Dojokvic Winner over Murray in Madrid

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Novak Djokovic beat defending champion Andy Murray 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the Madrid Open final. The defeat means the 28-year-old Briton will lose his world number two ranking to Roger Federer on Monday.

The Scot was blown away in the opening set, but fought back to level, only to fall to the Serb's power and accuracy in the decider.

Djokovic now moves ahead of Spain's Rafael Nadal with a record 29 ATP Masters 1000 titles.

The Serb underlined his current dominance as he claimed his fifth title in the past six Masters tournaments but he was pushed hard by Murray, exemplified by a 14-minute final game as Djokovic survived six deuces and seven break points to hold for the match.

"The first couple of break points I remember making two mistakes," said Murray.

"It was kind of back and forth from there and unfortunately I couldn't quite break, which was a shame because both of us on the break points until that last game were pretty clinical."

Djokovic broke Murray's serve in the opening game and the 2011 winner gave a masterclass combining powerful ground shots with brutal accuracy as he found the lines with uncanny regularity.

Murray found his second serve coming under huge pressure and Djokovic duly earned a double break before racing to the first set in just 31 minutes.

In the second, however, the Scot's serve began to click into gear and, having won just 17% of points on his second serve in the first set, he increased it to an impressive 60% in the second.

Djokovic made crucial forehand and backhand errors in the third game before serving a double-fault to be broken for only the second time in the tournament.

The Madrid crowd who were muted as Murray beat local favourite Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-4 in Saturday's semi-finals were now encouraging the Briton, who responded with some of his best tennis of the week as he won the set with a cheeky drop shot from the back of the court.

It was Djokovic's turn to regroup and after a comfortable hold needed just one of two break points to take the early initiative in the decider.

But this was a different Murray from the opening set and the Scot immediately broke back with Djokovic again serving a double fault at the crucial moment.

Again, however, the world number one raised the bar and this time it proved crucial with a decisive break in the sixth game.

"When you play against the best players, you are probably not going to win every single time," said Murray. "But you want to make the matches extremely difficult for them: physically and mentally, so it's not comfortable. So I think at least today I did that, but unfortunately didn't get the win.

"It's been a positive week for me this week overal l- a few years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd be winning against Rafa and then pushing Novak this close on a clay court."

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Murray Makes Mutua Madrid Quarters

Murray in Madrid

 Defending champion Andy Murray reached the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open with an impressive 6-4 6-2 win over 16th seed Gilles Simon of France.

Second seed Murray, 28, broke Simon for the first time to take the opening set as part of a five-game winning run.

He then broke three times in the second set to complete victory in one hour, 38 minutes.

Murray will play either Czech Tomas Berdych or Spaniard David Ferrer in the last eight.

Murray's serve was never broken and the power and variety of his ground strokes was too much for Simon, 31.

"It's always difficult to get the balance right against him because the better you hit the ball, the faster it comes back against him," Murray said.

"He uses the pace very well so I knew I needed to be patient and use variety, but also when the chance is there, go for it. Sometimes he makes players rush, but today I didn't have that problem. It was good from start to finish."

World number one Novak Djokovic, who won in Madrid in 2011, plays Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut later on Thursday.

Four-time winner Rafael Nadal, who lost to Murray is last year's final, plays Sam Querrey of the United States in the evening session.

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Sharapova Still Faces Hearing

Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova will face a hearing for testing positive for meldonium, despite the World Anti-Doping Agency issuing fresh guidance on the banned substance.

Wada said on Tuesday athletes who tested positive for meldonium before 1 March could avoid bans.

But the International Tennis Federation said Sharapova's case will proceed.

The Russian tested positive for the drug at this year's Australian Open, after it was added to Wada's banned substances list from 1 January.

Wada's change in stance is due to a "lack of clear scientific information on excretion times", meaning the agency has so far been unable to establish how long it takes for the drug to clear the human body.

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Sharapova Out of US Open

Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the US Open on the eve of the tournament.

The Russian world No3 has been struggling with a muscle strain in her right leg and has not played a competitive match since losing to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon semi-finals just over seven weeks ago.

She travelled to New York for the year’s final grand slam tournament, but announced a day before the start that she had withdrawn.

Sharapova wrote on her Facebook page: “Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in this years US Open. I have done everything possible to be ready but it was just not enough time. To all my amazing fans, I will be back in the Asian swing in a few weeks and look forward to finishing the year healthy and strong.”

Sharapova will be replaced in the draw by the Russian, Daria Kasatkina, who will now play Daria Gavrilova.

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Bonjour for Maria Sharapova

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Maria Sharapova won her second French Open title in three years, overcoming some shaky serving Saturday to beat fourth-seeded Simona Halep 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in the final.

Sharapova has struggled with her serve this week and had 12 double-faults in the final on Court Philippe Chatrier. But she was able to hold off Halep, and hold her serve in the final game, with steady groundstrokes that kept the Romanian on the run.

