2013 Tennis Thread

Nadal reaches seventh straight final

Rafa Nadal is one win away from a fifth title since his return from injury after the Spanish world number five thumped compatriot Pablo Andujar 6-0 6-4 on Saturday to set up a Madrid Open final against Stanislas Wawrinka.
With his customary strapping on the troublesome left knee that sidelined him for seven months until February, Nadal was in scintillating form as he raced through the first set on the sun-drenched clay of Manolo Santana centre court.
Andujar, a tournament wildcard ranked 113 in the world, put up more of a fight in the second set but home favourite Nadal secured a fourth break in the ninth game and served out to move a step closer to his third title at the Masters event in the Spanish capital.
"The results could not have been better," he said in a courtside interview with Spanish television broadcaster La Sexta.
"Five months ago I could not have dreamed of everything that has happened during these past few months," added the 26-year-old. "It's almost a ***** to be back in another final at home here in Madrid."
Wawrinka, the 15th seed, upset sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, runner-up last year to Wawrinka's Swiss compatriot Roger Federer, in Saturday's second semi-final.
It will be Nadal's seventh final appearance in seven tournaments since he returned, while Wawrinka arrived in Madrid fresh from his victory against David Ferrer in the final in Estoril last weekend, the 28-year-old's first title since 2011.
He has never beaten Nadal in eight attempts and lost to the Spaniard in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Monte Carlo Masters in their last meeting.
Nadal, the French Open champion, extended his spectacular winning streak in semi-finals on his favoured clay, his last defeat coming a decade ago when he fell to compatriot Carlos Moya in Umag.
Saturday's success against Andujar, who was appearing in his first Masters semi-final, was Nadal's 46th last-four victory on the red dust in a row.
The Majorcan is third on the list of clay title winners in the professional era with 39, trailing fellow left-handers Guillermo Vilas (45) and Thomas Muster (40).
He will be chasing an eighth French Open title and a 12th grand slam singles crown at Roland Garros starting later this month.
"Today I was facing the best player in the world," Andujar, who will jump to around 50 in the rankings by reaching the last four, told a news conference.
"With a player like him, when you have chances and you don't take your chances, afterwards, he does. He uses his chances."
Second seed Federer was upset by Kei Nishikori in the third round while world number one Novak Djokovic lost in the second round to Grigor Dimitrov.
 
Wawrinka beats Berdych to reach Madrid final

Stanislas Wawrinka beat Tomas Berdych 6-3 4-6 6-4 to set up a Madrid Masters final with clay specialist Rafael Nadal.
It was an impressive scalp for the Wawrinka, ranked nine places lower than Berdych, who reeled off four straight games to turnaround a 2-4 final set deficit.
Wawrinka started the match quickly, breaking his opponent in the opening game before taking the first set courtesy of an untimely Berdych double fault.
Berdych soon woke from his ******* and started reeling off a series of comfortable service holds and broke Wawrinka late in the second set to ***** a decider.
But despite being broken early on in the third set, Wawrinka found another gear and won four straight games to complete a remarkable turnaround.
He now faces the formidable task of finding a way to topple the inform Nadal in tomorrow’s final.
The pair had met ten times ahead of this meeting, each triumphing on five occasions, with Berdych emerging victorious from their most recent clash in the Davis Cup earlier in 2013.
However it was Wawrinka who began the stronger, sealing a break in the opening game with a flurry of fine groundstrokes and good hands at the net as Berdych struggled to find his range.
Although the Czech improved as the first set progressed he failed to capitalise on the few opportunities he created and was soon serving to stay in the opening set but instead of heaping pressure on his opponent, Berdych limply handed the set to Wawrinka with a double fault at set point.
Berdych began the second set looking imperious on serve, regularly holding to love, but rather meek when returning. However the match’s complexion changed when Berdych changed his racket 4-3 down.
The small stoppage appeared to give him focus and he broke Wawrinka at the next opportunity as he ****** the Swiss player to net before holding to ***** a decider.
Berdych soon led 4-2 in the third set, but when Wawrinka won a crucial backhand battle the Madrid crowd started to sense the opportunity for a fight back and got behind the Swiss number two.
And Wawrinka capitalised on his new found momentum, winning four consecutive games to claim an impressive victory over the world number six and earn a spot in the Madrid Masters final against Nadal.
 
