming just because they want to play and return to their normal lives.___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports___Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf