Players at the U.S. Open describe doubles like dating.

Naomi Osaka put Japan a step away from reaching the Billie Jean King Cup Finals with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.

Top-ranked Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova have taken another major step in a partnership which began in junior ranks by winning the Australian Open women’s doubles 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4 from unseeded Anna Danilina and Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have offered their congratulations to Rafael Nadal for breaking their three-way tie atop the men’s Grand Slam standings and becoming the first member of the trio to win No. 21.

Ash Barty ended a long drought by reaching the Australian Open final with a 6-1, 6-3 win over unseeded Madison Keys.