Great Britain's hopes of returning to the Davis Cup World Group have been dealt a significant blow by the absence of Andy Murray for next month's clash with Belgium in Glasgow.

Andy Murray became the first man through to the quarter-finals at the Dubai Duty Free Championships with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Swiss qualifier Marco Chiudinelli.

She has a long way to go before she even goes close to matching his feat, but Victoria Azarenka is beginning 2012 in the way that Novak Djokovic embarked on his season in 2011. Azarenka has not been beaten since the final of last year's WTA Championships in Istanbul and yesterday took her winning start to 17 matches when she beat Sam Stosur 6-1, 6-2 in the final of the Qatar Open.

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It has taken time for Dan Evans to show the maturity to match his undoubted ability, but the 21-year-old from Birmingham produced the finest performance of his career yesterday to give Britain's Davis Cup team a flying start in their Europe Africa Zone Group One tie against Slovakia.

Andy Murray said he came away from the Australian Open feeling "much more positive" about his game despite failing to reach the final.

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Novak Djokovic has welcomed Ivan Lendl's return to top-level tennis but downplayed his role in Andy Murray's latest run to a grand slam semi-final.

With a quick wave and a smile, Kim Clijsters walked out of Rod Laver Arena for probably the last time in her professional career today, leaving behind a crowd that has come to view her as their own.

Rafael Nadal will meet Roger Federer in the Australian Open semi-finals after coming back to beat seventh seed Tomas Berdych 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3.

Even Andy Murray described his fourth-round victory here in the Australian Open today as "just boring". With Mikhail Kukushkin struggling to move because of a hip muscle problem following marathon five-set matches in the previous two rounds, Murray secured his passage in just 48 minutes as his Kazakh opponent retired when trailing 6-1, 6-1, 1-0.

Novak Djokovic weathered a gallant challenge from a tenacious Lleyton Hewitt to send the last Australian in the draw packing and make the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Serena Williams has won the Australian Open in the past despite being well short of peak fitness, but the years appeared to catch up with her today. Despite carrying an ankle injury Williams had still been one of the favourites to win here, but the 30-year-old American was knocked out by Ekaterina Makarova, the world No 56.

Kei Nishikori stunned sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Melbourne today to become the first Japanese player to reach the last eight of the Australian Open in 80 years.