Victoria Azarenka | GlobalPost

Serena Williams advances to Rome final

Agencia EFEMay 18, 2013 14:02

Rome, May 18 (EFE).- American Serena Williams continued one of the best stretches of her storied career, advancing to the Rome final with a comfortable 6-3, 6-0 victory Saturday over Simona Halep. The world No. 1 needed just over an hour to dismiss the overmatched Romanian world No. 64, who had battled through the qualifying stage to make it all the way to the tournament's final four. Williams' return dominated the match, allowing her to break Halep's serve five times in seven tries and win 71 percent of the Romanian's first-serve points.

Tennis: Azarenka beats Errani, sets up Williams final

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 11:00

Victoria Azarenka set up a Rome Open final with world number one Serena Williams after ending local hopes of a dream final with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Sara Errani on Saturday. Azarenka's all-round more powerful and varied game carried her through a first set that was interrupted three times - twice by rain and once by Errani calling for her coach after dropping the first three games. Errani, who had beaten the Belarusian only once in their six previous encounters, emerged with bigger ambitions in the second set.

Tennis: Sharapova pulls out of Rome Open

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 11:17

Russia's Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the Rome Open, citing "physical problems", the WTA said on Friday. The two-time winner of the tournament and world number two had been due to play Italy's Sara Errani in the quarter-finals. Sharapova, the defending champion, posted a message on her Twitter account explaining the reason for her withdrawal. "I'm sorry for having to withdraw from the tournament this morning. Didn't recover after being sick last week and it got me again last night," Sharapova said.

Tennis: Williams breezes into Rome Open semi-finals

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 10:31

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.

Tennis: Sharapova pulls out of Rome as Paris beckons

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 09:30

Ailing Maria Sharapova said the thought of not recovering in time for the French Open had prompted her to pull out of the Rome Open before her quarter-final match on Friday. Sharapova, a two-time winner and the world number two, had been due to play Italy's Sara Errani in the quarter-finals. However the Russian announced her withdrawal on Friday morning citing sickness and claiming she had run a temperature overnight.

Tennis: Nadal through, Azarenka out of Madrid

Agence France-PresseMay 13, 2013 11:06

Rafael Nadal made a comfortable start to his quest for a third Madrid Masters title on Wednesday but Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka slumped to a shock exit. Nadal eased past Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4 and will next face either compatriot Nicolas Almagro or Mikhail Youzhny of Russia for a place in the quarter-finals. One break in each set was enough for Nadal as he overcame some impressive variety and touch shown by Paire early on to break when the world number 37 was serving at 2-3 down in the opening set, before eventually sealing it 6-3.

Tennis: Nadal through but Azarenka out of Madrid

Agence France-PresseMay 8, 2013 18:12

Rafael Nadal made a comfortable start to his quest for a third Madrid Masters title on Wednesday as he eased past Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4. One break in each set was enough for Nadal as he overcame some impressive variety and touch shown by Paire early on to break when the World No.37 was serving at 2-3 down in the opening set, before eventually sealing it 6-3.

Tennis: Sharapova makes winning start in Madrid

Agence France-PresseMay 6, 2013 18:15

Maria Sharapova survived a sticky start to move into the second round of the WTA Madrid Open on Monday with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania. The Russian, who won the French Open on clay last year, brought a 16-match winning streak on the surface into Madrid and was strongly favoured to coast past a player who has been dogged by knee injuries. But she struggled at times in the first set before finding her range in the second. It had all been about adjusting to the dirt surface and the particular demands of playing in Madrid, Sharapova said.

Tennis: Sharapova not thinking of world top spot

Agence France-PresseMay 3, 2013 21:00

Maria Sharapova is keeping her feet on the ground over the possibility of wresting back the world number one spot from Serena Williams at the Madrid Masters. Williams is also competing in the Spanish capital but the Russian, currently ranked second in the world, says the American is not on her mind. Following her Stuttgart success last week, Sharapova said on Friday: "I don't want to think about it (the no.1 ranking) too much. "It depends also on the other players. I can (only) control what is in my hands and try not to worry about it too much."

Tennis: Sharapova brushes off Li to win Stuttgart

Agence France-PresseApril 28, 2013 10:30

Defending French Open champion Maria Sharapova claimed the Stuttgart WTA title on Sunday beating China's Li Na 6-4, 6-3 in just over 90 minutes to get her clay-court season off to a winning start. Having been taken to three-sets in all of her previous three matches here en route to the final, Sharapova saved her best tennis until last to defeat the Chinese in straight sets. She broke Li twice in the first, but the Chinese managed to reply with a break of her own before Sharapova used the first of her three set points to take the first set.