Serena subdues Sharapova to defend Madrid title

World number one Serena Williams racked up the 50th title of her illustrious 18-year career when she thumped Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-4 to defend her Madrid Open crown.
Williams' victory, her fourth tournament success of 2013 and only the seventh on clay since she turned pro in 1995, prevented Sharapova from leapfrogging her to the top of the rankings.
It also showed the 31-year-old American, a 15-times grand slam singles champion, is on red-hot form as she prepares her bid to add to her sole French Open title at Roland Garros starting later this month.
With the sliding roof over the Manolo Santana show court open to a cloudless sky, Sharapova struggled to find her range as Williams battered winners to all corners to race into a one-set lead.
The Russian world number two mounted a fightback at the start of the second set but could not sustain it and Williams broke her for a fifth time in the match to secure a first title on red clay - the Madrid courts were blue last year - since the 2002 French Open.
"It's not the ultimate title, but it's a good start in the right direction," Williams, who was upset by Virginie Razzano in the first round at Roland Garros last year, told a news conference.
"I don't know how many more (titles) I can win," she added.
"Like I say every day, who knows if I'll ever win another title? I just want to live the moment and the ***** every chance I get."
Sharapova, 26, the French Open champion, has a woeful record against Williams. She has only beaten her twice in 15 attempts, and never on clay, with both victories coming almost a decade ago.
She did not seem too dejected by her latest reverse to the American and said she was pleased with the way her preparations for Roland Garros were going.
"At the end of the day I'm setting myself up opportunities to go out on the court and face her and play against her," Sharapova told a news conference.
"Obviously I wouldn't be happy if I wouldn't set up those opportunities because I do want to go on the court and I do want to face someone that's number one in the world and is playing tennis the way she does," she added.
"So I am happy about the fact of getting late into tournaments, winning tournaments, getting to the finals.
"If that means having to face Serena in the final that's a pretty great challenge out there. I take it, because I'm a very big competitor."
Williams, the oldest player to hold the number one ranking, is 10th on the all-time list for most career titles.
Martina Navratilova leads on 167, followed by Chris Evert with 154 and Steffi Graf with 107. Sharapova has 29, third among active players behind Serena and her ****** Venus Williams who has 44.
 
Nadal cruises to Madrid Masters title

Rafael Nadal won his fifth title in seven events and third in the Spanish capital with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka at the Madrid Masters.
Since his return from seven months on the sidelines with injury Nadal has played seven tournaments, winning five and reaching the final of the other two.
The world number five needed just 71 minutes to cruise past Wawrinka, who was never really in the match despite producing a more competitive second set.
The Swiss number two, who will move up to number 10 in the world when the new rankings are released on Monday, has now lost 18 out of the 18 sets he has played against the Spaniard, losing all nine of their matches since they first met at the Australian Open back in 2007.
Nadal, on the other hand, will head into the Rome Masters next week and the French Open at the end of the month with renewed vigour, having bounced back in style from his confidence-sapping defeat to world number one Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Masters final two weeks ago.
The victory in Madrid was Nadal’s 55th career title, 40th on clay and 23rd in the Masters series, with the Rome Masters and the French Open offering yet more chances to extend those record numbers before the tour switches to grass in June.
"Maybe this win is even more special given where I have come back from," Nadal said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster La Sexta.
"Playing in Madrid is always very exciting for me and the tournament couldn't have worked out better," he added.
The world number five opened the match in ****** fashion, breaking in the opening game. The Spaniard actually needed three attempts to secure the opening break, missing what for him would normally be regulation forehands. But he quickly made amends, finding the whipped forehand winner down the line to bring up a third break point before a forehand passing shot winner across court brought him the first game.
A second break followed shortly after in the third game before Wawrinka finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth, avoiding the ignominy of a dreaded bagel set.
But it was only a temporary respite for the Swiss as Nadal served out the set three games later, having not dropped a single point behind his first serve.
The second set was a more tightly fought affair as Nadal was made to wait until the seventh game before he secured a break, the Spaniard having not been able to take advantage of break points in the fifth.
In the end though it was a poor game from Wawrinka that caused the damage, the Swiss conceding his serve on a double fault after a sloppy forehand error had given Nadal the break opportunity.
Wawrinka did well to hold for the loss of just the one point when serving to stay in the match, but with the Swiss having been unable to earn himself a break point all match - and only once having even pushed Nadal to deuce - it was only a matter of time until the Spaniard sealed victory.
As the clock ticked over to one hour and 11 minutes, Wawrinka pushed a backhand long and Nadal fell to the ground in his customary celebration of a tournament win.
 
Roland Garros already had a few special moments for me

Hev Watson is back :iloveyou:

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my beloved Ula Radwanska (wearing her Centre Court make-up) beat Venus Williams in an atrocious match that didn't deserve any winner :drawheart:

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and Zuzka Kucova, whom I've met on many occasions in the last ten years, an adorable girl from Slovakia, celebrates her first win ever in a main draw match at a Grand Slam tournament at the age of 30 - against the lovely Julia Görges. Thanks for the wonderful two hours, darlings! :heart:

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Serena eyeing Paris after second straight Madrid title

