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Tennis

May 18, 2013

Rafael 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.

Serena extends winning streak to reach Rome final

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.

May 17, 2013

Rome Masters: Bhupathi-Bopanna advance, Paes-Melzer out

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna entered the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters, but it was curtains for Leander Paes and his Austrian partner Jurgen Melzer.

Nadal survives Gulbis scare, Williams advances

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.

May 16, 2013

Sania-Bethanie advance to Rome quarters

Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands scored a straight set win over Francesca Schiavone and Samantha Stosur to move to the quarter-finals of the WTA Premier event in Rome.

Italian Open: Janowicz stuns Tsonga, Murray injured

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.

Monfils, Razzano get French Open wild cards

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.

May 15, 2013

Rome: Serena slays Robson; Djokovic, Federer cruise

World No 1 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.

May 12, 2013

Nadal thumps Wawrinka to claim Madrid Open title

Rafael Nadal claimed a fifth title since his return from injury when the Spanish world number five dismissed 15th-seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4 to win the Madrid Open on Sunday.

Serena overpowers Sharapova in Madrid, claims 50th title

World No 1 and top seed Serena Williams racked up the 50th title of her 18-year career when she thumped Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 to defend her Madrid Open crown on Sunday.

May 11, 2013

Nadal crushes Andujar to reach Madrid final

Rafael Nadal is one win away from a fifth title since returning from injury after the Spanish World No 5 thumped compatriot Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the Madrid Open final.

Madrid Open WTA: Serena to face Sharapova in the final

Serena Williams' tactic of staying in her hotel room and being "boring" appears to be paying off after the world number one and top seed swept past Sara Errani into the final of the Madrid Open on Saturday.

Murray exits, Nadal battles past Ferrer in Madrid

Andy Murray's latest bid for a maiden clay title ended when he fell to Tomas Berdych in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Friday, leaving Rafa Nadal as the only member of the 'big four' still alive at the Masters event.

May 10, 2013

Tennis: Mixed fortunes for Indians at Madrid Open

The Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna entered the quarter-finals of the men's doubles event while Leander Paes and Sania Mirza made exit with their respective partners at the Madrid Open, on Wednesday.

May 09, 2013

Federer upset by Nishikori in Madrid third round

Defending champion Roger Federer became the second high-profile casualty at the Madrid Open when he was beaten 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 by Japanese 14th seed Kei Nishikori in the third round.

Sania-Bethanie knocked out of Madrid Open

Sania Mirza and her American doubles partner, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, made an early exit from the Madrid Open after losing their second round match in straight sets to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova.

Divij, Purav in China Challenger semis
Divij Sharan and Purav Raja came from behind to win the first round and then got a walk over to progress to the semi-final of the $125,000 ATP Challenger tournament in Kunming. Nadal checks Paire to advance in Madrid

Rafa Nadal avoided a similar fate to beaten World No 1 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.

May 08, 2013

'Hot' Azarenka knocked out of Madrid Open

World No 3 Victoria Azarenka lost her temper on the way to a surprise 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 defeat by unseeded Russian Ekaterina Makerova in the Madrid Open second round on Wednesday.

Madrid Open: Dimitrov packs off Djokovic

Novak Djokovic was dumped out of the Madrid Open in the second round on Tuesday when he went over on his ankle and incurred the wrath of the locals on the way to a shock 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 reverse to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

May 07, 2013

Mint-green Federer looking sharp on competitive return

Roger Federer looked as sharp as ever in his first match following a two-month layoff as he beat Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3 at the Madrid Open on Tuesday.

Sania-Bethanie in second round of Madrid Open

The fifth seed Indo-American pair had to work hard for a 7-6(3), 4-6, 10-4 victory over the Slovakian-Spanish combo of Daniela Hantuchova-Anabel Medina Garrigues.

Robson, Suarez Navarro pull off upset wins in Madrid

Britain's Laura Robson and Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro conjured up big first-round upset victories at the Madrid Open when they surprised fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and ninth-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur on Monday.

Controversy a constant companion for Tomics

Control-freak and parasite or loving father determined to help his son make the most of a rare tennis talent -- John Tomic does not so much divide opinion in Australia as split it into 'Bernard against the rest'.

May 06, 2013

Sluggish Serena begins Madrid defence with laboured win

World number one Serena Williams overcame a lethargic start to her Madrid Open title defence to seal an ultimately comfortable 7-6, 6-1 victory against teenage qualifier Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the first round on Sunday.

