- Shooting, explosions in Jenin as Israel presses raid
- Spotlight on risk management as skiers tackle notorious Kitzbuehel downhill
- Rare wildlife species found in Cambodian national park
- EU Russia hawks back Trump call to boost defence spending
- Sinner races into semis as Swiatek closes on first Melbourne crown
- Syria's military hospital where detainees were tortured, not treated
- Prince Harry settles lawsuit against Murdoch's UK tabloids
- Sinner demolishes De Minaur to set up Melbourne semi with Shelton
- Sudan 'political' banknote switch causes cash crunch
- Malaysia's Anwar says don't single out China in sea tensions
- EU's top diplomat backs Trump call to boost defence spending
- Simmering anger as Turkey begins burying 76 fire victims
- Masa Son, Trump's Japanese buddy with the Midas Touch
- US govt workers in diversity jobs to be put on leave as programs ordered shut
- Shelton grinds past Sonego into Australian Open semi-final
- Borussia Dortmund sack coach Nuri Sahin after Champions League setback
- 'Did not push hard enough': Navalny lawyer speaks of regrets
- Bulgaria court ruling turns spotlight on gambling addiction
- Inoue focused on Korean with bright lights of Vegas on horizon
- Mauricio Funes: journalist turned El Salvador president
- Navarro urges rule change after double-bounce furore in Melbourne
- Lesotho's king pitches green energy to Davos elites
- Buttler rejects calls for England to boycott Afghanistan match
- Indonesia rescuers search for survivors as landslide kills 19
- Triple-doubles for Jokic and James fuel lopsided NBA wins
- Five things about the 2025 World Rally Championship
- 'Love for humanity': Low-crime Japan's unpaid parole officers
- Indonesia rescuers search for survivors as landslide kills at least 17
- S. Korea to overhaul some airports after Jeju Air crash
- Bloodied Welsford fights back from crash to win another Tour stage
- Swiatek sweeps into Melbourne semis, Sinner faces home test
- Rampant Swiatek sweeps into Australian Open semi-final with Keys
- Lanterns light up southern Chinese city ahead of Lunar New Year
- 'Worst ever' Man Utd turn to Europa League as saving grace
- Brazil saw 79% jump in area burned by fires in 2024: monitor
- Resilient Keys beats Svitolina to reach Australian Open semi-finals
- Most Asian markets rise after Trump AI pledge but China tariff woes return
- Djokovic mentally ready for Zverev but worried about creaking body
- As Trump takes aim at EVs, how far will rollback go?
- No home, no insurance: The double hit from Los Angeles fires
- Trump targets opponents, faces criticism from catherdral pulpit
- Relentless Swiatek, dizzy Sinner eye Australian Open semi-finals
- Colombian forces edge into guerrilla strongholds
- Panama complains to UN over Trump canal threat, starts audit
- Ichiro, the Japanese Hall of Famer who helped redefine baseball
- Ichiro becomes first Japanese elected to MLB Hall of Fame
- The Now Corporation (OTC:NWPN) Subsidiary, Green Rain Solar Inc., Explores Selling Development Rights for Solar Farm Project in Greece, NY
- Glenmorgan Investments Reopens Digital Asset Innovation Fund
- ZeroPath Corp. Launches Next-Generation Code Security Platform Powered by Artificial Intelligence
- Rare snow socks New Orleans as Arctic blast chills much of US
'Queen Wen' Zheng deposed in huge shock at Australian Open
Last year's finalist and fifth seed Zheng Qinwen was knocked out of the Australian Open in straight sets on Wednesday in the biggest shock of the tournament so far.
The normally ice cool "Queen Wen" got hot under the collar as she was sent packing 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in the second round by world number 97 Laura Siegemund of Germany.
Veteran Siegemund, who will turn 37 in March, is the second oldest player in the women's draw.
Playing in her 27th Grand Slam, she rolled back the years against the 22-year-old who was out-thought on John Cain Arena.
"I knew I just had to play more than my best tennis. I had nothing to lose so I just told myself to swing free," said the German.
"She's an amazing player, one of the best players right now. But I know I can play well and I wanted to show that to myself and make it a tough fight."
Zheng was put under pressure early, forced to save a break point in the third game with her big serve getting her out of trouble.
Siegemund was undeterred and went toe-to-toe from the baseline with Zheng, who was flat and could not find any rhythm.
Siegemund last registered a win over a top-10 player nearly three years ago but was not overawed by Zheng's renowned serve, firing 11 return winners in the first set alone.
At 4-4 Siegemund fashioned two more break points after Zheng was given a time violation.
Zheng saved the first but hit wide off the second, reeling under the weight of the German's relentless groundstrokes.
Feeling the tension of serving for the set, however, Siegemund's hitherto dynamic footwork deserted her enabling Zheng to break back with ease.
The tiebreak went with serve until Siegemund went 6-3 ahead with a double mini-break and converted on her first set point.
Siegemund was now playing almost flawlessly and broke Zheng's serve for the first time to take a 2-0 lead in the second.
Zheng looked flat but benefited from two outrageous pieces of luck to break back.
First a net cord dropped in for a winner and then a desperate swing at a wide serve went around the side of the net post and somehow grazed the sideline.
Zheng was upset by a second time violation in the next service game which cost her a first serve at 15-30.
She complained at length to the umpire that she could not see the shot clock, but to no avail and she then lost her cool.
Her mind was frazzled as she completely fluffed the second serve and then double-faulted on break point to hand a crucial 3-1 advantage back to Siegemund
It soon became 4-1 in a flurry of Zheng unforced errors and Siegemund served out for a famous win.
She will play the winner of the all-Russian clash between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Anastasia Potopova in the third round.
P.Serra--PC