Serena Williams went from winning the Madrid Open to losing in the first round at Roland Garros last year and she is hoping history does not repeat itself after crushing Maria Sharapova to defend her title in Spain on Sunday.
Williams has one more tournament to play - the clay event in Rome - before heading to Paris for the French Open, where the 31-year-old American has just the one singles title compared with five at Wimbledon, five at the Australian Open and four at the U.S. Open.
Her 6-1 6-4 victory over Sharapova, the current French Open champion, was her 50th career title and her seventh on clay and Williams said she was hungry for a first Roland Garros crown since 2002, when she beat ****** Venus in the final.
The switch back to red clay from blue in Madrid and the construction of new courts had made the conditions much more similar to Paris, which would help in her preparations, she added.
"It definitely plays more like Roland Garros, so I think that's a plus," Williams, who lost to China's Li Na in the semi-finals in Rome in 2012, told a news conference.
"It's a little slower than it was last year and plays more like a true clay court. So I think it's great preparation."
Williams crashed to a shock defeat to Virginie Razzano in the French Open first round last year and she said she would avoid raising her expectations too high this time.
"It is the ultimate challenge. Whether I reach it, I don't know. I'm not going to put that pressure on myself.
"I wanted it last year and I didn't get it. So this year I'm just looking forward to Rome and then after that Roland Garros and see what happens.
"I feel pressure every day. I think it's a good thing a little bit because it means I'm still really hungry. If I didn't, then I would be like, oh, it doesn't matter."
Williams was sidelined for 11 months between 2010 and 2011 with a right foot injury and lung problems and said the experience had made her more motivated.
"Every time I play I really relish it more, every time I get out there," she said.
"I feel like, honestly, Serena, when are you going to get tired? I don't know.
"I don't know if it's because of what I went through. I just feel like I'm so fortunate to be out there and healthy and to have an opportunity to play something, a sport, and be really good at it."
 
Nadal getting close to the place he wants to be

When Rafa Nadal returned to action in February after seven months out with a knee injury he never thought that just over three months later he would have another five titles in the bag, including two more Masters triumphs.
The Spaniard, a former number one and the French Open champion, dropped to five in the world during his enforced absence before storming back to win in Sao Paulo, Acapulco, Indian Wells, Barcelona and now Madrid.
He also reached the finals at Vina del Mar and Monte Carlo and Sunday's 6-2 6-4 destruction of Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka in front of his adoring home fans in the Spanish capital was his third Madrid Open success.
Nadal now has 40 titles on his beloved clay, equal second in the Open era with Thomas Muster, and if he stays fit he could easily overhaul Guillermo Vilas's record of 45 by this time next year.
Ominously for any rival eyeing his Roland Garros crown - he will be chasing an eighth title in Paris starting at the end of this month - he said after his victory in Madrid he was close to where he wanted to be in terms of fitness and form.
Nadal told a news conference that Sunday's match was his most satisfactory performance since his return to Europe after his Indian Wells victory in March.
"I've realized that my forehand is working again at its best level and I am able to open up the angles and play a lot of winning points," Nadal said.
"It's true that in some moments I was lacking a little bit of backhand or legs.
"But if I'm able to compensate for that with my aggressiveness everything changes.
"These last matches I have been able to reach that goal, you know, that line, that place where I want to be playing, the kind of form that I'm aiming for."

EYES CLOSED

Nadal now heads to Rome, where he beat world number one Novak Djokovic in the final last year for his sixth title at the Masters event in the Italian capital.
He said he would be back on the practice court on Monday and was cautious when asked about his prospects for the coming months.
"The outlook will be great if I don't feel anything in my knee," he said.
"But I don't know how the thing's going to improve, so that's why I want to be very calm, stay with the feet completely on the floor, and go day by day.
"Things are going well but the injury is not two years ago. It's just a few months ago.
"So I need to be calm, enjoy every moment, and for sure keep working hard to be fit for the rest of the season."
Nadal was reluctant to look beyond Rome and discuss his chances for the French Open.
"It's the moment just to be happy with what I have achieved in Madrid, in Barcelona and Monte Carlo.
"You know, I'm here and next week I will be in Rome and I will be thinking about Rome. I won't be thinking Roland Garros.
"When it comes we will think about Roland Garros, which is a pretty important tournament, of course, but it's not the only one in the world.
"If you told me four months ago all this would have happened and I wasn't going to do well in Roland Garros I would tell you, yes, I will sign that with my eyes closed."
 
Tomic ******'s Madrid hearing suspended until October

The hearing in Madrid on Tuesday at which John Tomic, ****** and coach of Australian world tennis number 52 Bernard Tomic, was due to answer a charge of causing criminal injury has been postponed until October.
The hearing could not take place on Tuesday because the alleged victim, Bernard's practice partner Thomas Drouet, was not in Spain and was unable to attend, the authorities said. An exact date had not yet been set, they added.
John Tomic, who was in the Spanish capital as his *** was competing at the Madrid Open, has been suspended from ATP events after he was involved in an altercation with Drouet in the street.
Tomic told a Madrid court last week he had acted in self-defence when he butted Drouet in the face, breaking his nose.
 
