Nadal to face Federer for 30th time in Rome final

Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy

No. 2 seed Roger Federer and No. 5 seed Rafael Nadal set up their 30th career meeting on Saturday in Rome, defeating Benoit Paire and Tomas Berdych in straight sets, respectively.

Playing Paire for the third time this year, Federer needed a tight first set before he closed out the Frenchman 7-6(5), 6-4. Overcoming eight aces by his opponent, Federer won 77 percent of his first serve points and broke serve on two occasions. Playing in his third career Rome final, Federer will meet none other six-time winner Nadal. The Spaniard put forth a comprehensive effort in defeating Berdych 6-2, 6-4 earlier in the day. Nadal will be chasing his sixth title in 2013 after winning in Indian Wells and Madrid. Federer trails Nadal 19-10 in the pair’s head-to-head and 12-2 on clay courts.

Nadal reaches semifinals in Rome; Djokovic defeated by Berdych

Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy

Quarterfinal results:

(6) Tomas Berdych defeats (1) Novak Djokovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; (5) Rafael Nadal defeats (4) David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Benoit Paire defeats Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-0.

Djokovic, Nadal march on to quarterfinals in Rome; Del Potro loses

Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy

Third-round results:

(1) Novak Djokovic defeats Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-4; (5) Rafael Nadal defeats Ernests Gulbis 1-6, 7-5, 6-4; (6) Tomas Berdych defeats Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-2; Benoit Paire defeats (7) Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 7-6(3); (4) David Ferrer defeats Philipp Kohlschreiber W/O.

Nadal reaches third-round in Rome; Murray, Tsonga and Nishikori ousted

Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy

Second-round results:

Jerzy Janowicz defeats (8) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 7-6(5); Marcel Granollers defeats (3) Andy Murray 6-3, 6-7(5) ret.; (5) Rafael Nadal defeats Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-3; Gilles Simon defeats Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-3; Jeremy Chardy defeats (16) Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-1; Ernests Gulbis defeats Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-1; Philipp Kohlschreiber defeats Albert Ramos 6-4, 6-1; Alexandr Dolgopolov defeats (15) S Wawrinka W/O; (4) David Ferrer defeats Fernando Verdasco 5-7 7-5, 6-3; Benoit Paire defeats Julien Benneteau 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(4).

Djokovic, Federer reach third-round at Rome Masters; Almagro, Haas crash out

Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy

First-round:

(9) Richard Gasquet defeats Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-4; Gilles Simon defeats Filippo Volandri 6-3 2-6, 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny defeats (13) Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-3; (15) Stanislas Wawrinka defeats Carlos Berlocq 5-7, 6-3, 6-3; Fernando Verdasco defeats Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Julien Benneteau defeats (12) Nicolas Almagro 7-6(2), 6-4; Viktor Troicki defeats Lukas Rosol 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Jeremy Chardy defeats Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4).

Second-round results:

(1) Novak Djokovic defeats Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-3; Kevin Anderson defeats (11) Marin Cilic 6-3, 7-6(7); (2) Roger Federer defeats Potito Starace 6-1, 6-2; (7) Juan Martin del Potro defeats Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-2.

Cilic, Gulbis and Fognini prevail in Rome; Monaco ousted

Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy

First-round results:

Fabio Fognini defeats Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-1; Potito Starace defeats Radek Stepanek 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; (11) Marin Cilic defeats Andrey Golubev 6-4, 6-2; Benoit Paire defeats Juan Monaco 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4; Ernests Gulbis defeats Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 7-6(6); Jerzy Janowicz Santiago Giraldo 7-5, 6-2; Albert Montanes defeats Martin Klizan 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; Andrey Kuznetsov defeats Xavier Malisse 6-2, 3-1 ret.; Albert Ramos defeats Jan Hajek 7-5, 6-0.

Tennis Elbow: The incomparable Serena

Welcome to Tennis Elbow, a new column that will look back on the week that was in the world of tennis. This week, Charles Blouin-Gascon recaps the Mutua Madrid Open on the women’s side.

Just like she did a year ago, Serena Williams took home the Mutua Madrid Open title in 2013. She did so in convincing fashion, dominating Maria Sharapova by the score of 6-1, 6-4.

(Don’t expect a lengthy post-match recap, because I don’t enjoy these much. And in full disclosure, I did not watch the match. In Canada, the men’s final was televised but the women’s wasn’t, because…yep, I have not a clue. I won’t use today’s column to further explain how ridiculous I find that women’s tennis is seemingly always playing second fiddle to men’s tennis. For now, let’s just say that I need that Tennis TV subscription as soon as possible.)

But back to Serena… She captured Madrid, because she dominated Sharapova—and she dominated the Russian, because that’s all she ever does. The win now brings their head-to-head record to 13-2 in favour of the American, and the two wins that Sharapova recorded came all the way back in 2004 when she first broke through.

A win would have given the 26-year-old Russian the No. 1 ranking but instead, it remains Serena’s to lose. It’s further proof that despite that she will turn 32 later this season, the younger of the two Williams sisters shows no sign of slowing down, especially not after having enjoyed perhaps her finest season yet in 2012. Simply put, Serena Williams is to the WTA Tour as Roger Federer is to the ATP World Tour. When she retires, she’ll be remembered as her generation’s best player, if not more.

But of course, she hasn’t retired yet.

The 2013 Mutua Madrid Open title was the 50^th of Serena’s career as well as her seventh on clay. Somehow, both those totals seem a little low and don’t quite give an indication to just how dominant she has been. For example, among the nine players with more career titles are Monica Seles (53), Virginia Wade (55) and Lindsay Davenport (55). All three are great players, obviously, but are they better than Serena?

Truthfully, if not for her older sister Venus and her 44 career titles including seven Grand Slam tournaments, perhaps Serena’s numbers would be higher. That said, there’s something to be said for a player whose 15 of 50 career titles came at the Grand Slam events—it’s that she performs best on the biggest of stages.

Serena never competed much on the junior circuit beyond a short stint until grade 9, and she never breathed and lived strictly tennis either. Rather, it seems like her father always allowed her and her sister to be girls as they were growing up, and Serena has been showing everyone that a tennis player can thrive while also having other interests beyond the sport.

This is no eulogy, though. There’s less ahead than there is behind her, at least for playing days, but Serena is still just as good as ever. She showed as much in Madrid in the final against Sharapova.

Last season, amid all the hoopla about Madrid’s blue clay, Serena was perhaps the only one to stand up to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal when they complained about the playing conditions. “Just play on,” she had told them.

Blue clay, red clay…it makes no difference. She would know, with a title on each surface in each of the previous two years.

Follow Charles Blouin-Gascon on Twitter @CeeeBG

Podcast: Previewing the 2013 Rome Masters

In this week’s show, Nima Naderi and Parsa Samii are back in action with a preview of the Rome Masters from Italy.

With a lot to cover this week, we begin with a review of the Madrid Masters, which was won by Rafa Nadal. Can Nadal keep up his winning ways in Rome? Does Djokovic have the confidence to get back in the winner’s circle? How will Murray and Federer fair after poor performances in Madrid? We also discuss Wawrinka’s new found form, Raonic’s split from Galo Blanco and Dimitrov’s flashy game.

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Nadal wins third Madrid title over Wawrinka and 40th clay crown overall

Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain

No. 5 seed Rafael Nadal won his third career title in Madrid on Sunday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka. Nadal, who has won five titles in 2013, also took home his 40th career clay-court title. Winning 90 percent of his first serve points, Nadal hit three aces and needed only one hour and 11 minutes to prevail. Improving to 9-0 against Wawrinka in lifetime meetings, Nadal will now head to the Rome Masters in Italy to defend his title there.

Wawrinka, who entered the final after nine straight wins, will move into the top 10 in the world on Monday.

Nadal to face Wawrinka for Madrid title

Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain

Semifinal results:

(5) Rafael Nadal defeats Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-4; (15) Stanislas Wawrinka defeats (6) Tomas Berdych 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

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