Tennis

Meanwhile, India's Rohan Bopanna and his partner Denis Shapovalov bowed out of the doubles after a 6-4 1-6 8-10 defeat against Novak Djokovic and Fabio Fognini in the second round.

The two raised the temperature on a cold, windy night in the California desert, trading shots from every corner of the court before Williams wrapped things up after two hours and 17 minutes

The seven-time champion beat his Hungarian opponent 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 in conditions which were far from comfortable with gusting winds and brief rain delays.

McDonald, ranked 84th in the world, outlasted the fourth-ranked del Potro 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) to notch his first victory over a top-five player and reach his first ATP Tour semi-final.

India will begin their campaign at the Asia/Oceania Group I against Thailand on Thursday before clashing with formidable hosts Kazakhstan on Friday.

The team will be led by non-playing captain Corrado Barazzutti.

Djokovic reduced one of the greats of the game to merely another outclassed opponent — just a guy, really — and one so out of sorts that Nadal even whiffed on one of his famous forehands entirely.

Sharapova, who is seeded 30th at the tournament and seeking to recapture former glories after coming back from a drugs ban in 2017, brushed aside Swede Rebecca Peterson 6-2, 6-1.

The third seeded Dane snuffed out a late rally from the world number 77 to win 6-1, 6-3 and continue her bid to become the first woman to defend the Australian title since Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova avenged her US Open defeat to in-form Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday to move into round two of the Sydney International.

Williams won her 23rd title and seventh at Melbourne Park while eight weeks pregnant two years ago, and now attempts to match Margaret Court's mark of 24 singles majors on the Australian's home soil.

The Spaniard teamed up with Canadian Milos Raonic to defeat Australians Nick Kyrgios and John Millman in the FAST4 Showdown on Monday evening -- a shortened, quicker format of the game often described as the tennis equivalent of Twenty20 cricket.

Norrie secured the biggest scalp of his career to upset the exciting Tsitsipas in the opening men's singles, but Maria Sikkari then squared the tie with a three-set win over Katie Boulter.

Marin Cilic is confident he can build on last year's heartbreak and prevent Roger Federer from winning a record eighth Wimbledon men's singles crown when the pair meet in Sunday's title showdown on Centre Court.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the 12th time on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) win over Milos Raonic.

The pressure Andy Murray feels at Wimbledon actually helps him concentrate better, the defending champion has said.