Laura Robson thrashes Venus Williams in Rome

Britain’s Laura Robson secured her place in the second round of WTA Rome with a straight sets 6-3 6-2 victory over Venus Williams.
With clay dust swirling around the tree-lined Foro Italico courts, the American former world number one suffered a scrappy, undignified exit as her fabled power game misfired.
Robson will now try to complete a rare double as top seed Serena Williams, winner in Madrid, awaits in round two.
Venus, who has been out of action since early April when she lost to ****** Serena in the semi-finals at Charleston, lost her serve three times in the first set and conceded the opener with two wild forehands that landed metres over the baseline.
Robson, who returned to form in Madrid with a notable win over world number three Agnieszka Radwanska after a series of early defeats following a strong run at the Australian Open, was the more solid of the two in the swirling breeze.
The 32-year-old Williams continued to struggle and dropped serve to trail 3-1 in the second set when Robson belted a forehand on to the baseline.
Robson, 19, who recently split from coach Zeljko Krajan after nine months, wobbled when serving for the match at 5-1, throwing in an eighth double-fault.
Two Williams double-faults in the following game allowed Robson to reach match point but she made a hash of the first one before Williams saved a second with a thumping forehand winner.
Robson completed victory at the third attempt with a simple forehand put-away off a loopy Williams miss-hit.
Ninth seed Samantha Stosur eased through with a 6-2 6-3 win over Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan while Italian wildcard Nastassja Burnett, ranked 141, enjoyed a surprise 6-2 6-2 win over France's Alize Cornet.
In the men's draw Marin Cilic was one of the few seeds in action on Monday, the Croatian seeing off Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev 6-4 6-2.
Men's top seed Novak Djokovic will hope to make up for an early defeat in Madrid when he begins in the second round on Tuesday against either Spain's Albert Montanes or Slovakian Martin Klizan.
Rafael Nadal, winner of four claycourt titles already this season after returning from injury, will begin with an Italian opponent in round two, either Fabio Fognini or Andreas Seppi who were battling it out later on Monday.

WTA Rome results

Laura Robson (Britain) beat Venus Williams (U.S.) 6-3 6-2

Simona Halep (Romania) beat Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-1 6-1

Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-3 6-0

9-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 6-2 6-3

Melanie Oudin (U.S.) beat Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 2-6 7-5 4-2 (Makarova retired)

Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Mathilde Johansson (France) 1-6 6-0 6-2

Nastassja Burnett (Italy) beat Alize Cornet (France) 6-2 6-2

Peng Shuai (China) beat Monica Niculescu (Romania) 4-6 6-3 6-2

Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Mallory Burdette (U.S.) 6-1 6-2

Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-1 6-3
 
Fognini to face Nadal in Rome after winning all-Italian clash

Fabio Fognini will be the first player to attempt to beat defending champion Rafael Nadal at the Rome Masters after he beat fellow Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-1 in the first round.
Fognini secured the victory in just 69 minutes as he capitalised on five of his eight break point opportunities to set up the daunting match-up with the Spanish clay-court king.
Nadal, fresh from his triumph at the Madrid Masters, has already laid down his marker ahead of the French Open at Roland Garros, where he will be the favourite to defend his title.
Fognini, who has now reeled off three successive victories over his compatriot Seppi on clay, has yet to face Nadal on the ATP Tour.
Meanwhile, 14th seed Milos Raonic was dumped out of the tournament in his first round match against Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, who won 7-6(2) 6-4 without facing a single break point.

Rome Masters results

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat 14-Milos Raonic (Canada) 7-6(2) 6-4

Albert Montanes (Spain) beat Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 3-6 7-5 6-3

Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 7-5 6-2

Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-4 6-1

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-2 7-6(6)

11-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Andrey Golubev (Kazakhstan) 6-4 6-2

Potito Starace (Italy) beat Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 4-6 6-4 6-3

Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) beat Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 6-2 3-1 (Malisse retired)

