MISAKI DOI

A pair of defending Dow Tennis Classic champions continue to steamroll through the tournament, hoping to add another title to their resumes. Madison Brengle, the 2018 champion, and Caty McNally, the 2019 champion, claimed quarterfinal victories Friday, advancing to Saturday’s semifinals at the Greater Midland Tennis Center. The Dow Tennis Classic is only McNally’s second tournament since reaching the US Open doubles final. 1 seed, continued to dominate play, using just 46 minutes to earn a 6-0, 6-0 win over Lizette Cabrera. Brengle heads into the semifinals to face Danielle Lao, a former Southern Cal star who outlasted Francesca Di Lorenzo, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Caty McNally continued to march toward a potential second Dow Tennis Classic, with her biggest match still ahead of her. McNally, who won the Dow title in 2019, overmatched Elvina Kalieva Thursday, 6-0, 6-3, using just 66 minutes to secure a spot in the Friday’s quarterfinals. McNally, 19, is focusing on singles at Midland’s WTA event after moving up to No. 6 seed Katarzyna Kawa. Friday’s ScheduleStadium CourtNoon: Francesca Di Lorenzo vs. Danielle Lao2:30 p.m.: Madison Brengle vs. Lizette Cabrera6 p.m.: Caty McNally vs. Misaki DoiRobin Anderson vs. Katrina ScottCourt 12 p.m.: Catherine Harrison/Sabrina Santamaria vs. Peangtarn Plipuech/Aldila Sutjiadi4 p.m.: Katarzyna Kawa/Conny Perrin vs. Harriet Dart/Asia Muhammad

The 10th-seeded Frenchman is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, but he can't seem to win anywhere at the moment. ___4:55 p.m.U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem has moved into the second round at the Australian Open, where he was the runner-up to Novak Djokovic a year ago. Thiem had been 0-3 in Grand Slam finals until emerging for the championship at Flushing Meadows in September. The first tournament of this year’s Grand Slam season began after a three-week delay because of the coronavirus pandemic. Serena Williams begins her latest bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title in the following match against Laura Siegemund.

United States' Serena Williams makes a backhand return to Australia's Daria Gavrilova during a tuneup tournament ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – Serena Williams found a silver lining in the delayed start to the Australian Open, the season-opening Grand Slam tournament that is starting three weeks later than usual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams is playing in the Yarra Valley Classic, along with top-ranked Ash Barty and defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. TIAFOE OUTCorentin Moutet of France won a tough first-round match over 2019 Australian Open quarterfinalist Frances Tiafoe, beating the American 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at the Murray River Open. AdANDERSON ADVANCESTwo-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson opened the Great Ocean Road Open tournament with a 6-4, 7-5 win over 16th-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain.

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, wears a mask in honor of Breonna Taylor as she celebrates after defeating Misaki Doi, of Japan, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in New York. But I cant complain because I won the match, Osaka said. When play resumed, Osaka agreed to compete, after all, because the day off for the Western & Southern Open brought additional attention to the issue. You know what I mean?Against Doi, Osaka wound up with 38 unforced errors, 13 more than her winners total. But after a forehand into the net gave the second set to Doi, Osaka quickly went ahead in the third by breaking in the opening game.