By Eric Salliot Rome (Reuters) - Serena Williams crushed Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 6-3 6-0 to book her place in the Italian Open final and extend her winning streak to 23 matches on Saturday. World number one Williams, who is chasing a fourth consecutive tour title, will face Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's final after …

REUTERS - 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 …

ROME (Reuters) - 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 elaborate further on the reasons for Sharapova's …

(Reuters) - Defending champion Rafa Nadal recovered from losing the opening five games against Ernests Gulbis to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Thursday. The Spaniard, looking for his seventh Rome title, was shaken by a ferocious onslaught from Gulbis, losing the first set in 34 minutes, but …

(Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic made short work of Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov to reach the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Thursday with a 6-1 6-4 win. 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 …

ROME (Reuters) - Jerzy Janowicz ripped off his shirt after stunning Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin del Potro visited the Pope and Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka pulled out through injury at the Italian Open on Wednesday. Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova sailed through their second round matches with embarrassingly …

ROME (Reuters) - Andy Murray is a doubt for the French Open after suffering a lower back problem that forced the world number two to retire from the Italian Open on his 26th birthday on Wednesday. Murray retired from the contest against Spain's Marcel Granollers moments after levelling the second-round match by winning …

By Alasdair Fotheringham VAJONT, Italy (Reuters) - Lithuania's Ramunas Navardauskas gave Garmin-Sharp a boost with a solo summit finish win on stage 11 the day after team leader Ryder Hesjedal lost all hope of repeating last year's overall Giro d'Italia success. Navardauskas, who was part of a long-distance break of 20 …

PARIS (Reuters) - 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 wild card for the grand slam claycourt event, organisers said on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Frenchman, who reached the last four in 2008, has dropped down the rankings …

REUTERS - Andy Murray retired injured from the Italian Open on his 26th birthday on Wednesday, moments after he had levelled the second round match by winning the second set against Spain's Marcel Granollers. The Scot, who had lost the opening set 6-3, won the second 7-6 but then decided to retire due to a hip problem that …

REUTERS - World number one Serena Williams inflicted swift revenge on behalf of her older sister when she beat Britain's Laura Robson 6-2 6-2 in the Rome Masters on Tuesday. Venus Williams was despatched in straight sets by Robson in Monday's first round but Serena, fresh from her defeat of Maria Sharapova in the Madrid …

REUTERS - A rusty Venus Williams was blown away 6-3 6-2 by rising British left-hander Laura Robson at the Rome Masters tennis on Monday. 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 …

MADRID (Reuters) - The hearing in Madrid on Tuesday at which John Tomic, father 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, court authorities said on Monday. The hearing could not take place on Tuesday because the alleged …

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - 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, …

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - Clay king Rafa Nadal sent another reminder he is not about to surrender his Roland Garros crown without a fight when he crushed Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 6-4 to win the Madrid Open on Sunday. It was the Spanish world number five's fifth title since he returned from a seven-month …

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - 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 …

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - 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 on Sunday. Williams' victory, her fourth tournament success of 2013 and only the seventh on clay since she turned pro in 1995, …

By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - 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 …