Benoit Paire (France) beat Juan Monaco (Argentina) 7-6(4) 1-6 6-4

Albert Ramos (Spain) beat Jan Hajek (Czech Republic) 7-5 6-0
 
Djokovic and Federer return to form in Rome

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both got their clay-court seasons back on track with straight sets wins in the second round of the Rome Masters.
After victory over nine-times defending champion Rafael Nadal in the Monte Carlo Masters final three weeks ago, Djokovic suffered a shock early round loss to Grigor Dimitrov at the Madrid Masters last week.
Federer, seeded second in Rome but actually world number three due to the seedings having been arranged before the new world rankings were released on Monday, also suffered a disappointing loss in Madrid – knocked out of the tournament at the quarter-final stages by Kei Nishikori.
But world number one Djokovic, and two-times former champion in Rome, looked to be getting back to his best with the straight forward victory over Montanes, needing just one hour and nine minutes to dispatch the Spaniard.
"This win means a lot to me because I didn't have a great week in Madrid. I didn't play much, I didn't practise much," said Djokovic, who is already planning for the French Open and Wimbledon.
"I worked very hard to prepare for this tournament. I need to be emotionally and physically fit and I think I'm heading in the right direction."
Djokovic will face the winner between Alexandr Dolgopolov and in-form Stanislas Wawrinka, the Swiss 15th seed coming back from a set down to beat Argentine qualifier Carlos Berlocq 5-7 6-3 6-3.
Federer was even more impressive on his return to the red dirt as he raced past wildcard Potito Starace 6-1 6-2, needing just 19 minutes to seal the set and spending only 50 minutes on court in total.
"I was not very happy with my performance in Madrid and I had no choice but to hit the practice courts," said the Swiss who honed his serve-volley game against his Italian opponent.
Federer will face either Gilles Simon or Mikhail Youzhny, both unseeded, for a place in the quarter-finals in the Italian capital.
Youzhny booked his place in the third round with a 6-4 6-3 victory over previous in-form Tommy Haas, after the 13th-seeded German turned in a lacklustre performance, while Simon overcame a second set blip to beat Italian Filippo Volandri 6-3 2-6 6-4.
Djokovic’s conqueror in Madrid last week, Dimitrov was unable to repeat his heroics as the Bulgarian fell 6-4 6-4 to French ninth seed Richard Gasquet.
Seventh seed Juan Martin Del Potro got just his second win of the year on clay when he produced a solid display to beat Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3 6-2.
South African Kevin Anderson continued his great run of form with a 6-3 7-6(7) straight sets victory over 11th seed Marin Cilic while, in the first round, Nicolas Almagro, seeded 12th, was beaten 7-6(2) 6-4 by Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

Second round results

6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 6-4 6-0

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Potito Starace (Italy) 6-1 6-2

7-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) 6-3 6-2

Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 11-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-3 7-6(7)

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 6-2 6-3

9-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-4

First round results

15-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 5-7 6-3 6-3

Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 3-6 6-1 6-4

Gilles Simon (France) beat Filippo Volandri (Italy) 6-3 2-6 6-4

Julien Benneteau (France) beat 12-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 7-6(2) 6-4

Jeremy Chardy (France) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 3-6 7-5 7-6(4)

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 6-3 3-6 6-3

Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat 13-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-4 6-3
 
Serena ends Robson challenge in Rome

Laura Robson could not add world number one Serena Williams to her list of recent scalps, the American seeing off the Brit 6-2 6-2 in Rome.
Robson, who had beaten Venus Williams in the opening round, was bidding to become just the second teenager to beat both sisters in the same tournament (after Kim Clijsters).
But although Robson broke in the opening game of the match and held her own at times, Williams simply had too much firepower for 19-year-old.
Robson had also beaten world number four Agnieszka Radwanska, in Madrid last week before losing in the second round to Ana Ivanovic, but although she hit more winners than Williams (17 from Robson compared to the 13 from the American), the world number one was a step up in class and Serena’s superior consistency winning her the match.
Heading into the match on a wave of confidence, Robson broke in the opening game as Williams was a little slow to start; the Brit only just missing her first two chances with aggressive returns before finally snatching the game at the third attempt when Williams netted a forehand.
Williams broke back immediately; leaping all over the at times wayward serve of Robson and firing back a series of vicious returns and, after fending off another Robson break point in the third game, a further break followed for Williams in the fourth, the Brit struggling to find any kind of rhythm on her serve.
Robson finally did hold in the sixth game but by then it was too late for her to save the set, Williams formalising her lead two games later when Robson put a forehand volley long of the baseline.
The early stages of the second set looked set to follow in much the same fashion before Robson found a renewed sense of confidence with a hold from two break points down in the second game.
The match became a much more competitive affair once again and the Brit even enjoyed two break points of her own in the fifth game.
Williams, mindful of the danger Robson posed, saved them both - the first with an ace and the second with a huge forehand – and went on to hold just two points later.
After that disappointment the Brit failed to win another game, Williams breaking immediately as Robson’s serve fell apart with two double faults.
The match ended in a disappointing manner for Robson, as she also served a double fault on match point, but the 19-year-old was far from out-classed by the world number one and can walk away with yet more confidence and another great learning situation under her belt.
 
