*Warning. Some people may find content in this story offensive.

American tennis player Tennys Sandgren has apologised for an offensive tweet he posted about a gay club in 2012.

The world number 97 lost in the Australian Open quarter-finals to South Korea’s Chung Hyeon on Wednesday.

Sandgren, who then accused the media of “demonising” and “propaganda”, deleted 18 months’ worth of tweets after being questioned about his beliefs and denying he was a far-right sympathiser.

“To everyone I offended with that, please accept my apology,” he said.

The 26-year-old was referencing a post on Twitter six years ago that said a visit to a gay club had “left his eyes bleeding”.

“I used poor and harsh words to describe a bad experience, and is not indicative of how I feel about the people in that community,” he added.

Serena Williams had earlier called for Sandgren to apologise, saying: “There is an entire group of people that deserves an apology.”

Britain’s Kyle Edmund said he “had caught the bug” for competing in big Grand Slam matches after his Australian Open run ended in the semi-finals.

The 23-year-old was beaten 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 by Croatian sixth seed Marin Cilic in Melbourne.

Edmund refused to blame a hip injury that required treatment, preferring to focus on two weeks that saw him make his major semi-final debut.

“I definitely go away from the whole week feeling positive,” said Edmund.

“This type of tournament just gives you the bug to want more. Once you get a taste, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I want more of this.'”

Cilic, 29, dominated the semi-final after saving break points in the opening game, and Edmund’s hopes were clearly damaged by the hip problem which required a medical timeout at the end of the first set.

However, the Yorkshireman was keen to play down the extent of the injury.

“There’s something, but whatever. It’s unfortunate it happens,” he said.

“I’m definitely disappointed about it, but it’s one of those things where I have to look at the whole week.

“Making semi-finals of a Grand Slam is definitely something that I can be very happy with and really take that forward.”

• Edmund beaten by Cilic in semi-finals
• Listen: Edmund can be a top five player – Cash
• Live scores, schedule and results
• BBC coverage times

Despite the toll it clearly took to win five matches at a Slam for the first time, Edmund said he had relished the “battle”.

“There’s nothing better than winning best-of-five-set matches in tennis tournaments,” he said.

“Best-of-five sets should always stay in the men’s game. It’s a true test of quality and grit. You know, it’s a battle.”

Edmund’s ranking will rise from 49th to around 25th next week, and his career earnings of £1.5m will be boosted to the tune of £500,000.

He will not be embarking on a spending spree, however.

“It’s obviously a nice chunk of money, but there’s nothing I need,” said Edmund. “I have stuff in place, so I’m very happy with what I have around me.”

Asked about the increased attention he has experienced during the last 11 days in Melbourne, he said it “comes with the territory”, adding: “If you embrace it, I think you cope with it better.

“The top guys like Roger [Federer] and that, they have been doing it their whole life. They crack on and embrace it. It’s good to learn from them.”

Inspired to play tennis?

Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.

Briton Kyle Edmund’s Australian Open run came to an end with a straight-set defeat by Croatia’s sixth seed Marin Cilic in the semi-finals.

Cilic won 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 to reach his first Melbourne final, where he will face Roger Federer or Hyeon Chung.

Edmund, 23, had been trying to become just the fourth British man to reach a Grand Slam final since tennis turned professional in 1968.

His ranking is set to rise from 49th in the world to around 25th next week.

Victory would have seen him overtake Andy Murray as British number one, at least until the Scot makes his expected return from hip surgery for the grass-court season in June.

A remarkable run through the draw, which began with what was then a career-best win over 11th seed Kevin Anderson and included a stunning victory against third seed Grigor Dimitrov, ended in disappointment.

Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, dominated from the outset, while Edmund required a medical timeout after the first set and appeared to be hindered in the closing stages.

“I noticed in the third game in the third set, he let a couple of balls go,” said Cilic.

“I was seeing that his movement was restricted so I was trying to move the ball around.”

• Reaction to Edmund’s semi-final
• Halep overcomes Kerber in thriller
• Wozniacki beats Mertens to reach final

No let-up as Cilic powers into final

Cilic, 29, was playing in his fifth major semi-final, and trying to reach a third Grand Slam final, while Edmund has yet to make it past the semi-finals of any ATP tournament.

The Yorkshireman’s powerful game has improved markedly in the new season but the gulf in experience ultimately showed in an authoritative performance from Cilic.

Two breaks points in the opening game of the match were the only ones Edmund would see all evening.

A double-fault on his opening serve pointed to nerves and Edmund was under pressure early, giving up the first break with a net cord in game six.

When Cilic thumped a forehand into the corner to break again, Edmund had just one winner on his favoured forehand side and had won only 50% of points on serve.

The Briton headed for the locker room and a medical timeout, but there was no obvious sign of distress as he dug in during the second set.

Fired up after an argument with the umpire over a call, Edmund forced a tie-break and kept in touch until 3-3, but he could not chase down a forehand on the run and Cilic raced to 6-3, converting his second break point.

Cilic continued to play aggressively, as he had done against Rafael Nadal in the previous round, keeping the points short and hitting hard and deep, with two breaks carrying him to the verge of victory in the third set.

The world number six dropped just five points behind his first serve and there was little Edmund could do to stop the sixth seed becoming the first Croat to reach the Australian Open final when he swung a serve out wide, before raising his arms aloft in triumph.

“I think in the second set I was a bit up and down with my game and not getting enough returns back,” added Cilic.

