(Conversion rates as follows: USD 1 = INR 73 approx; INR 50 lakh = USD 68,000 approx; INR 1 crore = USD 137,000 approx; INR 10 crore = USD 1,370,000 approx)

Glenn Maxwell, the Australia allrounder, became the first million-dollar signing of the 2021 IPL auction, being snapped up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 14.25 crore ($1.95 million). Bidding for Maxwell began at his base price Rs 2 crore and quickly spiralled, with Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders also fighting for his signature.

The Knight Riders and Royals began the initial tussle, before the Royal Challengers swooped in with an offer of Rs 4 crore. Soon, the Super Kings also threw their bid into the hat, going as far as Rs 14 crore before bowing out. Maxwell had spent seven seasons with the Punjab Kings, scoring 1383 runs at a strike rate of 157.69, and helped the team reach the final in 2014.

The Royal Challengers also came close to bagging Maxwell's Australian team-mate Steven Smith at his base price of Rs 2 crore, but were eventually beaten out by Delhi Capitals, who signed him for Rs 2.2 crore.

Having missed out on Maxwell, the Super Kings did eventually manage to get another allrounder, fighting off bids from Punjab Kings to land England's Moeen Ali for Rs 7 crore.

As she made her way off the court on Thursday at Rod Laver Arena, Serena Williams stopped for a moment as the recently returned crowd stood and showered her with applause. She raised her left arm to wave before moving her hand over her heart, as if to let them know the feeling was mutual. She paused for a moment, soaked in the ovation like the Melbourne late-summer sunshine and waved again before disappearing into the tunnel.

Her run at the 2021 Australian Open was over, ended in straight sets in the semifinals by her heir apparent, Naomi Osaka. And then, the questions started ... on television, social media and maybe even from your own couch: Was the match all that was over?

Less than an hour later, while sitting in front of dozens of members of the media in person and others around the world on computers, Williams was asked if the on-court moment was a goodbye, of sorts.

"I don't know," she said in her news conference. "If I ever say farewell, I wouldn't tell anyone."

She smiled, but it faded quickly. As the next reporter started to ask an innocuous question around the uncharacteristic amount of unforced errors Williams had in the match, she tried to fight back tears by drinking water, looking down or shielding her eyes with her visor. Her voice cracked when she started to answer.

"I don't know," she said, before abruptly standing up and stating, "I'm done."

Williams was gone again, leaving behind more questions than answers.

While Williams herself has given no concrete indication of an impending retirement, the 39-year-old's time in the sport is inevitably nearing some kind of end. And whether this truly was the last time we see Williams at the Australian Open or if she plays for several more years, the sport is better because of her, as evidenced in part by Osaka herself.

It seemed liked everything was coming together for Williams this fortnight. She had been playing arguably her best tennis since returning from maternity leave in 2018 and was heading into the tournament injury-free, having recovered from a lingering Achilles tendon injury, which had forced her to withdraw at the pandemic-delayed French Open in September.

Williams held off the powerful Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in the fourth round in Melbourne. She had dismantled World No. 2 Simona Halep, who had defeated Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon final, in the quarterfinals.

Having won seven titles in Melbourne -- including her most recent in 2017 while pregnant with her daughter, Olympia -- the city and tournament hold a special place in Williams' heart, and it seemed like the perfect place to make history. The winner of 23 major titles, she has been one away from tying Margaret Court's long-standing record since that 2018 return and has come oh-so-close -- reaching four Grand Slam finals and two semifinals during that span.

For this latest opportunity, Williams had to again get past Osaka. The 23-year-old had won their previous major meeting in their famous 2018 US Open final, and it was serendipitous for Williams to have another chance against Osaka with so much on the line. In a battle of the Greatest of All Time against the Greatest of Right Now, Williams wanted to prove she was still both.

But Osaka out Serena-ed Serena, simply better in all the ways Williams has for so long dominated tennis. Osaka had six aces (to Williams' three) and an 85% first-serve win rate, won all four of her break points and recorded 20 blistering winners. After a nerve-filled opening two games, where she struggled with her ball toss, Osaka never again opened the door for Williams.

Osaka advanced to her fourth major final, where she will take on American Jennifer Brady and look to improve to a perfect 4-0 when playing on the biggest stage. Since her first win at the 2018 US Open, Osaka -- representing Japan but raised and based in the United States -- has risen up the ranks and become one of the most visible athletes in the world. Like so many, she has her American counterpart Williams to thank for that.

