Rome: Rafa Nadal beat Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych 6-2 6-4 to reach the Italian Open final on Saturday with a dominant performance that he described as emotional after his long injury absence. Nadal, who returned to action in February after seven months out with a knee problem, will have the chance to win his sixth title since his comeback when he faces either Roger Federer or Benoit Paire in Sunday's final.
The sport's dominant claycourt player was at his aggressive best in dismantling the heavy hitting Berdych, breaking in the first and fifth games of a one-sided first set before clinching a decisive advantage in the ninth game of the second. Nadal wrapped it up when his opponent sent a backhand return long and then said he could not have hoped to be playing better after his lengthy layoff.
"I am feeling better physically," the 11-times grand slam winner said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Teledeporte. "These are emotional moments for me as I think I have managed to turn around a situation in which after many months of doubts I am able to play at a level that I would not have dreamed of four months ago."
Serena Williams crushed Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 6-3 6-0 to book her place in the women's final and extend her winning streak to 23 matches. World number one Williams, who is chasing a fourth consecutive tour title, will face Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's final after the
11:49 PM, May 18, 2013
Buenos Aires: Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a "dirty war" dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87. Videla was the first president to head the military junta that "disappeared" thousands of suspected leftists from 1976 to 1983, and he spent his final years behind bars for human rights...
11:57 AM, May 18, 2013
Rome: Czech Tomas Berdych snapped a run of 11 consecutive defeats by world number one Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Rome Masters before Rafa Nadal was stretched to the limit against David Ferrer on Friday. Berdych clawed his way back from a 6-2 5-2 deficit to stun the Serbian top seed 2-6 7-5 6-4 and set up a semi-final meeting with Nadal, who for the second week...
07:52 AM, May 18, 2013
Buenos Aires: Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a "dirty war" dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87. Videla was the first president to head the military junta that "disappeared" thousands of suspected leftists from 1976 to 1983, and he spent his final years behind bars for human rights...
06:51 AM, May 18, 2013
Bangalore: Former World No. 1 Boris Becker on Friday said Rafael Nadal has good chances of winning the French Open this year but added the Spaniard will face competition from Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. "Rafa's chances are looking good. But then you have others like Djocovic, who is world No. 1. You also have Federer, who is still very good. There is question mark about Andy Murrey though, who...
11:43 PM, May 17, 2013
Rome: Six-time champion Rafael Nadal overcame one of the worst opening sets of his career to edge Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 Thursday and reach the Italian Open quarter-finals. Nadal's performance, and sometimes sluggish movement on the court, raises questions about whether he will be able to successfully defend his title at the French Open. The year's second Grand Slam starts in 10 days. Nadal will next face...
11:29 PM, May 16, 2013
Madrid: Rafael Nadal won his fifth title since returning from a knee injury by beating Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday for the Madrid Open championship. Cheered on by the home crowd at the Caja Magica, the fifth-ranked Nadal cruised to his 55th career title and extended his head-to-head record with the Swiss to 9-0. Nadal grabbed the first set in just over half an hour and closed out the...
09:40 PM, May 12, 2013
Madrid: Rafael Nadal reached his seventh consecutive final since returning from a knee injury, brushing aside wild-card entry Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-4 at the Madrid Open on Saturday. Nadal had little trouble extending his winning streak in clay-court semi-finals to 46 matches, quickly finishing his over-matched countryman after winning the first six games. Nadal can win his fifth title since coming back from seven-month layoff healing his left knee. "I...
10:01 PM, May 11, 2013
Madrid: Rafael Nadal fought back to beat David Ferrer 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0 in Friday's quarter-finals of the Madrid Open, keeping alive his bid to reach a seventh straight final since returning from injury. In a meeting of Spain's top ranked players, Ferrer's baseline game on the red clay almost proved too much for the fifth-seeded Nadal. But Nadal held on to force a third set and won six straight...
10:02 PM, May 10, 2013
London: Chelsea's 8-0 thrashing of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in December will have no bearing on Saturday's Premier League return fixture, the London club's interim manager Rafael Benitez said on Thursday. Victory will all but clinch Chelsea's place in next season's Champions League but Benitez believes improving Villa will provide a stern test especially as the home team's relegation fears have not yet been completely dispelled. "I don't think...
12:03 AM, May 10, 2013
Madrid: Rafael Nadal avoided a similar fate to beaten world number one Novak Djokovic when he dismissed French young gun Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4 to claim a place in the third round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday. Serb Djokovic fell to another promising youngster, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, in the second round of the Masters event on Tuesday but Nadal showed why he has the best record on clay in...
11:03 PM, May 08, 2013
Cobham: Interim Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez has dropped a massive hint that Jose Mourinho will be returning to Stamford Bridge this summer. Benitez confirmed on Tuesday he would be leaving his temporary role with Chelsea at the end of the season by saying "the next year there will be another manager here. The Spaniard then added "I think everybody knows who will be here." The momentum behind Mourinho's probable return...
11:14 PM, May 07, 2013
London: Rafa Benitez, one win away from sealing a top-four finish for Chelsea in the Premier League and one more from a European trophy, ruled out extending his stay at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, saying the identity of his successor was an open secret. The Spaniard, still unpopular with a section of Chelsea's support from his days with Liverpool, has impressed as the club's interim manager and victory at home...
08:44 PM, May 07, 2013
Paris: Rafael Nadal will not be protected with a higher seeding at the French Open, tournament director Gilbert Ysern said on Saturday. Roland Garros committee member Guy Forget suggested last month that the Spaniard, who has slipped to fifth in the world rankings, should be protected to avoid a potential quarter-final clash with world number one Novak Djokovic. "Considering what Nadal represents in Paris, i.e. the best player in the...
04:40 PM, May 04, 2013
Rafael Nadal says the decision to destroy the evidence in the Operation Puerto doping case is "a mistake." "My opinion is that the ruling wasn't positive for anyone," the tennis great said on Friday. "The only ones that benefited were the ones who cheated. The ones that are hurt are Spanish athletes and sports in general." In the verdict on Tuesday, the doctor at the heart of the doping ring,...
08:14 AM, May 04, 2013
London: For Rafael Nadal to bridge a 7,000-point gap with Novak Djokovic in the ATP rankings looks like a tall order, even for a player of his qualities, yet he could still threaten the Serb's hopes of ending 2013 as world No.1. With the French Open looming large on the horizon, Nadal is back in the claycourt groove as he continues his comeback from a knee injury that sidelined him...
08:40 AM, May 01, 2013
Switzerland: Rafael Nadal is scheduled to play at Roger Federer's hometown tournament for the first time in nine years. Organizers of the Swiss Indoors announced their star attractions for the October 19 to 27 event in Basel. The field is headed by five-time champion Federer, Nadal and defending champion Juan Martin del Potro. Nadal last played in Basel in 2004, losing in the first round to Rainer Schuettler of Germany....
08:07 PM, Apr 29, 2013
Barcelona: Rafael Nadal won the Barcelona Open for the eighth time on Sunday after seeing off Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3 in the final. Almagro took it to Nadal early on and built a 3-0 lead, but Nadal found his form and broke his fellow Spaniard in three of his next four service games to take the initiative for good. It was Nadal's 54th career title and fourth this year, having...
09:25 PM, Apr 28, 2013
Barcelona: Rafa Nadal moved closer to an eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years on Friday when he breezed through two matches to set up a semi-final against Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic. Chasing a fourth title of the year after returning from a seven-month injury layoff in February, Nadal recovered from a slow start on the clay at the Real Club de Tenis to beat Benoit Paire 7-6 6-2...
12:37 AM, Apr 27, 2013
