Today further disappointment for fans with defending champion and the best player of either gender in the last twenty years - Serena Williams - announcing her withdrawal. Her attention will clearly be divided between her baby and her sister Venus, the latter a big chance of success in Melbourne.
In on court news:
Semi finals have been determined in Doha, Pune and Shenzhen.
Dominic Thiem, the top seed in Doha, is the only seed to advance to the final four, with the failure of the others to advance beyond the first or second rounds.
Thiem, who has not dropped a set in the tournament so far, will play wild card Gael Monfils who beat the second German he had played in succession - Peter Gojowozyk.
The other semi sees a battle between Guido Pella and Andrey Rublev.
Pella had taken out fourth seed Albert Ramos-Venolas in round one, while Rublev dismissed Fernando Verdasco in the second round.
The semis in Pune have three of the top four seeds competing, with only Roberto Bautista Agut (3) missing out due to his second round loss to Gilles Simon - Simon will face the tough task of beating top seed Marin Cilic who after a first round bye has surrendered just 12 games.
Kevin Anderson (2) and Benoit Paire (4) do battle in the other semi.
The women’s semis in Shenzhen offer an attractive ticket -
Simona Halep (1) plays in form Irina-Camelia Begu (4), both having lost a single set open route to their contest.
Maria Sharapova, unseeded, takes her place in a hotly contested match against Katerina Siniakova (6).
Sharapova has avoided seeded players to this point, while Siniakova ousted Krystyna Pliskova, the conqueror of Jelena Ostapenko (2).
Meanwhile in Brisbane the women have also reached the semi finals.
Elina. Svitolina (3) was thrashed in the first set against Johanna Konta (5) 6-1 but hung in there and levelled the match before unfortunately Konta had to retire.
Elina will face second seed Karolina Pliskova who was extended to three sets by qualifier Kaia Kanepi.
Seventh seed Anastasija Sevastova is firing on all cylinders but will need to be careful when playing qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Sevastova has only lost 13 games in her three matches, while Sasnovich has been taken the distance in all her matches.
That resilience will be her best weapon.
In a Brisbane men’s quarter final, Australia’s new teenage hero, Alex de Minaur, defeated another teenager, American Michael Mmoh in straight sets.
This was on top of a brilliant second round win over Milos Raonic, normally a top ten player, but current ranking seriously affected by injury
Another great Aussie performance in the Queensland capital was that of John Millman, ranked 128, who won the first set against top seed and defending champion Grigor Dimitrov.
Two match points in the second set tie break were held by Millman, but Dimitrov saved those and proceeded to victory in his first 2018 match.
Despite the loss, Millman played a top match.
Nick Kyrgios (3) is just beginning his quarter final against a tough opponent Alexandr Dolgopolov.
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