Osaka's father now somewhat famously started her and her sister in tennis due to the success of Williams and her sister Venus. He followed the blueprint set by Richard Williams and put rackets into the hands of his two young daughters.

"My young aspirations owe so much to Serena and Venus," Osaka wrote in a column for The Telegraph last month. "Without those trailblazers, there would be no Naomi, no Coco [Gauff], no Sloane [Stephens], no Madison [Keys]. Everything we did was inspired by them, and my sister and I would dream about one day playing them in a Grand Slam final."

The Williams sisters' success motivated many to play a sport they might not have otherwise considered. At the 2020 US Open, there were a record 12 Black women, nearly 10% of the field, in the singles draw. Teenager Robin Montgomery was among the group, and she didn't hesitate in discussing the influence the sisters' had on her life when talking to ESPN before the tournament.

"Of course, Serena and Venus have been my role models since I was young," she said. "My goal is to have the chance to inspire the younger generations the way Serena and Venus were able to inspire my generation and so many other generations."

Throughout her storied career, Serena Williams has been so much more than "just" a tennis player. She is a single-named pop culture icon, celebrated businesswoman, frequent magazine cover story star and powerful advocate for racial and gender equality. Osaka has followed the path Williams paved, while finding her own voice and identity.

Williams' legacy is about far more than trophies and records and aces, although those have been impressive. It should hardly be surprising when we watch Osaka discuss gender equality during a postmatch news conference, as she did Thursday; she isn't afraid to take a stand, because she has seen it been done countless times before.

Osaka will look to add to her trophy case on Saturday as she vies for her fourth career Grand Slam title. Williams will have to wait for her next chance to win another, if she plans on continuing to play. Williams took to Instagram later on Thursday, posting a picture of herself wearing one of her signature Nike T-shirts and standing with her arms outstretched alongside a note to the Australian fans.

"I am so honored to be able to play in front of you all," part of her post said. "Your support -- your cheers, I only wish I could have done better for you today. I am forever in debt and grateful to each and every single one of you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I adore you."

Many will undoubtedly speculate about the post and Thursday's events, but it will be up to Williams alone to decide when the time has come to walk away. She more than deserves that. But when asked about the eventual end of Williams' legendary career, Osaka seemed to speak for all of Williams' fans.

"It's kind of sad when you say it like that because, for me, I want her to play forever," she said. "That's the little kid in me."

SAN FRANCISCO -- Stephen Curry couldn't buy a basket.

After spending the first half of the season full of knocking down shots from all over the floor, while re-inserting himself into the MVP conversation, Curry came into the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's 120-112 overtime win over the Miami Heat having already set a personal record for most three-pointers missed in a game. Curry had already had 47 games in his career where he attempted at least 15 threes according to ESPN Stats and Information, but this was the first time he had made just two of them. The rhythm that had defined his season was missing -- but as has been the case throughout his career, Curry still found a way to hit the biggest shots of the night when it mattered the most. The star guard's crucial 28-foot step-back three late in regulation and eight points in overtime helped the Warriors come all the way back from a 19-point deficit and earn arguably their most impressive win of the year.

"That's why he's great," Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins said. "That's why he's one of the greatest players to play the game of basketball. The ability to have a rough first half but come out with that same mindset and take over the ballgame when it needs to be taken over and make big shots after big shots down the stretch. That's why he is who he is."

On a night when the Warriors played without emotional leader Draymond Green, who was scratched just minutes before the game because of an ankle injury, and had to overcome the continued absence of James Wiseman (wrist) and Kevon Looney (ankle), it was Curry who repeatedly made the big plays in the biggest moments -- even after missing so many shots to start the game.

"I probably took five bad ones," Curry said. "I'd say, the rest of them were off the dribble in rhythm or catch and shoot wide-open, I just was missing. So knowledge and confidence is huge, and understanding that eventually I'll find the right rhythm, the right look and make a big one. And thankfully it happened at the end of regulation and then in the two in overtime. I tried not to think of the percentages during the game when you know like 'Damn, I missed about 17 of these.' That doubt can sometimes creep in, you got to kick it out and just shoot with confidence and keep shooting."

With the score tied at 109 with 1:15 left in overtime, it was Curry who drained a 29-foot triple to give his team the lead that it would never give back. With 17 seconds left, it was Curry who delivered the dagger three that left him screaming in celebration as he headed to the bench (and inspired his wife to tweet in celebration).

