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Melbourne — Australian Open winner Serena Williams replaced Angelique Kerber as world No 1 in the latest WTA rankings released yesterday.
The American moved up one place courtesy of her victory in Melbourne where she got the better of sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the final on Saturday for a record 23rd Grand Slam title.
Kerber’s defence of her Australian Open crown ended with a last 16 loss to Coco Vandeweghe with the German now down to second and her American nemesis up 15 rungs to 20th.
Melbourne quarter-finalist Karolina Pliskova climbs two spots to third.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal yesterday pulled out of Spain’s Davis Cup clash with Croatia this weekend as he recovers from his Australian Open exertions.
Nadal, beaten in five sets by Roger Federer in Sunday’s Melbourne final, will be replaced in the World Group first-round tie by Feliciano Lopez.
The Spanish tennis federation said its medical staff preferred that Nadal sat out the trip to Osijek given “the little recovery time” available to the world number six.
The federation noted that Nadal “had played in a lot of matches after four months out of action” in January, which at 30 years of age was harder to recover from than in the past.
Five-time Davis Cup champions Spain are making their return to the World Group after a two-year absence.
Lopez, the world number 33, joins Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta and Marc Lopez against Croatia, who lost to Argentina in last year’s final.
Nadal reached his 21st Grand Slam final in Melbourne after a run of beating Alexander Zverev, Gael Monfils, Milos Raonic and then Grigor Dimitrov in a near five-hour semi-final.
On Sunday, the Spaniard succumbed 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to Federer in a classic conclusion to the tournament.
Roger Federer has climbed back into the ATP top 10 on the strength of his epic 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
The 35-year-old Swiss great defied old rival Rafael Nadal on Sunday in a thrilling five-setter in Melbourne to move up seven spots to 10th in the latest rankings released yesterday.
Nadal, beaten 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, moved up three places to sixth in the list still dominated by early Australian Open victims Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
Stan Wawrinka, defeated in the semis last week by Federer, is up one in third.
Germany’s Mischa Zverev, who upset Murray in the fourth round in Melbourne, soared 15 places to 35th, his best ever ranking.
Zverev’s teenaged brother Alexander climbed two rungs to 22nd after making it to the third round where he lost to Nadal.— Sport24.
Online Reporter