to move up and down
Andy Murray sends home Roger Federer at Australian Open
Andy Murray has finally beaten Roger Federer at a Grand Slam. U.S. Open champion Murray stayed in the hunt for a second consecutive major with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 win Friday over the 17-time major champion at the Australian Open.
Murray, who served for the match at 6-5 in the fourth set, will play defending champion and top-seeded Novak Djokovic, who was rarely troubled while beating David Ferrer in straight sets in just under 90 minutes on Thursday night, about 2 1/2 hours less than Friday’s semi-final. (MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images)
So, um, that went well … Serena Williams smashes her racquet during her women’s singles match against compatriot Sloane Stephens. (Photo: PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images)
Williams hurt her back in the eighth game of the second set, hampering her serve. She had treatment and recovered well enough to give herself a shot at winning the match, but the 19-year-old Stephens kept her composure in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory on Wednesday.
It was the first loss since Aug. 17 for the 15-time Grand Slam winner, ending a run of 20 consecutive wins. She hadn’t lost a match at a Grand Slam tournament since the French Open, where her first-round exit sparked a resurgence in the second half of 2012 that included titles at Wimbledon, the London Olympics, the U.S. Open and the WTA Championship.
From dawn ‘till dusk: Novak Djokovic plays a return during his men’s singles match against Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych on the nineth day of the Australian Open tennis tournament. (Photo: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images)
This might get confusing if you lose sight of the ball: Caroline Wozniacki plays a shot on a mirror court at the Adidas by Stella McCartney media launch on January 13, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic pulled off quite a celebration after winning the Australian Open. Just think what would happen if he managed to win the French Open. Photos: AFP/Getty Images
Here is our front page for Jan. 30: “After nearly six hours of tennis, only one man is left standing — and he is not the winner.”
Novak Djokovic rallies to beat Andy Murray, head to Australian open final
Defending champion Novak Djokovic has moved into an Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal after edging Andy Murray in a five-set, almost five-hour semifinal late Friday night.
Despite appearing tired and sore from the second set, Djokovic rallied to beat Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 in a rematch of the 2011 final at Melbourne Park to reach his third consecutive Grand Slam final.
Rafael Nadal gets the best of Roger Federer in Australian Open classic
Rafael Nadal has beaten Roger Federer to reach the Australian Open final, extending his command in the personal duel between two of the best tennis players of all time.
No. 2-ranked Nadal won their semi-final 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4 Thursday to improve his record to 8-2 in Grand Slam head-to-heads against Federer. It was the first time the pair has met in major semi-final since the 2005 French Open.
Nadal will play the winner of Friday’s semi-final between defending champion Novak Djokovic and two-time finalist Andy Murray. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The end
Serena Williams was kicked out of the Australian Open on Monday, losing her fourth-round match to Russian world No. 56 Ekaterina Makarova 6-2 6-3 on a scorching day at Rod Laver Arena.
The 13-time grand slam champion was a picture of torment throughout, serving up seven double-faults and spraying 37 unforced errors to lose the match in 82 minutes.
Gratuitous sports-related animal photo of the day: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark feeds a baby kangaroo during day six of the 2012 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 21, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.
The world No. 1 beat former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 6-0, 7-5 in the last match Sunday night. Wozniacki is set to face Kim Clijsters in the quarter-finals.
“My confidence is high, my fitness is good, my play is improving and I’m very positive,” Wozniacki said. “If I play like I did today, Kim will have to really play well to beat me.”
Photo: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images
Busy photographers covering the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open in Melbourne, caught some enlightening and frightening moments. Hope they won’t bring you nightmares. Photos: AFP/Reuters
Nadal vs. Federer
At this year’s Australian Open, No. 2-ranked Nadal and No. 3-ranked Federer find themselves on the same side of the draw for the first time at a major since the 2005 French Open. If they were to meet, it will not be until the semi-finals.
Still, that did not stop Nadal from creating a bit of a buzz heading into the tournament by criticizing Federer for staying quiet on Tour issues because it might tarnish his reputation. Photo: Mark Blinch/Reuters
A booming serve and a bright future: Canadian Milos Raonic puts tennis world on notice. (Photo by Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)
Even John McEnroe, the tennis bad boy, who isn’t impressed by much, tweeted that the Canadian was “the real deal.”
Check out our full visual archive
Injured Williams withdraws from Australian Open
Venus Williams lasted just seven points in her third-round match Friday at the Australian Open, forced to withdraw due to injury from a Grand Slam singles match for the first time in her career.
Check out our full visual archive.
Relaxed Nadal moves toward another Grand Slam win (Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Check out our full visual archive.