Daggggerrrrrrr

— Ayesha Curry (@ayeshacurry) February 18, 2021

His ability to shoot terribly but still be able to turn the game around didn't come as a surprise to anyone who has watched him perform for years.

"This is so typical of Steph," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "He's just the kind of player and the kind of person who can be in the midst of one of his worst shooting nights of the year and still hit three enormous shots to help us win the game. So really an amazing team win and a lot of fun."

Curry's ability to get hot at the right time has been a staple of the Warriors entertaining season and is a huge reason why the organization has confidence that it can win games no matter who else is on the floor. No matter how many he misses, they trust that he will make the one that matters the most.

"When you've got a guy like that that believes in you and instills that confidence in you, you feel like you can do anything," Warriors guard Kent Bazemore said after scoring 26 points. "That's just who he is. He always thinks less of himself and he's always looking to elevate those around him and it's been great. He's instilled confidence in a ton of players in the locker room, throughout their ups and downs ... it's a great leader to have."

The fact that Curry won the game after playing a season-high 42 minutes made the win that much sweeter for a team that starts a four-game East Coast swing on Friday in Orlando. Curry's late run offered another reminder of how overwhelming his talent can be to opponents. His shots mentally toppled a Heat team that is used to making other teams wilt over time.

"I just think he hasn't just built up his body and his skill over the years," Kerr explained. "I think he's built up his mind. And he's so strong-willed that he doesn't let things bother him and he knows that the law of averages are going to play out. He has so much belief in his shot that he's going to keep shooting. It's the same reason he shoots three-quarter court shots when there's still time on the clock. He doesn't care about the percentage. He actually believes that's a shot he can make, so he takes it. And same thing applies when he's in the midst of a tough night, he always believes the next one is going in. He's got an incredibly powerful belief in himself."

No matter how poorly things started in the beginning, Curry never doubted that he would be able to turn things around. He trusts the work he puts into his game -- and that filters all the way through the rest of the Warriors roster.

"You play enough games and go through enough experiences, you know what it's like to kind of feel a little lost when shots aren't falling," Curry said. "And you know how you mentally react to it and what you can do to keep your confidence and stick with it ... it's just bred over time ... I've been shooting since I was nine. You got to be able to figure out how to get through some bad shooting games."

Serena Williams left her Australian Open news conference in tears after her semi-final defeat by Naomi Osaka.

She gave the crowd inside Rod Laver Arena a long wave goodbye with her hand over her heart, leading to questions over the 39-year-old's future.

She responded: "I don't know. If I ever say farewell, I wouldn't tell anyone."

Williams became tearful when asked a further question about her unforced errors against Osaka.

"I don't know. I'm done," she said, before leaving the room.

Williams thanked her fans in a post on Instagram shortly after the match.

"Today was not ideal outcome or performance but it happens. I am so honoured to be able to play in front of you all," she wrote.

"Your support, your cheers, I only wish I could have done better for you today.

"I am forever in debt and grateful to each and every single one of you."

Williams has been aiming to equal Margaret Court's major record since her return from maternity leave in 2018.

Her 23 Grand Slam titles is the most by any player in the Open Era, with 13 of Court's titles coming before the tour became fully professional.

Since her return, Williams has reached four Grand Slam finals but lost them all, including to Osaka at the 2018 US Open.

It is the first time in 18 years that Williams has lost an Australian Open semi-final.

It is also her first loss against a top five opponent at a hard court Grand Slam since she was beaten by Jelena Jankovic in the Australian Open last 16 in 2008.

Tasmania 332 (Jewell 140, Doggett 4-88) & 0 for 7 lead Queensland 275 (Burns 171, Webster 4-50) by 64 runs

Queensland opener Joe Burns has shaken off a horror season with the bat to produce one of his finest Sheffield Shield innings, scoring 171 out of a total of 275 to keep the visitors in the game on day two against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.

Burns made 171 from 217 balls with 19 fours and three sixes when only two other Queensland batsmen reached double figures as the Bulls were bowled out 57 runs behind Tasmania's first innings total of 332. Beau Webster was the unlikely hero with the ball for the Tigers, bagging 4 for 50 with his medium pace.

