Top seed Serena Williams booked her place in the semi-finals of the WTA Rome Open on Friday after a comfortable 6-2, 6-0 win over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. Williams took just over 56 minutes on Central Court to brush aside the Spaniard, who offered little in reply to the American's all-round more powerful game. The world number one, who will claim her 51st WTA title if she triumphs this weekend, will meet the winner of the quarter-final between Jelena Jankovic and Simona Halep.

Maria Sharapova believes she is ready to end her hoodoo against world number one Serena Williams when they meet in the Madrid Open final on Sunday. Sharapova, who surged into her first final in Madrid with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ana Ivanovic on Saturday, hasn't beaten Williams since 2004, losing 11 straight matches against the 15-time Grand Slam champion in that period. However, with the number one ranking also for the taking should the Russian manage to win, she has taken encouragement from their last meeting in Miami earlier this year when Sharapova took the opening set.

Rafael Nadal overcame a stiff test from compatriot David Ferrer to reach the Madrid Masters semi-finals Friday, but there was no such luck for Andy Murray who was beaten 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 by Tomas Berdych. Defeats for Murray and Ferrer mean that the world's top four have all been eliminated following earlier exits for Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. World number five Nadal, who is now the favourite for a third title in the Spanish capital, had to come from a set and a break down to win 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 over world number four Ferrer.

Serena Williams retained her Madrid Open title on Sunday with a devastating display to beat world number two Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4. The title is Williams' 50th of her singles career and extends her amazing run over Sharapova whom she hasn't lost to in 12 meetings since 2004. And Williams believes winning a title on red clay for the first time since 2002, after Madrid's switch back to the more traditional surface after an experiment with blue clay last year, is the perfect preparation for the French Open.