May 05, 2013

Venus Williams pulls out of Madrid with back problem

Former world number one Venus Williams has been forced to withdraw from the Madrid Open due to a back problem, organisers said on Sunday.

May 04, 2013

Nadal will not get higher seeding: French Open chief

Rafael Nadal will not be protected with a higher seeding at the French Open, tournament director Gilbert Ysern said on Saturday.

May 02, 2013

AITA recommends Somdev for Khel Ratna

Somdev Devvarman may have led a players' rebellion against the national tennis federation, but AITA has recommended him for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for 2013.

May 01, 2013

ITF reject Pakistan appeal over Davis Cup elimination

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) have rejected Pakistan's appeal against the awarding of their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group II tie to New Zealand, the governing body said on Wednesday.

April 28, 2013

Nadal claims eighth Barcelona Open title

Rafael Nadal won his eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over fellow Spaniard and fourth seed Nicolas Almagro on Sunday.

Final glory eludes Sania-Bethanie at Stuttgart

Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands will have to wait for their third title of the season as they ended runners-up at the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix after losing the summit clash to Sabine Lisicki and Mona Barthel, in Stuttgart on Sunday.

Sharapova crushes Li Na to retain Stuttgart title

World No 2 Maria Sharapova saved her best performance of the week for last when she successfully defended her Stuttgart Grand Prix title with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over second seed Li Na of China to kick off her clay-court season in style on Sunday.

April 27, 2013

Nadal routs Raonic to close on eighth Barcelona title

Rafa Nadal moved to within one victory of an eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years when he thrashed Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday to set up a final against fourth-seeded Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

Sania-Bethanie advance to Stuttgart semis

Sania Mirza and her American doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands progressed to the semi-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix after registering a straight sets win over Liezel Huber and Janette Husarova in Stuttgart.

April 26, 2013

Nadal ousts Paire in rain-delayed Barcelona match

Rafa Nadal overcame another hurdle on his way to a possible eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years when he recovered from a poor start to beat Benoit Paire 7-6, 6-2 in their delayed third-round match on Friday.

April 25, 2013

Barcelona Open: Ferrer shocked, Nadal eases through

Top seed David Ferrer summed up his error-strewn defeat by qualifier Dmitry Tursunov as "one of the worst I have played" after falling at the first hurdle at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday.

April 23, 2013

Wimbledon gets 40 per cent prize money boost
Wimbledon announced a 40 per cent increase in prize money for this year's championships on Tuesday, making it the most lucrative tournament in tennis. Vinci sends Italy into Fed Cup final

Roberta Vinci sent Italy into the Fed Cup final for the fifth time in eight years with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 victory over CzechRepublic's Lucie Safarova in Palermo on Monday.

April 21, 2013

Djokovic ends Nadal's eight-year Monte Carlo reign

Rafael Nadal's eight-year reign at the Monte Carlo Masters was ended when he was beaten 6-2, 7-6 by Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday.

April 20, 2013

Nadal to face Djokovic in Monte Carlo final

Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal will lock horns with World No 1 Novak Djokovic for third time in the Monte Carlo Masters final after both sailed through their semi-finals with relative ease on Saturday.

April 19, 2013

Nadal subdues inspired Dimitrov, sets up Tsonga clash

Eight-times champion Rafael Nadal was taken to the brink by Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov before completing a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory on Friday to reach the Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals. He will meet Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.

April 17, 2013

Djokovic battles through pain, Nadal finds it easy

Novak Djokovic's gamble to test his injured ankle at the Monte Carlo Masters appeared to be backfiring but he dug his heels in to battle past Russian Mikhail Youzhny 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the second round on Wednesday.

Injured Djokovic to play in Monte Carlo

Novak Djokovic will be hoping his gamble to play in the Monte Carlo Masters does not leave his claycourt season going bust after he decided to test his injured ankle in the glamorous principality.

April 15, 2013

Isner defeats Almagro to claim Houston title

American John Isner won the US men's clay court championship in Houston with a 6-3, 7-5 win over top seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro on Sunday.

April 14, 2013

Sania joins ITPA as Vice President

Star player Sania Mirza has also joined Indian Tennis Players Association (ITPA) as one of its Vice Presidents, it was revealed on Sunday.