It was Burns' 19th first-class century and the fifth time he passed 150. The innings broke one of the worst form slumps of his career. In his previous 13 first-class innings this season, including two Tests against India, Burns had made just 125 runs and reached double figures just four times, including an unbeaten 51 against India in the first Test in Adelaide.

But he was near flawless on a day when all his team-mates bar Marnus Labuschagne struggled. He produced trademark pull shots and square drives against the quicks and some powerful slog sweeps against Jarrod Freeman's off-spin. He held the innings together after Queensland suffered a huge collapse midway through the day.

Burns and Labuschagne put on 115 for the second wicket following the early loss of Bryce Street and looked on track to set up a first-innings lead. But Labuschagne was given out lbw to Nathan Ellis for 49. The ball struck Labuschagne high and appeared to be sliding down the leg side.

The lbw decision triggered a collapse with Webster ripping through the middle order. Having only added seam-up to his bowling repertoire in the off-season after previously bowled just off-spin, he nicked off Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw with balls that seamed across the left-handers and then pinned Jack Wildermuth on the toe with a yorker. The Bulls lost 6 for 37 in the middle session and looked in danger of being bowled out for under 200.

But Burns found an ally in Xavier Bartlett who contributed a useful 24 and helped Burns reach his century just after tea. The pair shared a 63-run stand before Bartlett holed out to mid off. Burns was then able to add 51 more runs to the total with the help of Matt Kuhnemann and Brendan Doggett as Tasmania put nearly everyone back on the fence. Burns holed out with six overs left in the day leaving Tasmania's openers with a tricky period to get through. But Jordan Silk and Charlie Wakim negotiated the last four overs without incident.

Earlier in the day, Doggett picked up two of the last three wickets in Tasmania's first innings to bowl the hosts out for 332. Doggett finished with 4 for 88 as Caleb Jewell chopped on for 140 and Jackson Bird holed out at deep midwicket for an entertaining 19.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Once again, Serena Williams came within reach of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, playing well enough Thursday to get to the closing days of a major tournament. And once again, Williams couldn't quite get it done, as she was defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semifinals.

Osaka, who also beat Williams in the chaotic 2018 US Open final, reached her fourth major title match and stretched her winning streak to 20 matches by claiming the last eight points.

"I don't know if there's any little kids out here today, but I was a little kid watching her play," Osaka, 23, said about Williams, 39, "and just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream."

Osaka will face 22nd-seeded American Jennifer Brady for the championship Saturday. Brady beat No. 25 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Brady claimed an epic, 18-point last game to reach her first Grand Slam final. She dropped to her back at the baseline after saving a trio of break points, then converting her fifth match point when Muchova sent a forehand long.

"My legs are shaking," Brady said. "My heart is racing."

She lost to Osaka in a three-set thriller in the US Open semifinals last September.

"Everyone's just really excited whenever they play their first final," Osaka noted about what awaits Brady, "but they're also really nervous."

The No. 3-seeded Osaka's Grand Slam collection includes last year's US Open and the 2019 Australian Open, and she is without a doubt the most dangerous hard-court player in the women's game today.

That used to be Williams, of course. But she was off target too much in this contest, finishing with twice as many unforced errors (24) as winners (12).

"I could have won. I could have been up 5-love," said Williams, who instead took a 2-0 lead at the outset before dropping the next five games. "I just made so many errors."

Her forehand, in particular, went awry, with no fewer than 10 unforced errors off that side in the first set alone.

"Too many mistakes there," she said. "Easy mistakes."

Williams' frustration was visible early in the second set, when she leaned over and screamed, "Make a shot! Make a shot!"

After collecting her professional era-record 23rd Slam singles trophy at Melbourne Park while pregnant in 2017, Williams reached four major finals and lost them all.

She also now has lost in major semifinals twice in that span.

The 23-year-old Osaka joined two other players to win each of their first two major meetings against Williams. Williams' sister Venus won their first three major meetings at the 1998 Australian Open, 2000 Wimbledon and 2001 US Open. The other is Jennifer Capriati at the 2001 French Open and 2001 Wimbledon, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Spectators were back in the stands at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday after they were barred from attending the tournament for five days during a local COVID-19 lockdown. About 7,000 people were allowed into the stadium for Williams-Osaka, roughly half of capacity.

Ushers walked through the aisles at changeovers to remind fans about wearing masks.

On the hottest day of the hard-court tournament so far -- 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) -- Osaka got out to a shaky start, perhaps prodded into pressing in her opening service game by a booming cross-court backhand return winner from Williams on the match's second point.

