MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
Serena Williams battled her way through to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Russia's Margarita Gasparyan in the second round of the US Open on Thursday.
A dominant Williams sailed through the first set at Arthur Ashe Stadium, closing out the first game with one of seven aces in the match before breaking her unseeded opponent's serve on the second game to take an early 2-0 lead.
Williams, who continues her bid for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title, now faces 2017 champion Sloane Stephens.
Meanwhile, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime proved too strong for former champion Andy Murray, cutting short the Briton's Grand Slam comeback with a breezy 6-2 6-3 6-4 victory in the second round.
Before the start of the match, the 20-year-old Auger-Aliassime had said he would look to be aggressive against his three-time Grand Slam winning opponent.
Poland battled past Switzerland 2-1 in the United Cup final on Sunday to banish the pain of title-round defeats in the previous two editions and secure a long-awaited maiden triumph in the season-opening mixed-team competition.
Daniil Medvedev beat Brandon Nakashima 6-2 7-6(1) to lift the Brisbane Open title on Sunday, starting the 2026 season on a strong note in the buildup to the Australian Open.
India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the three-match one-day international (ODI) series against New Zealand after suffering an abdominal injury during a training session, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Sunday ahead of the first game in Vadodara.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka brushed aside Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-3 in the Brisbane International final on Sunday to retain the title without losing a set ahead of her bid to reclaim the Australian Open title this month.
Omar Marmoush netted the opener and Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal as Egypt ended Ivory Coast’s reign with a narrow 3-2 triumph in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final, while Nigeria overcame Algeria 2-0.
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