Tennis

Damp Paris a danger for claycourt ace Nadal

Paris: Making his comeback after missing the last two grand slams, Rafa Nadal probably expects a warm reception next week when he returns to Roland Garros - an event which is supposed to be one of the summer highlights of the French sporting calendar. Yet the Spaniard, in pursuit of a record-extending eighth title, is likely to be greeted by cold, grey and damp weather and few would blame him...

Somdev through to main draw of French Open

Paris: India's Somdev Devvarman qualified for the main draw of the men's singles event at the French Open here on Friday. Somdev defeated eight seed Wayne Odesnik of the United States 6-3 6-4 in the third and final qualifying round at the Rolland Garros. Somdev will now take on Spaniard Daniel Munoz-De La Nava in the first round of the main draw. Somdev had earlier defeated Italian Matteo Viola 6-4...

Nadal could get Djokovic in French Open semis

Paris: Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal could face top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals a year after they met to decide the title. Friday's draw for the clay-court Grand Slam tournament placed Nadal and Djokovic on the same half of the field, while Roger Federer could face David Ferrer in the other semifinal. Federer, the owner of a record 17 major titles including the 2009 French Open, will face...

Milos Raonic sees a gain from training in Spain

Madrid: Milos Raonic would probably not feature on most people's list of potential French Open champions but the two-metre Canadian with the booming serve has been working hard on his clay game in Spain and has the potential to cause an upset. The Montenegro-born 22-year-old, who will make his third appearance at Roland Garros next week, joined up with Spanish coach Galo Blanco at his 4Slam Tennis academy in Barcelona...

Del Potro, Baker, Fish pull out of French Open

Paris: Seventh-ranked Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina has pulled out of the upcoming French Open because of a respiratory virus. Del Potro said in a statement on Wednesday that he has not fully recovered and not fit to play. American players Brian Baker and Mardy Fish have also pulled out. Baker has not recovered from a right knee operation and Fish is unfit because of heart problems. They will...

Nadal dominates Federer to win Rome Masters

Rome: After all these years, Rafael Nadal still knows how to dominate Roger Federer. In the 30th meeting between the two tennis greats, Nadal controlled the final from start to finish to win 6-1, 6-3 on Sunday for his seventh Italian Open title. It was the most lop-sided win in the series since Nadal also lost just four games, but over three sets, in the 2008 French Open final against...

Bhupathi-Bopanna lose final of Rome Masters to Bryans

Rome: Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna ended runners-up at the Rome Masters after a tame straight sets defeat at the hands of top seeded American team of Mike and Bob Bryan here on Sunday. The sixth seeded Indian combination lost 2-6 3-6 in the summit clash of the euro 3,204,745 clay court event. Such was the domination of the veteran American pair that Indians could not earn even a single...

Serena Williams beats Azarenka to win Italian Open

Rome: Serena Williams won her fourth consecutive title of the year in dominating fashion Sunday, beating third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the Italian Open final. The top-ranked American will enter the French Open, which starts next Sunday, on a career-best 24-match winning streak. Williams was coming off consecutive titles in Miami; Charleston, South Carolina; and Madrid last week. Williams' only previous title at this clay-court event came in 2002,...

Bhupathi-Bopanna in semis, Sania-Bethanie bow out in Rome

Rome: Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna reached the semi-finals of the Rome Masters after getting a walkover from rivals Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek even as Sania Mizra and Bethanie Mattek-Sands crashed out of the women's event, here. Berdych, who shocked world number one Novak Djokovic in the men's singles in a gruelling three-setter, cited muscle fatigue as the reason for him withdrawing. Bhupathi and Bopanna will now fight it...

Serena Williams extends winning streak to 22 at Rome

Rome: Serena Williams is on the longest winning streak of her career. The top-ranked American beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 Friday to reach the Italian Open semi-finals and extend her victory run to 22 matches. Williams had twice won 21 in a row before, although both of those streaks came a decade ago, in 2002 and 2003. In the other half of the draw, two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova...

Sharapova withdraws from Italian Open before quarter-final

Rome: Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Italian Open before her quarter-final with Italy's Sara Errani on Friday because of "physical problems", organisers said. The Russian is set to defend her French Open title later this month. Italian Open officials did not eleborate further on the reasons for Sharapova's Rome exit. ...

Bernard Tomic expected to play French Open

Melbourne: Tennis Australia expects that Bernard Tomic will play in the French Open, despite coach John Tomic recently declaring his son's participation unlikely. The 20-year-old Tomic has resumed training after withdrawing from this week's Rome Masters following an assault case involving his father in Madrid, and has made no suggestion he will also skip Roland Garros which starts May 26. Tennis Australia's Todd Woodbridge tells Fairfax Media on Friday "my...

Nadal struggles to beat qualifier Gulbis in Rome

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...

Djokovic beats Dolgopolov to advance in Rome

Rome: Top-ranked Novak Djokovic improved his clay-court record this season to 8-1 and reached the Italian Open quarter-finals by beating Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-4 Thursday. The only danger Djokovic faced came while serving at 3-2 in the second set. He saved two break points - one with a big serve down the middle and the other with some crisp shot-making that forced Dolgopolov to net a backhand. The start of...