http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis en-gb Sat, 18 May 2013 22:01:00 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/aiming-for-4th-consecutive-title-this-year-serena-williams-reaches-italian-open-final-207997181.html ROME - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will renew their rivalry in the Italian Open final Sunday — exactly a week before the French Open starts. In Saturday's semifinals at the Foro Italico, Federer held off a stiff challenge from rising Frenchman Benoit Paire 7-6 (5), 6-4, and six-time Rome... Sat, 18 May 2013 15:42:12 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/top-ranked-serena-williams-rolls-past-carla-suarez-navarro-to-reach-italian-open-semifinals-207844611.html ROME - Novak Djokovic can't seem to find any consistency on clay courts. And with the French Open less than 10 days away, he will enter Roland Garros on the back of two early defeats. The top-ranked Serb wasted a chance to serve out the match and was beaten 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 by sixth-seeded Tomas Fri, 17 May 2013 17:22:10 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/defending-champion-sharapova-withdraws-from-rome-quarterfinals-with-unspecified-problem-207841421.html ROME - Two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn before her Italian Open quarterfinal match against seventh-seeded Sara Errani because of an illness. The announcement comes less than 10 days before the start of the French Open, the year's second Grand Slam, which starts May Fri, 17 May 2013 05:34:09 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/bernard-tomic-expected-to-play-french-open-while-father-awaits-court-case-in-assault-charge-207785591.html MELBOURNE, Australia - Tennis Australia expects that Bernard Tomic will play in the French Open, despite his coach John Tomic recently declaring his son's participation unlikely. The 20-year-old Tomic has resumed training after withdrawing from this week's Rome Masters following an assault case Thu, 16 May 2013 17:12:06 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/top-ranked-novak-djokovic-advances-to-italian-open-quarterfinals-improves-clay-record-to-8-1-207688321.html ROME - 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 on Thursday and reach the Italian Open quarterfinals. Nadal's performance, and sometimes sluggish movement on the court, raised questions about Thu, 16 May 2013 15:49:06 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/itf-says-brazilian-player-fernando-romboli-served-8-12-month-suspension-for-doping-offence-207566111.html LONDON - The ITF says Brazilian tennis player Fernando Romboli has completed an 8 1/2-month suspension for a doping violation. The International Tennis Federation says Romboli tested positive for two banned diuretics, furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide, at a lower-tier ATP challenger event in Wed, 15 May 2013 12:36:05 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/after-splitting-the-opening-2-sets-andy-murray-retires-from-match-against-granollers-in-rome-207530301.html ROME - Andy Murray retired from his second-round match with Spanish opponent Marcel Granollers at the Italian Open on Wednesday with lower back pain and listed himself as doubtful for the French Open. Murray, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, walked off the court after winning the second Wed, 15 May 2013 10:57:07 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/janowicz-upsets-8th-seeded-tsonga-in-rome-wawrinka-withdraws-with-leg-injury-207518651.html ROME - Back pain forced Andy Murray to retire midway through his second-round match at the Italian Open on Wednesday. He may have to sit out the French Open, too. Elsewhere at the Foro Italico, Rafael Nadal began his bid for a seventh Rome title by cruising past local hope Fognini of Italy 6-1, Wed, 15 May 2013 14:04:12 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/caroline-wozniacki-upset-by-48th-ranked-bojana-jovanovski-at-italian-open-207356391.html ROME - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer appear back on track after early losses in Madrid last week. Serena Williams, meanwhile, is maintaining her dominance. Top-ranked Djokovic quickly overcame an early break to cruise past Spanish qualifier Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-3 and second-seeded Federer Tue, 14 May 2013 16:06:12 CDT http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/australians-john-millman-ash-barty-awarded-wild-card-entries-to-french-open-207323071.html MELBOURNE, Australia - Australians John Millman and Ash Barty have been awarded wild card entries for the French Open starting May 26. Millman, who has improved 58 places this year to be ranked No. 141, qualified for the main draw at the recent ATP event in Munich and also reached the second Tue, 14 May 2013 00:25:05 CDT