PARIS - Top seed Novak Djokovic and seven-time champion Rafael Nadal were set on a French Open semi-final collision course Friday, condemning one of the sport's superstars to certain defeat before the final. The world number one Serb and the third-ranked Spaniard were placed in the same half of the ...

PARIS - Rafael Nadal can become the first man to win the same Grand Slam title eight times at the French Open with few willing to risk talking down the rejuvenated Spaniard's chances. Having pulled clear of Bjorn Borg's record of six wins at Roland Garros with a seventh championship in 2012, the ...

ROME - Spain’s Rafael Nadal dominated his 30th meeting with Swiss rival Roger Federer to secure his seventh title in nine years at the Rome Masters on Sunday. Nadal’s 6-1, 6-3 triumph means he now leads Federer 20-10 in their series, with 13 of his wins coming on clay.The Spaniard, ...

ROMERafael Nadal set up a potential Rome Masters final with Swiss rival Roger Federer after dominating Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals on Saturday. Berdych had caused the first major upset of the tournament when he ousted world number one Novak Djokovic on Friday.However, despite an ...

ROME - Defending champion Rafael Nadal endured a three-set thriller before overcoming big-hitting Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the Rome Masters quarter-finals. Gulbis, ranked 46th, and a winner inRomein 2010 over Roger Federer on his way to the semi-finals, ...

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 on Sunday.Nadal, who now holds a 9-0 career record over the Swiss, rolled through the first set ...

MADRID - Rafael Nadal overcame a stiff test from compatriot David Ferrer to reach the Madrid Masters semi-finals Friday while Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova stayed on course for a mouth-watering title showdown.World number five Nadal pulled off a roller-coaster 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 win over ...

MADRID - 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 ...

  BARCELONA     Rafael Nadal extended his record number of Barcelona titles to eight as he brushed off a slow start to beat Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday. Last weekend's Monte Carlo runner-up regained his accustomed position on an ATP winner's podium with his ...

    BARCELONA     Rafael Nadal kept alive his hopes of an eighth title at the Barcelona Open on Saturday as he waited out a rain delay before hammering Canadian Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-0 in their semi-final. The second seed will face Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro on Sunday ...

  BARCELONA     Rafael Nadal led the way with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 defeat of Frenchman Benoit Paire on Friday, as the Barcelona Open completed rain-delayed matches from the previous 24 hours and prepared to start the quarter-final ties. Nadal, the seven-time champion seeded second, ...

  BARCELONA   Rafael Nadal restored the balance of clay power at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Carlos Berlocq after top-seeded compatriot David Ferrer was eliminated by Dmitry Tursunov. Nadal, seeded second for the first time ever behind Ferrer, still needed six ...

  BARCELONA- Rafael Nadal will quickly bury his sorrows after the end of his eight-year title streak inMonte Carlo, with the Spaniard quickly turning his focus to the Barcelona Open starting on Monday. Nadal went down to defeat in Sunday'sMonte Carlofinal to Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) but ...

  MONTE CARLO - Novak Djokovic can cast his hopes forward a month to the start of Roland Garros with serious thoughts of a Paris title after stunning Rafael Nadal to win a first career trophy at the Monte Carlo Masters. The Serb world number one, who was almost unable to start the prestige ...

MONTE-CARLO Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on Saturday set up their third final meeting at the Monte Carlo Masters, with the Serb top seed the last obstacle to more clay-court history for Spain's Nadal. Nadal is one win away from a record ninth straight trophy at the Mediterranean venue and has ...

MONTE CARLO AFPRafael Nadal survived one of his toughest claycourt tests to squeeze out a dramatic 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over highly-rated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday. The Spaniard, who has not lost in the principality since 2003, was ...

MONTE CARLO Rafael Nadal made a predictably successful return to his beloved clay on Wednesday, the Spanish third seed starting his quest for a ninth straight Monte Carlo Masters title with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Marinko Matosevic.Nadal was totally in his comfort zone on another sunny, warm day on ...

MONTE CARLO  Australian Marinko Matosevic faces the toughest ask in tennis after winning his first match on clay in almost a year to open with a 7-5, 6-3 success over Fernando Verdasco at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.But the number 54 won't have time to celebrate an upset of Spain's ...

 MONACO - Rafael Nadal admitted Monday that his incredible 42-match, 10-year unbeaten run at Monte Carlo will end one day, but he is in no hurry to see that day.The 26-year-old Spaniard, who last lost on the clay of Monte Carlo as a fresh-faced 16-year-old when then-clay court king Guillermo ...

MADRID - Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal has surprisingly revealed his admiration for the Spanish giants' Champions League semi-final rivals, Borussia Dortmund. "They (Dortmund) are really good. I like their rapid style, and I really admire (attacking midfielder) Marco Reus," Nadal told German news ...

PARIS - It's 10 years since the rankings didn't feature either Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer in the top two, but current leading men, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, still face a test of claycourt nerve.On Sunday, Nadal begins his bid for a ninth successive Monte Carlo Masters title. The ...

INDIAN WELLS - Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer stayed on track for a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown at the BNP Paribas Open after they both advanced to the last 16 on Monday.Spaniard Nadal, twice champion at Indian Wells, was gifted his spot when Argentina's Leonardo Mayer withdrew with a back ...

NEW YORK - Rafael Nadal will use the upcoming ATP event at Indian Wells to test his left knee on hardcourts with hopes he can return to the same competition schedule he enjoyed before his recent seven-month layoff.Since returning from his injury last month, the 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal has ...

ACAPULCO - Rafael Nadal destroyed David Ferrer to win the Mexican Open on Saturday, losing just two games as he claimed his second title in three events since returning from a lengthy injury lay-off.In the women's final, Italian top seed Sara Errani breezed past second seed Carla Suarez Navarro of ...

ACAPULCO - Rafael Nadal eased into the quarter-finals of the Mexican Open on Wednesday, continuing his comeback from the knee injury that sidelined the 11-time Grand Slam champion for seven months. Nadal, playing in his third tournament in four weeks after his lengthy layoff, needed one hour and 16 ...

VINA DEL MAR - Rafael Nadal looked sharp Saturday as he booked a finals berth in an ATP South American clay court tournament, his first event back from a seven-month injury absence.Nadal, seeded number one as a wildcard in the $410,200 tournament, needed just 64 minutes to defeat third-seeded ...

VINA DEL MAR - Rafael Nadal made a triumphant singles return after a seven-month absence, beating qualifier Federico Delbonis 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of the ATP claycourt tournament here."I'm happy to play a singles match after so long," Nadal said. "I need days and time to get my game back, ...

MADRID - Rafa Nadal has been forced to withdraw from next month's Australian Open due to a stomach virus that has disrupted his recovery from a knee injury. "My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well, but this virus didn't allow me to practice this past week. Therefore I ...

DOHA  - Rafael Nadal will end his six-month, injury-enforced absence from tennis by playing back-to-back tournaments in the Gulf before launching his assault on the Australian Open.The 26-year-old Spaniard hasn't played since his shock second-round defeat against Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in ...

KUALA LUMPUR - David Ferrer predicted Tuesday that fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal would come back better than ever after injury and could even surpass current world number one Roger Federer in the record books. Federer, 31, has won 17 Grand Slam titles plus a host of other tennis crowns. His great ...