Radwanska upset by qualifier Halep in Rome

Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska was knocked out of the Rome International second round by qualifier Simona Halep.
The Pole was beaten 6-7(2) 6-1 6-2 in exactly two hours by her Romanian opponent, who had lost in all their previous three meetings.
Halep was superior in all areas as she recorded a second upset in Italy after disposing of Svetlana Kuznetsova in round one.
After a close first set, Radwanska was resoundingly beaten in the next two. Halep will face either 13th seed Roberta Vinci or Nastassja Burnett in the last 16.
Radwanska won WTA tournaments in Auckland and Sydney early this year but has not claimed one since.
Bojana Jovanovski upset 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki 2-6 6-4 7-6(5) in almost three hours in their first-round match.
Two breaks of serve allowed Wozniacki to wrap up the first set 6-2 in just under 40 minutes.
The Dane was favourite having recorded a 6-4 6-4 win against Jovanovski in Madrid in 2011 before claiming a 6-0 3-6 6-4 victory over her last season in Tokyo.
But the former world number one is horribly out of form having lost in the opening rounds of the Madrid Masters and Stuttgart Open, and world number 44 Jovanovski took the second set 6-4 despite a leg injury.
Wozniacki really should have wrapped up the deciding set, having led 4-1 and then 5-2 in the tie-breaker but her worrying run of form continues with Jovanovski securing a first win since January.
Eighth seed Petra Kvitova lost a bagelled second set against Sabine Lisicki but won the other two to move into round three.

WTA Rome results

Round 2

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Laura Robson (Britain) 6-2 6-2

Simona Halep (Romania) beat 4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-7(2) 6-1 6-2

8-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-4 0-6 7-5

Round 1

Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat 11-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 3-6 6-2 7-6(1)

Romina Oprandi (Switzerland) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-2 6-0

16-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 6-3 6-3

Urszula Radwanska (Poland) beat 15-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 6-3 2-6 6-2

Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-4 6-0

Zheng Jie (China) beat Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 7-6(0) 6-3

13-Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-7(2) 7-5 6-4

Christina Mchale (U.S.) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 7-5 6-2

14-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat Kristina Mladenovic (France) 1-6 6-2 6-2

Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) beat 10-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 2-6 6-4 7-6(5)

Julia Goerges (Germany) beat Andrea Hlavackova (Czech Republic) 2-6 6-4 6-4

12-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) 6-3 6-3

Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-4 6-2
 
Murray 'could miss Roland Garros' after retiring in Rome

Andy Murray was ****** to retire against Marcel Granollers at the Rome Masters and has admitted he "could miss the French Open".
The world number two was struggling with a hip problem, but appeared to be getting back on terms in the second-round match having won the second set to level the match at 3-6 7-6(5).
But immediately afterwards, Murray shook his Spanish opponent's hand and retired, raising concerns over his fitness ahead of the French Open, which begins on May 26.
"I pulled out because there is a good chance I wouldn't be playing tomorrow. We'll have to wait for Paris. I'd be very surprised if I were playing in Paris," said Murray, who endured a miserable 26th birthday.
"I need to make a plan as to what I do. I'll chat with the guys tonight and make a plan for the next few days then make a decision on Paris after the next five days.
"I want to make sure it goes away. It's been a problem since the end of 2011 but it got bad during last year's clay season."
The Scot was ill at ease throughout, slipping a set and 4-1 down in double-quick time. He called the trainer to look at the hip problem, and appeared to be in discomfort between points.
Murray, who dug himself out of some perilous positions on his run to the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters, recovered the two breaks of serve to level at 4-4, only to throw it away and allow Granollers a chance to serve out the match at 5-4. Again, summoning some of his best tennis when he needed it, Murray broke back.
He spurned a set point at 6-5 up, before the set went to a tie-break. Having won it, though, the crowd were shocked to see there would be no decider.
The only previous occasion when Murray has been ****** to retire mid-match came at the 2007 Hamburg Masters when he snapped a tendon in his wrist.

Rome Masters results

Round 2

5-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-1 6-3

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-1 6-1

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 5-7 7-5 6-3

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Albert Ramos (Spain) 6-4 6-1

Jeremy Chardy (France) beat 16-Kei Nishikori (Japan) 6-4 6-1

Marcel Granollers (Spain) beat 3-Andy Murray (Britain) 6-3 6-7(5) 0-0 (A. Murray retired)

Benoit Paire (France) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 6-7(3) 6-4 7-6(4)

Gilles Simon (France) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 7-5 6-3

Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat 15-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) WO

Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat 8-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-4 7-6(5)
 
Monfils and Razzano given wildcards

Former French Open semi-finalist Gael Monfils, who has struggled for form after a string of injuries marred his 2012 season, has been given a wildcard for the Grand Slam claycourt event.
The 26-year-old Frenchman, who reached the last four in 2008, has dropped down the rankings to 119 from a high of seven in 2011.
Compatriot Virginie Razzano, who stunned current world number one Serena Williams in the opening round last year, has also been handed an automatic entry.
The French Open takes place from May 26 to June 9.

Wildcards

Men - Gael Monfils, Marc Gicquel, Nicolas Mahut, Adrian Mannarino, Lucas Pouille, Florent Serra (all France), Alex Kuznetsov (USA), John Millman (Australia)

Women - Virginie Razzano, Aravane Rezai, Claire Feuerstein, Stephanie Foretz-Gacon, Caroline Garcia, Irena Pavlovic (all France), Ashleigh Barty (Australia), Shelby Rogers (USA)
 
Nadal off to emphatic start in Rome

Six-times former champion Rafael Nadal opened his Rome Masters campaign in emphatic fashion with a 6-1 6-3 win over home favourite Fabio Fognini.
Fognini made a nervy start to the match and never really looked in contention despite a slightly more competitive second set.
Nadal was on court for exactly an hour as he booked his place in the third round, where he will face Philipp Kohlschreiber, the German equally comfortable in his 6-4 6-1 win over Albert Ramos.
The world number five, defending the title he won over Novak Djokovic 12 months ago, broke to love in the opening game before also adding a second break in the fifth and breaking again in the seventh to seal the first set in double quick time.
Fognini also dropped his opening service game of the second set but managed to secure an immediate break back, with a stunning backhand return of serve, when Nadal suffered a ***** blip in concentration.
But it was only a temporary comeback for the Italian as Nadal ****** his way in front again in the sixth game before serving out to love, Fognini netting a backhand return.Fourth seed David Ferrer had a much tougher time of it as he looked to book his place in the last 16, being ****** to recover from a set down against compatriot Fernando Verdasco.
Verdasco, looking much more like the top 10 player he used to be rather than the one that he seen him currently slide to 53 in the world, went ahead early in the match before being pegged back by Ferrer.
But the world number four was unable to contain Verdasco and it was the 29-year-old who eventually took the first set, breaking in the 12th game.
Verdasco also went ahead an early break in the second set but again Ferrer reeled him back in and this time it was the fourth seed who broke in the 12th game to take the set.
The early stages of the final set went with serve but in the end Ferrer’s superior consistency won out, the 31-year-old breaking in the eighth game before serving out to book a clash with qualifier Ernests Gulbis.
Gulbis managed to maintain his concentration despite a John McEnroe-esqe meltdown by Victor Troicki that saw the Serb drag a cameraman over to a mark in a bid to prove that a forehand of his, called out, was actually in.
Unsurprisingly the move failed to change the umpire’s mind and Gulbis went on to record a 6-1 6-1 victory.
In other matches, world number eight Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was far from his best as he suffered a 6-4 7-6(5) loss at the hands of mercurial Pole Jerzy Janowicz, while 16th seed Kei Nishikori was unable to get anywhere close to the kind of form that saw him beat Roger Federer last week in Madrid, crashing out of the tournament 6-4 6-1 at the hands of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

Second round results

5-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-1 6-3

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-1 6-1

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 5-7 7-5 6-3

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Albert Ramos (Spain) 6-4 6-1

Jeremy Chardy (France) beat 16-Kei Nishikori (Japan) 6-4 6-1

Marcel Granollers (Spain) beat 3-Andy Murray (Britain) 6-3 6-7(5) 0-0 (ret)

Benoit Paire (France) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 6-7(3) 6-4 7-6(4)

Gilles Simon (France) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 7-5 6-3

Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat 15-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland)WO

Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat 8-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-4 7-6(5)
 
Shirt-ripping Janowicz stuns Tsonga, Delpo meets Pope

Jerzy Janowicz ripped off his shirt after stunning Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Rome Masters while Juan Martin Del Potro visited the Pope.
World number 24 Janowicz could not contain his excitement after his win over eighth-ranked Tsonga, ripping off his shirt to celebrate as he clinched the match.
"I was really happy especially because I didn't get off to a good start to the season and I was sick," said the 22-year-old Pole. "So this was really important for me."
Del Potro, who won his second round tie on Tuesday, met Pope Francis, a fellow Argentine, after attending mass at the Vatican.
"It was an incredible experience with Pope Francis, something that I'll never forget," said Del Potro.
"It was a ***** come true for a guy like me. It was an unforgettable moment. I was very nervous before meeting him, to be able to congratulate him and talk with him. He was nice. Everybody knows he is very humble. Today was a day that I'll remember for ever."
 
Sharapova eases through in Rome

Second seed Maria Sharapova eased into the third round of the Italian Open with a 6-2 6-2 win over Garbine Muguruza Blanco while third seed Victoria Azarenka also progressed.
The defending champion did not face a break point and lost just 10 points in her eight service games to win in 64 minutes.
"She is a rising player from Spain and is playing well, and the conditions were windy out there, but I was able to adjust and win this match," Russian Sharapova said.
"I knew going into the match I needed to be sharp and as quick as possible, and I did a few specific things well out there, and that's about it."
Sharapova will play Sloane Stephens in the last 16 after the American teenager came from a set down to oust Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 4-6 6-3 6-2.
Belarusian Azarenka smashed Germany's Julia Goerges 6-2 6-0 and will face Japanese Ayumi Morita next after she disposed of Urszula Radwanska of Poland 6-3 6-1.
Sharapova beat Li Na in last year's final. The Chinese, who lost in the first round in Madrid last week, beat fellow Chinese Zheng Jie 6-3 6-1.
She will next play unseeded Jelena Jankovic, who also made light work of a compatriot when she beat teenager Bojana Jovanovski 6-2 6-0.

