Serena Williams broke down in tears after losing 6-3, 6-4 to Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semi-finals.
The defeat ended Williams' bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. "It was a big error day for me today," the 39-year-old said after the match at Rod Laver Arena.
Asked if it was just a bad day, Williams said: "I don't know. I'm done," before leaving the room.
The Japanese third seed, champion in Melbourne two years ago, overcame a nervous start to wrap up a hugely impressive win.
The numbers were in Williams' favour; the American had won all her previous eight semi-finals at Melbourne Park, had not lost to a top-three player at a grand slam since 2007, and had beaten Osaka in their last two meetings to gain a measure of revenge for her acrimonious defeat in the 2018 US Open final.
Perhaps mindful of that, Osaka looked uncharacteristically tight at first in front of a limited crowd, allowed back in after Victoria's five-day coronavirus lockdown was lifted.
She struggled with her ball toss in the direct sunlight and double-faulted on her way to dropping serve in the opening game.
Williams, by contrast, began with an ace and a confident hold before Osaka wriggled out of another break point, an ace getting her on the board.
That seemed to click the 23-year-old into gear, and as her timing returned Williams' deserted her, the first set quickly disappearing as Osaka won five games in a row and held her nerve to serve it out at the tricky end.
A sizzling crosscourt backhand secured another break for Osaka at the start of the second with Williams becoming more animated, at one point bellowing "make the shot" at herself.
Osaka had won eight out of nine games before Williams could stem the flow with a hold for 1-2.
A nasty dose of the Osaka jitters allowed Williams back in for 4-4, but the third seed promptly broke back to love and this time nervelessly wrapped up victory in an hour and 15 minutes.
Osaka said on court: "I was really nervous and scared in the beginning but I eased my way into it.
"It was about having fun and it was the first day having a crowd for a while. It's an honour to play her and I didn't want to go out really bad so I just tried my best.
"I was a little kid watching her play so coming up against her on the court for me is a dream."
Jennifer Brady ensured there would be an American in the final after Williams' exit by downing Karolina Muchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Brady dug herself out of a mid-match hole to reach her first grand slam decider and a daunting title clash with Osaka.
Brady saw four match points slip as she served it out nervously but finally celebrated the win when Muchova fired a forehand long.
Brady slumped on to the court as a capped crowd cheered, and she was still overcome with the moment in her on-court interview.
"I can't feel my legs. My legs are shaking, my heart is racing. I am so nervous," the 25-year-old said.
"I came out a little strange today, super excited but at the same time I was pretty flat footed.
"My legs felt fresh but at the same time they just weren't moving. I felt like I was stuck in mud so I didn't really pick up my intensity until the beginning of the third set."
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
GROUPS AND FIXTURES
Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain
Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia
Tuesday
4.15pm: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
