Tennis, Grand Slam | featured news

Andy Murray has beaten Roger Federer for the first time in a Grand Slam event to advance to the Australian Open final against top-ranked Novak Djokovic. The world No. 3 beat the Swiss star 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2.

For the fourth straight time in a Grand Slam final, it will be Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal....

Defending champion Li Na needed three sets to stop American Christina McHale at the French Open on Saturday. The seventh-seeded Li, who last year became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title, rallied to beat McHale 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Suffering from the autoimmune disease Sjögren’s syndrome, the former No. 1 player in women’s tennis has returned to Grand Slam competition, and she has set her sights on the Olympics.

Defending champion Roger Federer pulled out of his semifinal match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Qatar Open because of a back injury on Friday. However, the 16-time Grand Slam champion says he expects to be ready for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 16. In a news conference 30 minutes before his match, Federer said his back had not improved since beating Andreas Seppi in three sets on Thursday.

Petra Kvitova won her first Grand Slam title Saturday by beating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4 in the Wimbledon final. Kvitova was playing in her first major final, but it was three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova that showed her nerves. The 2004 Wimbledon champion double-faulted six times, including twice to get broken to 4-2 in the first set. The 21-year-old Kvitova is the first left-handed woman to win the Wimbledon title since Martina Navratilova in 1990.

Returning to Grand Slam tennis after a year away with health problems, Serena Williams opened her Wimbledon title defense Tuesday by beating Aravane Rezai in three sets - then burst into tears on Centre Court....

China's Li Na became the first Asian tennis player to win a grand slam singles title as she defeated defending champion Francesca Schiavone in the final of the French Open on Saturday.

Australian Open runner-up Li Na reached the quarterfinals of the French Open with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over Petra Kvitova on Monday and became the first Chinese player to advance that far at the clay-court Grand Slam. Li has reached the quarterfinals at all four major tournaments and will next play either Victoria Azarenka or Ekaterina Makarova.

Roger Federer set another Grand Slam record Sunday, extending his quarterfinal streak at major tournaments to 28 with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Olympic gold medal doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka at the French Open.