Second round results

3-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat Julia Goerges (Germany) 6-2 6-0

Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-3 6-1

Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Romina Oprandi (Switzerland) 6-4 6-2

16-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 4-6 6-3 6-2

2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) 6-2 6-2

Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) beat Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-4 6-4

7-Sara Errani (Italy) beat Christina Mchale (US) 7-5 5-7 6-2

9-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Peng Shuai (China) 7-6(5) 6-0

Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) 6-2 6-0

12-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Varvara Lepchenko (US) 6-3 6-1

14-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat Melanie Oudin (US) 5-7 6-1 6-3

5-Li Na (China) beat Zheng Jie (China) 6-3 6-1

13-Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat Nastassja Burnett (Italy) 6-1 6-4
 
Nadal battles past qualifier, Djokovic and Federer sublime in Rome

Six-times former champion Rafael Nadal battled back from a shocking opening set to book his place in the Rome Masters quarter-finals with a 1-6 7-5 6-4 win over Ernests Gulbis.
Nadal was one point away from being on the receiving end of a bagel opening set as qualifier Gulbis before stubbornly ******* his way into the match in the second set.
But the Latvian qualifier refused to go away and even broke back when it looked like Nadal had finally got the measure of his opponent with a break in the sixth game of the third set.
But serving to stay in the match proved to be beyond Gulbis, Nadal eventually securing the win at the third attempt when Gulbis went wide with a cross court backhand.
Nadal will next face compatriot David Ferrer, the fourth seeded Spaniard progressing when Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew from the tournament with vertigo.
In direct contrast, world number one Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both made short work of their third round matches, needing just an hour each to reach the last eight.
Djokovic made short work of Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov to criuse to a 6-1 6-4 win in 60 minutes while Federer needed only two minutes more to beat Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1 6-2 in the late match.
Djokovic, back in his stride after his shock second-round defeat to Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov in Madrid last week, had too much power and control for the 23rd-ranked Dolgopolov and brushed him aside after the day's play had been briefly delayed by rain.
The pony-tailed Dolgopolov, wearing a custard-yellow shirt, missed two chances to break Djokovic in the sixth game of the second set and surrendered the final game to 15 when the Serbian hit a forehand winner.
"That is exactly what I was looking for in my game," Djokovic told Sky television.
He refused to dwell on his Madrid defeat, when the crowd turned against him after he questioned several line calls.
"What happened on the court that night, I will forget about it," said Djokovic, who now faces Tomas Berdych after the Czech sixth seed defeated South African Kevin Anderson 7-5 6-2.
Berdych came back from a break down in the opening set on the Foro Italico clay to level at 4-4 and never looked back.
The 27-year-old Czech, though, will have to step up his game against Djokovic who has beaten him 13 times in 14 previous meetings.
Federer will next face unseeded Jerzy Janowicz, after the unseeded Pole beat came back from a set down to beat ninth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4.
But seventh seed Juan Martin Del Potro was sent crashing out of the tournament after a lacklustre performance, beaten 6-4 7-6(3) by Frenchman Benoit Paire.
Paire will next face Marcel Granollers after the Spaniard survived a second set onslaught to beat Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-4 1-6 7-5.

Third round results

5-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 1-6 7-5 6-4

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-1 6-4

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Gilles Simon (France) 6-1 6-2

6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 7-5 6-2

Benoit Paire (France) beat 7-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-4 7-6(3)

Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat 9-Richard Gasquet (France) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4

Marcel Granollers (Spain) beat Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-4 1-6 7-5

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) WO

Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat 9-Richard Gasquet (France) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4
 
Serena hammers Cibulkova to tie career record winning streak

World number one Serena Williams tied her longest career winning streak with a 6-0 6-1 Rome Masters rout of Dominika Cibulkova, taking her run of victories to 21.
Williams, who served five aces in one game, looks unstoppable but issued a few words of caution.
"Nothing is ever perfect - I learned that last year when I felt perfect," Williams said, referring to her first-round loss at last year's French Open. "I am still in the danger zone.
"I can't remember the other winning streaks, but I hope I can get to 22 and the rest of the matches that I have here.
"Plus seven, and Wimbledon too, so it would be dangerous to lose now."
Williams was joined in the quarter-finals by Maria Sharapova who breezed past Sloane Stephens 6-2 6-1 while Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, a former Rome champion showing signs of a return to her best form, beat China's fifth seed Li Na 7-6 7-5.

Rome Masters (women) round three results:

9-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat 8-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 7-5 2-6 6-1

2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 16-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) 6-2 6-1

3-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat Ayumi Morita (Japan) 6-1 2-0 (Morita retired)

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat 14-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 6-0 6-1

Simona Halep (Romania) beat 13-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-4 6-2

Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 6-2 6-3

7-Sara Errani (Italy) beat 12-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-3 2-0 (Kirilenko retired)

Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat 5-Li Na (China) 7-6(2) 7-5
 
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