Li Na Friday said she was largely unaware of the huge excitement in China before her historic Australian Open final, despite dozens of messages from well-wishers and her best friend calling up in tears.
Li said she hadn't read any coverage on the Internet after Chinese sites and newspapers were awash with news of her achievement and the country's tennis chief compared her to basketball superstar Yao Ming.
Full StoryLiverpool have turned down an audacious bid by Chelsea for striker Fernando Torres, the English Premier League club confirmed on Friday.
Chelsea, who are believed to have tabled a similar bid for the player last summer, had been told that the Spanish international was not for sale, Liverpool said in a statement on its website.
Full StoryFirst Rafael Nadal, now Roger Federer.
Federer, the 16-time Grand Slam winner, was knocked out of the Australian Open 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday by 2008 champion Novak Djokovic.
Full StoryFormer women's world number one Justine Henin of Belgium retired for the second time on Wednesday, citing an elbow injury that had dogged her since last summer.
"Today, the (medical) examinations are clear and the doctors are agreed that my elbow is too damaged for me to be able continuing with my passion and my job at a high level," Henin said on her internet site.
Full StoryBritain's Andy Murray outgunned exciting newcomer Alexandr Dolgopolov to reach the Australian Open semi-finals, as Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonerava set up a heavyweight last-four clash Wednesday.
Murray dropped his first set of the year against Ukrainian shot-maker Dolgopolov, 22, who dominated a third-set tie-break before going down 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, ending a breakthrough Grand Slam run.
Full StoryTwo points into the final game of his Australian Open quarterfinal against Roger Federer on Tuesday, Stanislas Wawrinka steadied himself to try returning a forehand smash.
Wawrinka playfully waved his racket over his head in a mock attempt to return it. Forget it, the ball sailed past him and Federer won the point.
Full StoryNorth Korea may have tumbled out of the Asian Cup with just one point and having failed to score, but they have the hottest youth sides in the region and according to one scout the world's best new talents.
Representatives from top European clubs have flocked to the continental showpiece in the hope of picking out the next Hidetoshi Nakata, Park Ji-Sung or even a Lionel Messi.
Full StoryItaly's Francesca Schiavone beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 over 4hr 44min in the Australian Open's fourth round Sunday, the longest women's singles match in Grand Slam history.
The marathon encounter, including a three-hour final set, eclipsed the previous mark of 4hr 19min set by Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and Regina Kulikova in Melbourne last year.
Full StoryRafael Nadal overcame the much-hyped potential future star of Australian tennis in his quest for a fourth consecutive major title.
Despite a mostly parochial crowd of 15,000 at Rod Laver Arena, the top-ranked Nadal had a 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 win over 18-year-old wild card Bernard Tomic in an Australian Open third-round match Saturday. Nadal advanced to a fourth-round match against Marin Cilic.
Full StoryThe sport that has given Andre Agassi everything is giving him something more.
The baseliner known for his aggressive returns and career Grand Slam announced Thursday that he will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, telling hundreds of students at a prep school he runs in Las Vegas that tennis has given him much more than eight major titles.
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