Tennis star Jamie Murray is awarded an OBE by the Queen for services to his sport and charity.
World number one Angelique Kerber beat Romania’s Simona Halep 6-4 6-2 to all but book her place in the last four of the WTA Finals in Singapore.
The German, who beat Dominika Cibulkova in Monday’s opener, swept past world number four Halep in 82 minutes.
“I’m feeling very, very good here,” said Kerber.
American Madison Keys recovered from losing to Halep in her opening match to see off Cibulkova 6-1 6-4 and stay in the hunt for the semi-finals.
Two players will progress from each of the tournament’s two groups to contest the semi-finals. Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza are in the other.
Kerber ended Serena Williams’ 186-week stay at world number one in the wake of winning the US Open in September and her trademark precise forehand, which also helped her to the Australian Open title in January, proved too potent as Halep was forced out wide and out of contention.
Kerber played the big points especially well, converting four of five break points, compared with Halep’s return of just one break from six opportunities.
She has won only twice on her three previous appearances at the season finale and has never been beyond the group stages.
| Red Group | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | Sets won-lost | Games won-lost | |
| Angelique Kerber | 2 | 4-1 | 27-21 |
| Madison Keys | 1 | 2-2 | 18-17 |
| Simona Halep | 1 | 2-2 | 18-18 |
| Dominika Cibulkova | 0 | 1-4 | 20-27 |
Kyle Edmund was forced to retire injured after just 18 minutes of his first-round match with David Ferrer at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
With Ferrer leading 3-2, the British number two was unable to continue due to what appeared to be a hip injury.
Edmund, 21, broke into the top 40 of the men’s world rankings on Monday, after reaching his first ATP Tour semi-final in Antwerp last week.
Andy Murray begins his campaign against Slovak Martin Klizan on Wednesday.
Murray could overtake Novak Djokovic as world number one if he wins the tournament in Vienna and next week’s Paris Masters.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
BBC Sport takes a look at why Svetlana Kuznetsova cut off a piece of her own plait during her WTA Finals match against Agnieszka Radwanska in Singapore.
READ MORE: Kuznetsova cuts own hair on way to win
Jamie Murray receives an OBE from the Queen for his services to sport and charity.
Svetlana Kuznetsova hacked off part of her own hair at a changeover as she beat defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska at the WTA Finals.
The 31-year-old Russian, who qualified for the event ahead of Britain’s Johanna Konta, cut her ponytail with scissors at the start of the third set.
“It was bothering me a lot. When I was hitting the forehands I hit a good shot and it would hit my eye,” she said.
“I thought, ‘what’s more important? My hair, which can grow, or the match?'”
Kuznetsova asked the umpire to supply her with a pair of scissors to carry out her impromptu haircut.
Radwanska said she was unaware of the incident, but agreed with her opponent’s priorities.
“I didn’t even know that,” said the Pole. “Good thing she didn’t cut her anything else. I think hair is not very important.”
It was just one dramatic moment in a three-hour match in which Kuznetsova recovered from 4-1 down to take the first set, saved a match point in the third and was tearful at a changeover before prevailing 7-5 1-6 7-5.
Kuznetsova endured a hectic build-up to the season finale, winning the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Saturday to collect the ranking points she needed to edge out Konta in the race for the eighth and final qualifying spot before flying to Singapore.
It is not the first time a tennis player has taken action after being distracted by their own locks on court. Britain’s Andy Murray snipped his fringe during his defeat by Rafael Nadal at last season’s ATP Finals.
In the White Group’s other match in Singapore, Karolina Pliskova also saved a match point as she overcame French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 7-5.
World number one Angelique Kerber, who beat Dominika Cibulkova in her Red Group opener on Monday, takes on Simona Halep in the pick of Tuesday’s matches, with Cibulkova playing Madison Keys in the other match.
Two players will progress from both the Red and White Groups to contest the semi-finals.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
Tecau/Rojer looking to return to London next month
Top seeds Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer advanced to the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel on Monday with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-3 win against Argentines Federico Delbonis and Guido Pella. Tecau/Rojer hadn’t played together since their fourth-round match at the US Open because Tecau had been out with a foot injury.
They won the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals last season and are trying to qualify for the year-end championships again this year. Tecau/Rojer are currently in ninth place in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race To London, 295 points behind eighth-placed Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi. The top eight doubles teams at the end of the season will qualify for the year-end championships, to be held 13-20 Nov. at The O2 in London.
View The Emirates ATP Doubles Race To London
Tecau and Rojer might have a direct chance to make up some ground in the Basel quarter-finals. If Huey/Mirnyi win their first-round match, they’ll face Tecau/Rojer.
David Marrero and Marcin Matkowski also won in Basel, beating Marcos Baghdatis and Gilles Muller 7-5, 6-7(6), 10-1.
In Vienna, Oliver Marach and Fabrice Martin beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Joao Sousa 6-2, 7-6(4) in 98 minutes. Marach/Martin currently sit in 11th place in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race To London, 285 points behind the No. 10 team, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.
Fourth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo advanced 6-4, 6-4 against Nicholas Monroe and Artem Sitak.