For the first time this week Novak Djokovic needed only two sets to triumph at theRome Masters, beating Spain's David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 as he reached the final to close in on a 24th Masters 1000 title. The world number one, who is chasing a fourth title in the event, next meets Roger Federer, who knocked out fellow-Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2.
Rediff.com brings these and other big news from the sporting world, encapsulated in this photo feature...
It was a memorable day for Indian tennis as Rohan Bopanna won the Erste Open in Vienna, partnering Pablo Cuevas, while the team of Saketh Myneni and Vijay Sundar Prashanth clinched the Vietnam Open in Ho Chi Minh City.
Swiss tennis ace Stanislas Wawrinka has revealed this week that his on-off relationship with wife Ilham has ended.
Nadal to make injury return at Madrid Open
With each passing year questions are inevitably asked about whether Nadal's vice-like hold on the French Open will be loosened. Each time, the answer has been an emphatic NO.
World number one Nadal will meet Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's showpiece when he will target a record-extending 11th title in Barcelona a week after claiming the Monte Carlo Masters for the 11th time.
Roger Federer claimed one of the few titles to have previously eluded him after he overcame a sluggish start to beat injured Frenchman Gilles Simon in the Shanghai Masters final on Sunday.
Veteran tennis player Rohan Bopanna said he plans to team up with Divij Sharan and represent India in the men's doubles event in next year's Tokyo Olympics.
Bikash Mohapatra traces the rise of the Swiss, first man to win multiple Slams in the 'Big Four' era.
German tennis legend Boris Becker has issued a stringing rebuke against second-ranked Andy Murray for saying that he has been suspicious of his opponents doping in the past and described his comments as "totally out of order".
Rafa Nadal's bid to get back to top form before the French Open suffered a setback when he crashed to a 6-4, 7-6(6) defeat to 13th-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini in the third round of the Barcelona Open on Thursday.
Rediff.com takes a look at players who tested positive for use of banned substances over the years.
Rafael Nadal has played down the significance of his quarter-final defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Open
Rafael Nadal suffered a shock 7-5, 6-3 defeat by Austrian Dominic Thiem in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Friday, a result that means the Spaniard will lose the world number one ranking.
After losing the first set, Medvedev changed his approach midway through the second set, the Russian going for broke with pretty much every shot, particularly on second serve.
Poland's Iga Swiatek continued her terrific run with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Petra Kvitova on Wednesday to reach the Miami Open semi-finals, while Norway's Casper Ruud upset men's second seed Alexander Zverev in their quarter-final clash.
As Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo watched, the World No 4 Nadal went past Italian Bolelli to set up a quarter-final clash against 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov.
The Briton, who was thrashed 6-3 6-1 by the Croatian in the Dubai Championships in 2015, performed poorly in the first set and after recovering in the second he then surrendered his serve in the seventh game, giving Coric three break points.
A red hot Rafael Nadal ended a seven-match losing streak against Novak Djokovic in emphatic fashion by thrashing the world number two 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the final of the Madrid Open and move within a step of a third consecutive clay-court title.
David Ferrer has backed fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal to bounce back to winnings ways, saying the latter will surely be a major contender in all the grand slams next year provided he remains injury-free.
Novak Djokovic says he has lost all trust in the anti-doping programme in tennis and fears he could become a victim of its 'negligence' after fellow Serb Victor Troicki failed to have his doping ban overturned on Tuesday.
Saturday's match between Djokovic and Nadal will be the 50th between the two great rivals, who have won a combined 26 Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic's already brilliant season took on another dimension on Sunday when the world number one became the first man to win six Masters titles in a calendar year by dismissing Andy Murray 6-2, 6-4 in Paris.
Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Indian Wells tournament on Saturday with a knee injury, shortly before his eagerly-awaited semi-final clash with great rival Roger Federer.
The Indian Wells tennis tournament was set to start on Tuesday, attracts the game's top players from both the men's and women's sides and drew a record 475,000 fans over its two-week run last year. It was cancelled over concerns about the spread of a coronavirus in Southern California.
IMAGES from Day 6 of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Friday.
Rafael Nadal consolidated his flying start to the clay-court season by taking a record-extending fifth Madrid Open title on Sunday, battling past a determined Dominic Thiem to win 7-6(10-8), 6-4.
World number one Novak Djokovic received a free pass into the third round of the U.S. Open when Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic withdrew from their match on Wednesday due to a left forearm injury. The walkover provided the top-seeded defending champion with an extended break to improve his niggling left wrist injury before his next match against either Guido Pella of Argentina or Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.
Greek tyro Stefanos Tsitsipas' dream run at the Rogers Cup continued on Friday as the teenager toppled defending champion Alexander Zverev 3-6, 7-6(11), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals in Toronto.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are determined and inspired by the opportunity to win their first French Open title.
Here are eight men to watch on the Roland Garros clay.
Nadal no longer 'immovable' object in Paris.
Rafael Nadal moved seamlessly from months of clay court success to a satisfyingly smooth first-round victory on grass as he opened his Wimbledon campaign with a commanding 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Australian John Millman on Monday.
World number one Rafael Nadal set a new record of winning 50 consecutive sets on a single surface by beating Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals.
Melbourne man McNamara won five singles titles and 19 in doubles and teamed up with compatriot Paul McNamee to win the Australian Open doubles in 1979 and Wimbledon twice in 1980 and 1982.
World number one Novak Djokovic fended off a resurgent Rafael Nadal 7-5, 7-6 (4) in a pulsating battle on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open.
The World No 1 beat Japan's Kei Nishikori for his 63rd career title
Top seed Novak Djokovic beat Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 7-6(1) to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Friday and move within one win of 1,000 career victories.
The latest tennis rankings have been announced by the ATP and WTA
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances