Novak Djokovic News

Rafael Nadal stayed on course for a seventh title in the Italian capital thanks to a stunning semi-final victory against Tomas Berdych.

Sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen waited out a two-hour rain delay before putting a quick end to a run of two first-round clay losses with a 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Lukas Lacko at the PowerHorse Cup on Monday.

Congrats to Rafael Nadal and his fans. The Spaniard wrapped up his French Open preperations in the very best possible was hammering his rival Roger Federer 61, 63 to win a seventh Rome Italian Open title.

While attention focuses annually on a small group of contenders, Roland Garros would be much less intriguing without the upset threats that populate each year's draw.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will renew their rivalry in the Italian Open final Sunday - exactly a week before the French Open starts.

We counted Roger Federer out for the clay-court season this year. After all, he didn't even bother preparing for the red dirt.

Serena Williams, of the United States, returns the ball to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova, during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Thursday, May 16, 2013.

Tomas Berdych recorded the comeback of the tournament so far with a shocking three-set victory over world No.

Six-time champion Rafael Nadal overcame one of the worst opening sets of his career to edge Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 Thursday and reach the Italian Open quarterfinals.

Stretch: Novak Djokovic returns a shot to Albert Montanes during their second round match of the Rome Masters on Tuesday.

Andy Murray retired from his second-round match in Rome. He is doubtful for the French Open and concerned about being healthy enough for Wimbledon.

The 2013 Rome Masters offers tennis stars one last shot to tune up their game and gain pivotal momentum before the clay-court season finale, better known as the French Open.

Has a player ever had more trouble with a court than with an opponent? That appeared to be the case in Novak Djokovic's hour-long, 6-1, 6-4 win over Alexandr Dolgopolov in Rome today.

Andy Murray retired from his second-round match with Spanish opponent Marcel Granollers at the Italian Open on Wednesday with lower back pain and considers himself doubtful for the French Open.

World No 1 Serena Williams inflicted swift revenge on behalf of her older sister when she beat Britain's Laura Robson 6-2 6-2 in the Rome Masters on Tuesday.

Practice makes perfect, which is one of the reasons why Rafael Nadal continues to play down his chances of adding an eighth French Open to his ever-growing tally of titles next month.

Djokovic has reached the final in four of the five past years at the Foro Italico, winning the title in 2008 and 2011.

Novak Djokovic began his quest for a third title with a 70-minute win at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Tuesday.

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.

There he was, Jimmy Connors, and to be truthful, it was a little strange, to find the raffish tennis icon looking so refined-dignified, really-in the upstairs lounge of the Peninsula Hotel, a posh fortress of decorum off Fifth Avenue.