World number one Novak Djokovic, who needs a Roland Garros title to complete a career Grand Slam, begins his French Open campaign on Tuesday against Belgium's David Goffin. Top seed Djokovic, the runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Paris last year, has already defended his Australian Open in 2013 and halted Nadal's attempt to win a ninth successive Monte Carlo Masters last month.

If momentum counts for everything in tennis, nothing will stop Serena Williams from winning the French Open for just the second time in her career in Paris on June 8. At 31, the superstar of the women's game is on an unprecedented winning run going in to the consecration of the claycourt season at Roland Garros. Four straight tournament wins at Miami, Charleston, Madrid and Rome (the last three coming on clay) and 22 matches in all for the loss of just four sets represents the best unbeaten streak of her career.

World number one Serena Williams swept Belarusian Victoria Azarenka aside 6-1, 6-3 to win her second Rome Open title on Sunday a week before a fresh tilt at the French Open. Williams broke Azarenka's serve three times in a one-sided first set and despite a tighter second set the American prevailed to stretch her career-best winning streak to 24 matches. It was Williams's 51st career title and took her victory tally over Azarenka, who beat the American earlier this season in the final of the Doha hardcourt event, to 12-2 in their series.

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.