April 13, 2013

Tennis: Divij-Purav knocked out of Mexico Challenger
India's Divij Sharan and Purav Raja's campaign, at the Guadalajara ATP Challenger event in Mexico, ended with a straight set semi-final defeat at the hands of giant-killing pair of Marin Draganja and Mate Pavic.

April 12, 2013

Divij-Purav upset Rajeev-Becker to make semis
Divij Sharan and Purav Raja staged a spectacular comeback to shock third seeds Rajeev Ram and Benjamin Becker and storm into the semi-finals of the ATP Challenger in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Friday. The unseeded Indian pair beat the American-German combo 6-4, 3-6, 10-8 in 70 minutes.

April 10, 2013

Injured Djokovic to make late decision on Monte Carlo

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will make a late decision on his participation in the next week's Monte Carlos Masters because of an ankle problem.

Divij-Purav make winning start at Mexico Challenger
Divij Sharan and Purav Raja made a confident start at the ATP Challenger event in Guadalajara, defeating Marco Chiudinelli and Yuichi Sugita in straight sets. The unseeded Indian pair, runners-up last week at Leon, beat the Swiss-Japanese combo 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the US $100,000 hard court tournament.

April 08, 2013

Serena rebounds to win third Charleston title

World No. 1 Serena Williams bounced back from a set down to defeat former top ranked Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 and win her third Family Circle Cup title on Sunday.

April 07, 2013

Davis Cup: Rosol propels Czech Republic into semis
Lukas Rosol beat Evgeny Korolev 7-6, 67, 7-6, 6-2 to give the Czech Republic an unassailable 3-1 lead over Kazakhstan and propel the defending champions into the Davis Cup semi-finals on Sunday. Davis Cup: Somdev, Yuki complete Indonesia whitewash

Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri posted straight-set wins in their respective reverse singles as India completed a 5-0 whitewash of Indonesia in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup relegation play-off tie, in Bangalore on Sunday.

Serena crushes Venus in Charleston semis

World No 1 Serena Williams breezed past older sister Venus 6-1, 6-2 in their first meeting since 2009 in the semi-finals of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday.

Davis Cup: Serbia, Canada eye semis berth after epic wins

Serbia and Canada both won marathon doubles matches on Saturday to seize control of their Davis Cup quarter-finals in North America.

April 06, 2013

Paes-Sanam win relegation play-off vs Indonesia

Veteran tennis star Leander Paes has said unity in the Indian Davis Cup team was improving, and the camaraderie among players will be better when they will face tougher challengers in the 2014 Davis Cup campaign.

Davis Cup: Holders Czechs stunned by Kazakhstan
Outsiders Kazakhstan stayed alive in their Davis Cup quarter-final against holders CzechRepublic after winning the doubles rubber on Saturday. Divij-Purav in summit clash of Leon ATP Challenger
Divij Sharan and Purav Raja shocked top seeds Nicholas Monroe and Simon Stadler in straight sets to earn a shot at their second ATP Challenger title of the season, in Leon, Mexico. Williams sisters set for showdown in Charleston semis

Serena and Venus Williams set up a tantalising semi-final against each other after both won twice on Friday in the rain-affected Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina.

April 05, 2013

Davis Cup: Somdev, Yuki win opening singles vs Indonesia

Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri scored straight-set victories to put India 2-0 ahead in the Asia-Oceanic Davis Cup Group I first-round relegation play-off tie against Indonesia in Bangalore on Friday. Somdev defeated Wisnu Adi Nugroho 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 before Yuki saw off Christopher Rungkat 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association stadium.

Davis Cup: Djokovic eyes return to form in tie against US

Novak Djokovic believes he has left his recent poor form behind and will be in top shape when he leads Serbia in this weekend's Davis Cup quarter-final tie against the United States.

April 04, 2013

Somdev to open relegation play-off vs Indonesia

India's number one singles player will open the country's campaign against Wisnu Adi Nugroho in the Asia/Oceania Group I first round relegation play-off against Indonesia, beginning in Bangalore on Friday. No 2 Yuki Bhambri will lock horns with Indonesia No 1 Christopher Rungkat in the second singles.

April 01, 2013

Bhupathi-Bopanna set to renew partnership for rest of 2013

After pairing up with different partners in the initial months of 2013, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna have decided to rejoin forces for the rest of the season.

Murray goes to No. 2 with Miami win over Ferrer

Britain's Andy Murray defeated Spain's David Ferrer 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 in a gruelling Sony Open final in Miami, on Sunday to move above Roger Federer to second in the world rankings.