That was followed by a double fault, a wild forehand and, eventually, a netted backhand that handed over a break. Quickly, Williams went up 2-0, then held another break point with a chance to lead 3-0 after another double fault by Osaka.

"I was just really, like, nervous and scared, I think, at the beginning," said Osaka. "And then I sort of eased my way into it."

Didn't take long to right herself.

Suddenly, it was Osaka powering in aces, putting groundstrokes right where she wanted, covering the court so well. Williams' movement has been terrific in Melbourne, but she was flat-footed this time.

Osaka never has tried to hide how much she admires Williams and models her game after the American's.

Both are predicated on the same basic elements of big serves and quick-strike forehands, and not only did Osaka do both better on this day, she even sounded just like her idol, screaming "Come on!'' after several key shots.

There was one last test for Osaka. A trio of double-faults in one game -- she wound up with eight for the match -- allowed Williams to break for 4-all.

But Williams would not win another point.

Osaka regained her composure immediately, breaking back at love with the help of a pair of backhand winners and a double-fault from Williams, then holding at love to end it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW ORLEANS -- Another night, another clutch performance from Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.

Sure, this one featured another game-sealing bucket from Lillard -- his 25th game-tying or go-ahead field goal in the final 20 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime, most in the NBA since he entered the league in 2012-13 -- but the 126-124 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday and the recent stretch of success for the Blazers is about more than just Lillard's individual success.

With CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins all missing time, the Blazers' six-game win streak, and eighth win in nine games, is a "collective effort."

"I think the beauty in what we're doing right now and why it's been so fun and so special, like last season, I had a run where for 10 games I was scoring like 48 a game, and then the bubble I was scoring 48, 50, 60, just having big performances but we weren't playing that great," Lillard said.

"We weren't getting stops. We weren't moving the ball. It wasn't as collective as it is right now. ... Everybody is coming in and doing their job. I'm not just saying that to give people credit. It looks the way it does because everybody is coming in and doing their job. Without CJ, Nurk and Zach, we don't win these games if it's not collective the way it's been."

Lillard called out each Blazers rotational player by name when discussing how "fun" the team is having this time around. But, of course, it doesn't hurt when your superstar goes for 43 points and ties his career high with 16 assists, either.

Despite New Orleans' scoring output, Lillard says he can see the defense for the Blazers -- ranked 28th in defensive efficiency after Wednesday's games -- starting to turn around.

"I think lately we're just locked into it," Lillard said. "We're a lot sharper for longer periods of times. Teams go on runs, it happens, we'll have a lapse here like every team does. Tonight, I thought we played really hard and physical and smart defensively and they had 124 points. I just think our urgency is up. We're communicating. We're taking a challenge. Every guy is committing to playing defense and giving that effort."

Portland coach Terry Stotts said he thinks the team has improved defensively going back to a win against Philadelphia on Feb. 4. In the past eight games, the Blazers have the 13th-ranked defensive in the league.

"The numbers don't favor us, but we've always had the effort," Lillard added. "I said that earlier in the season. We just always haven't been on the same page communication-wise."

Communication was key for Portland down the stretch Wednesday, especially as the Pelicans had a chance to tie or send the game into overtime on the final possession.

After Lillard's and-1 put the Blazers up by two with 16.5 seconds to go, it was obvious the Pelicans were going to try to get the ball into the hands of either Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram.

"We scouted some of their end-of-games plays and they kind of mix it up, like the previous play they went to Zion," Stotts said. "You knew it was going to be in one of their two hands."

The Pelicans inbounded the ball to Josh Hart, who flipped it to Ingram. Williamson went up to set a screen for Ingram but their defenders switched, putting Derrick Jones Jr. on Williamson and Robert Covington on Ingram.

Covington bodied Ingram on the drive, forcing a pass out to Lonzo Ball for a deep 3. Hart tipped the ball back out and it found its way to Ingram in the corner. Ingram took a dribble in and put up a contested 14-footer against Carmelo Anthony that didn't fall as Portland secured the win. A team win -- using defense, that is.

"I think it's a big win for us, but I don't think it's the biggest win for us this season. We played well defensively and we played well offensively. We just had to lock in a little bit more on the defensive end and that's what we did, and I'm glad we did," Jones said. "We're going to keep learning off this win and get back at it.