“He started to serve quite good. I stayed mentally very focused and tried to play every single point. It was crucial in the tie-break to keep that pressure.”

• Live scores, schedule and results
• BBC coverage times

Match stats

What’s next for Edmund?

Edmund is scheduled to head straight to Marbella for Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Spain, which begins next Friday.

Captain Leon Smith will anxiously await a medical update on the man who he hopes will lead his team in the absence of Murray.

Beyond that, a trip to the Rio Open on clay in February will be followed by back-to-back Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami in March.

With Murray set to lose the 500 ranking points he gained for winning last year’s Dubai title in February, Edmund could become British number one in the weeks to come.

Inspired to play tennis?

Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.

World number one Simona Halep saw off 2016 champion Angelique Kerber in a thrilling contest to reach her first Australian Open final.

The Romanian, twice a French Open runner-up, saved two match points on her way to a 6-3 4-6 9-7 victory.

In Saturday’s final Halep will face Caroline Wozniacki, a straight-set winner over Elise Mertens, with both women looking for a first major title.

The world number one ranking will also be up for grabs for the champion.

• Wozniacki beats Mertens to reach final
• Live scores, schedule and results
• BBC coverage times

Halep led by a set and a break but failed to convert two match points at 5-4 in the decider, and two games later found herself facing two match points.

However, the 26-year-old hammered a forehand into the corner on her way to saving the game, and clinched victory at the fourth attempt when Kerber’s defence finally cracked.

“It was very tough. I’m shaking, I’m emotional,” said Halep.

“I knew it was going to be tough. She’s a tough opponent who is moving well and hitting from everywhere. I want to thank everyone for supporting me and helping me.”

Both Halep and Wozniacki have made it through to the final having saved match points along the way – Halep also saved three in the third round against Lauren Davis, while Wozniacki saved two in the second round against Jana Fett.

I was a rollercoaster – Halep

When Halep led 5-0 after 13 minutes it looked like the semi-final might be a rout, and when she served for a 4-1 lead in the second set it appeared on course to be routine – in the end it was a classic.

Both women arrived in the semi-final on 10-match unbeaten runs in 2018, and it eventually turned out to be the contest expected, but things looked very different for the first hour.

Halep was dialled in from the start, firing blistering back-to-back winners as she broke serve for the third time in under quarter of an hour to lead 5-0.

However, two Halep double faults opened the door and Kerber found her range on her favourite forehand down the line.

The German looked capable of challenging for the set when she broke twice to trail 5-3, but Halep managed to put the pressure back on, converting her second set point when the German netted.

Halep had her chances to complete a swift win, serving with a point for a 4-1 lead in the second set, and failing to punish a second serve on break point at 4-3.

The disappointment lingered and Kerber took advantage, reeling off three games to clinch the set and break at the start of the second thanks to an extraordinary rally of lobs and volleys.

A poor Kerber service game saw Halep level at 1-1 with a backhand winner, and the set became a gripping tussle with chances on either side.

Halep seemed to have made the decisive move when she broke serve for 5-3, but Kerber hit straight back by levelling with an incredible backhand winner off her knees.

The German then saw off two match points to level at 5-5, leaving Halep swiping her racquet in frustration at the opposite baseline.

Kerber would then get two chances to seal it on serve, but Halep stepped up the intensity on her returns and brought it back to 6-6.

Two brilliant defenders capable of absorbing and redirecting their opponent’s best shots made for thrilling viewing, and the tightest of matches finally went Halep’s way when Kerber could not make a backhand on match point number four.

“I tried to be very calm but I was a rollercoaster today – up and down,” said Halep.

“I didn’t give up and that’s what matters. If you don’t give up you can win. I’m really proud of myself actually.”

Kerber said: “Of course I had the two match points, but she played good, so I couldn’t do anything. It was just a battle at the end. It’s just one or two points which decides the match.”

Inspired to play tennis?

Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki overcame a late bout of nerves to beat unseeded Belgian Elise Mertens and reach her first Australian Open final.

The 27-year-old, seeded second, saw off the world number 37, 6-3 7-6 (7-2) in Melbourne.

Wozniacki is through to her third major final, and will face top seed Simona Halep or 2016 winner Angelique Kerber.

Should Kerber win the second semi-final, Wozniacki will overtake Halep as the new world number one.

• Edmund ready for ‘great opportunity’ in semi-final
• Live scores, schedule and results
• BBC coverage times

Wozniacki was two points from capping what would have been a hugely impressive serving performance, and a relatively straightforward victory, after 70 minutes.

Breaks of serve in the fourth game of the first set and the fifth game of the second had put the Dane firmly in control, and Mertens had failed to make any impression.

Twice a Grand Slam runner-up, and having lost her only previous Melbourne semi-final after holding match point against Li Na seven years ago, it was no great surprise that closing out the match might still be a test for Wozniacki.

“Calm down!” she told her team in the player box at one changeover as the finish line approached.

The Dane had lost just 11 points on serve across two sets when she first tried to seal it at 6-3 5-4.

However, from 30-0 the tension took hold, the serve lost its power and a double fault allowed Mertens to level.

Suddenly the 22-year-old Belgian was able to tee off on some weak second serves, and it was credit to Wozniacki that she clung on in the face of two set points to force a tie-break.

The dominant Wozniacki returned and she capitalised on an early break, firing a backhand into the corner to set up match point and raising her arms in relief when Mertens found the net.

Inspired to play tennis?

Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.