Switzerland’s Roger Federer is pictured during a training session on the eve of the French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris yesterday. Winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, Federer bagged his only French Open title four years ago. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic practises during a training session on the eve of the start of the French Open. Djokovic has won six Grand Slam single

Spain’s David Ferrer attends a training session on the eve of the French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris yesterday. INSET: World number one Novak Djokovic during a press conference. PARIS: Rafael Nadal can become the first man to win the same Grand Slam title eight times at the French Open, but the Spaniard may have to get past Novak Djokovic before he even contemplates

Who are you? The guide on top seeds PARIS: Who are the men handed the task of taking down Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the top three seeds at the French Open? Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) vs David Goffin (BEL) Belgian 22-year-old David Goffin, the world number 57 from Liege, enjoyed a stunning debut at the French Open last year when he came through qualifying as a luck

PARIS: 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

Spanish Rafael Nadal (second left), Swiss Roger Federer (right), Russian Maria Sharapova (left) and Serena Williams of USA pose before performing for children during an exhibition game in Malakoff, a Paris suburb, yesterday, two days ahead of the French Tennis Open. PARIS:  Defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal was drawn in the same half as world number one Novak Djokovic yest

PARIS: Roger Federer’s perfect sense of timing on court has brought him a record 17 Grand Slam titles, but he admitted yesterday he’s been a little slow to appreciate the advantages of Twitter. Federer, who can boast more than 12 million likes on his Facebook page, finally signed up for the social media site late Thursday and had over 72,000 followers by yesterday. He still

LONDON: Andy Murray (pictured) will miss the French Open with the back injury that flared up at the Rome Masters,  the world number two announced late on Tuesday. After meeting with medical specialists Murray has decided to skip the second Grand Slam of the year at Roland Garros to ensure he is fully fit for Wimbledon. “It’s a really tough decision and I love playi

ROME:  Rafa Nadal made short work of his great rival Roger Federer to win his sixth trophy of the year, 6-1 6-3 yesterday. The crowd sitting in the sunshine at Rome’s Foro Italico watched Nadal race to victory in 69 minutes on the red clay. The Spaniard, back in his best form after last year’s long injury layoff, spent less time on court than Serena Williams who wo

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reacts during her match against Italian Sara Errani during their Rome Masters semi-final match played in Rome, Italy, yesterday. Azarenka won 6-0, 7-5. RIGHT: Serena Williams returns the ball to Simona Halep from Romania during their Rome Masters semi-final match. ROME: World number one Serena Williams said she hoped to improve her game for the French Open af

LONDON: Former England captain Andrew Strauss said yesterday it was important for the side’s Ashes prospects that star batsman Kevin Pietersen regained full fitness. Pietersen is currently sidelined with a knee problem and in his absence England struggled to 232 all out in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s. Strauss retired from all cricket fol

ROME: World number one Novak Djokovic  crashed to defeat at the Rome Masters at the hands of big-serving Tomas Berdych yesterday while Maria Sharapova withdrew from the women’s event through illness. Berdych, who had beaten top-seeded Djokovic only once in their last 14 meetings, prevailed 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 to book himself an unlikely place in the semi-finals and boost his chances ah

ROME: Defending champion Rafael Nadal endured a three-set thriller before overcoming big-hitting Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 yesterday to reach the Rome Masters quarter-finals. Gulbis, ranked 46th, and a winner in Rome in 2010 over Roger Federer on his way to the semi-finals, saved two match points in the third set, but finally went down when he sent a forehand wide to th

ROME: World number two Andy Murray admitted yesterday that he could miss the French Open after a long-term back injury forced him to quit the Rome Masters. “I’d be very surprised if I was playing in Paris,” a subdued Murray said after retiring from a second-round start at the Foro Italico, handing a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7) win to Spain’s Marcel Gronollers. Murray, wh

ROME: Two-tme Rome masters champion Novak Djokovic began his campaign for a hat-trick trophy with a 70-minute, 6-2, 6-3 win over Albert Montanes which was wrapped up with an ace. The Serb was all smiles as he got the job done in his second-round start after a bye after losing a week ago in his opening match in Madrid to Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian threat was knocked out earlier

ROME: Briton Laura Robson beat Venus Williams 6-3, 6-2 in blustery conditions at the ATP/WTA Rome Masters yesterday and now faces the second half of a one-two punch when she next plays Williams’ sister and world number one, Serena. The top-seeded American, who was watching from the stands, has targeted this week and hopes to follow up her Madrid trophy from the weekend. The 39th-r

ROME: Roger Federer   and Andy Murray insisted yesterday that any player who came out as gay would not face discrimination on the tour. US basketball star Jason Collins recently revealed he was gay, becoming the first active professional player in the US to declare his homosexuality. Federer believes any such revelation in men’s tennis would not cause problems. “I d

MADRID: A Spanish court on Monday postponed to October the trial of John Tomic, father of Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic, for allegedly assaulting his son’s training partner. The Madrid court said the trial scheduled for today was postponed because the plaintiff, Frenchman Thomas Drouet, could not travel to Spain to attend. Drouet was left with a broken nose on May 4 after

MADRID: Rafael Nadal sealed his fifth title in seven tournaments since returning from a seven-month injury layoff as he claimed a third Madrid Masters title with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Stanislas Wawrinka yesterday. Nadal, who now holds a 9-0 career record over the Swiss, rolled through the first set thanks to two early breaks in little over half an hour. And after a little more resist

ROME: The leading trio of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all have work to do before the start of the French Open in a fortnight, with the Rome Masters the last tournament chance to whip their clay games into top condition. Of the three leading seeds at the event, which began yesterday at the picturesque Foro Italico, only number three Murray lasted until the quarter-fina

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his men’s singles semi-final match against compatriot Pablo Andujar at the Madrid Masters at the Caja Magica Sports Complex in Madrid, yesterday. Nadal won 6-0, 6-4. MADRID: Rafael Nadal described reaching the final of the Madrid Masters as a ‘dream’ after he stormed into his seventh consecutive final since returning from a