"Just going into this road trip, we had the mindset of keeping our streak going, and we are going to keep it going. We're just going to go out there every day and play the right way. We know how we should play and we just have to go out there every day and play the right way. As long as we're doing that, the sky is the limit for us."

Joe Salisbury and Desirae Krawczyk got the better of Neal Skupski and Andreja Klepac to reach the Australian Open mixed doubles semi-finals.

The British-American duo earned a decisive break in each set having twice fended off breaks in the opener.

They will face Australian wildcard pair Samantha Stosur and Matthew Ebden next.

Naomi Osaka claimed an impressive victory over Serena Williams to reach the Australian Open final and end the American's latest quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

Osaka is on a 20-match unbeaten streak and has never lost a Slam final.

The Japanese will face either America's Jennifer Brady or Czech Karolina Muchova in Saturday's final.

"I was really nervous and scared in the beginning and then I sort of eased my way into it," Osaka said.

"It's just always an honour to play her and I just didn't want to go out really dud. I just wanted to try my best."

It is the first time Williams has lost a semi-final at the Australian Open in eight appearances in the last four.

Williams will be left to rue the opportunities she let slip and once again wonder whether she will equal Margaret Court's major record.

Osaka holds her own

Osaka and Williams' last meeting at a Grand Slam came at the US Open final in 2018 - a match remembered for Williams' outburst at the umpire and Osaka's tears at the presentation ceremony.

Since then, Osaka has won a further two major titles and risen to third in the world rankings, as well as finding more confidence and calmness on court.

It was Williams, with all her experience, who made the better start, breaking a nervous Osaka in the first game of the match before holding her own serve to take a 2-0 lead.

Although Osaka's serve was not at its best, her power and increasingly comfortable movement allowed her to hit back, taking advantage of a dip in Williams' game to win six of the final seven games and take the first set.

Williams' own serve, such a big weapon in her game, did not fire, and she grew more frustrated as her big shots missed the mark and Osaka's found the line.

The 10th seed yelled to herself to "make a shot" as she mixed easy errors with powerful winners to go an early break down, but it looked as though the match would shift when she broke back.

A tentative Osaka, serving for a 5-4 lead, was broken to 30, with the crowd cheering Williams on, but the Japanese showed tremendous grit to instantly fire back.

She broke Williams to love and then produced four huge first serves, including one ace, to wrap up the match in 75 minutes.

What next for Williams?

The biggest frustration for Williams will be that, for large parts of the match, she stuck with Osaka, before simple errors let her down.

Williams had been so impressive against second seed Simona Halep in the quarter-finals and this looked to be her best opportunity yet to beat Osaka for a second time in four meetings.

Her movement and overall fitness is as good as it has been since her return from maternity leave in 2018.

But Osaka often came out on top in the longer rallies, her easy power allowing her to end the point with a winner, and Williams could not find a way past her, finishing with 24 unforced errors to 12 winners.

With her first-serve percentage dropping, Williams tried to urge herself onwards, but she could do nothing to stop Osaka winning the final eight points of the match.

Her coach Patrick Mouratoglou has said the 39-year-old is "not obsessed" with matching Court's record, but it is no secret that she has used it for motivation on her return to the Tour.

It has been said that by equalling the record, Williams would secure her status as the greatest of all time - but if the heartfelt standing ovation the crowd on Rod Laver Arena gave her, she has long secured that title.

Australia Test batsman Will Pucovski's domestic season is over and he is set to be sidelined for up to six months to undergo reconstructive surgery on his injured right shoulder.

Pucovski, 23, suffered the injury on his Test debut against India in Sydney when diving for a ball in the field. He dislocated his right shoulder, his throwing arm, and was ruled out of the fourth Test at the Gabba.

He trained with Victoria in the lead-up to the recommencement of the Sheffield Shield season but experienced some soreness after batting in the nets last week and was ruled out of the clash against New South Wales.

After further consultation with medical experts, he will now undergo shoulder surgery in Melbourne next week with renowned shoulder specialist Greg Hoy to perform the procedure.

The recovery will see him miss the remainder of the Australian domestic season and he will be unavailable for Australia if they do qualify for the World Test Championship final mid-year. But the timing of the surgery should allow for him to be available at the start of Australia's next domestic summer and the home Ashes series if his rehabilitation goes to plan.

Pucovski's injury is the latest in a long string of unfortunate injury and mental health setbacks he has had in his short career to date.