Sharapova also won the title at Roland Garros in 2012, completing a career Grand Slam. She lost in last year's final to Serena Williams.

Halep, who was ranked only 57th heading into last year's French Open, was playing in her first major final.

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Serena Ends Year No.1

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Serena Williams will end the year as the number one female player in the world after a phenomenal campaign which saw the American win two Grand Slams.

The 32-year-old has lost just four matches this year, winning nine titles, including the French and US Open.

It is the third time she has topped the rankings at the end of a calendar year.

Williams became the oldest player to hold the number one positionwhen, aged 31, the 17-time Grand Slam winner replaced Victoria Azarenka in February.

"Serena has proven time and time again throughout her career that she is an incredible champion, both on and off the court," said Women's Tennis Association (WTA) chairman and chief executive Stacey Allaster.

"This season she continues to rewrite the record books, proving she is one of the sport's greatest athletes of all time."

Williams will be presented with her trophy during the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul next month.

She will be joined by China's Li Na, who became the fifth player to qualify for the event, following in the footsteps of Williams, Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska.

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Shock Exit for Top Seed Sharapova

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Sharapova Eases into Round Four

Maria Sharapova eased into the fourth round at Wimbledon with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Taipei's Su-Wei Hsieh.

The Russian world number one broke Hsieh three times in the opening set, winning it with a crunching forehand.

Windy conditions hindered both players on serve in the second set, Sharapova decisively breaking for a third time after Hsieh saved two match points.

Kim Clijsters is also through after a tearful Vera Zvonareva retired while trailing 3-6 3-4.

The Russian, who lost in the final to Serena Williams two years ago, appeared to be having breathing difficulties and left the court for a medical timeout during the second set but returned to continue.

However, after losing her serve, she conceded the match.

Clijsters, who has twice reached the semi-finals, told BBC Sport: "I heard her coughing a lot and after long rallies it took her a long time to recover.

"She's a fighter - we've had some really tough battles, so it's sad to see her have to pull out.

"I'm excited that I made it into the second week," she added. "A week ago I don't think I was expecting that, so I'm very happy with the way things have been going.

"[My injury is] stable. It hasn't got worse since my second and third match so I'm happy about that."

Next up for Clijsters is German eighth seed Angelique Kerber who reached the fourth round for the first time with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Christina McHale of the United States.

Earlier on court one, Sharapova battled gusting winds to reach the last 16.

The 2004 champion's high ball toss was affected by the conditions and the reigning French Open champion was broken twice by Hsieh in the second set but she responded well from 4-2 down to win the next four games.

"She was a tricky opponent," conceded Sharapova who will next playGermany's Sabine Lisicki.

"She changed the pace really well and her serve is really tricky. The conditions were tough, I had to face a lot out there and be patient.

"The wind was tricky but I knew I had to handle it."

Lisicki, who was beaten by Sharapova in the semi-finals last year, defeated Sloane Stephens of the United States in three sets 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 6-2.

Italy's Camila Giorgi produced a late upset on court three, beating Russia's 20th seed Nadia Petrova 6-3 7-6 (8-6).

Top Seed Sharapova Eases into SW19

Top seed Maria Sharapova won her opening match at Wimbledon in style and said her desire to improve was driving her bid to win back-to-back titles.

The Russian is bidding to become the first woman to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year since 2002.

"I still believe I can achieve a lot more. That's what drives me and gets me up in the morning," she said after beating Anastasia Rodionova 6-2 6-3.

"No matter how much success, how many downfalls, I believe I can be better."

The world number one raced to a 5-0 first-set lead against Rodionova before the Australian found her rhythm.

As a result, Sharapova had to work harder before sealing a straight-sets win.

"It's always a very nice feeling for me to be back on Centre Court," said Sharapova, who won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004. "It's such a special place for me.

"Overall I'm pretty happy with the way I performed, especially for a first match.

"You've got to start back again from scratch and get yourself through round one and through to the final again," said the world number one.

"It all starts from the beginning."

Sharapova will meet 2010 semi-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova in round two.

Elsewhere, former world number one Kim Clijsters, in her last Wimbledon before retiring, moved into the second round at the expense of another former rankings leader, Jelena Jankovic.

The Belgian, who initially retired in 2007 only to return two years later, has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons and will bow out after the US Open.

Sublime Serena

Serena Williams in 2002 was the last woman to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year

But unseeded Clijsters had little trouble with 18th seed Jankovic, winning 6-2 6-4 to book an encounter with Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic.

"I believe that if I'm healthy and I'm playing my best tennis I can beat a lot of the top players here, but it's a matter of trying to achieve that every match," said Clijsters.

"Now I think this is definitely going to be it [retirement], so I take everything in.

"I still feel like I'm young and I want to do stuff, but in my head I know that I have to save all my energy and physically be ready for my matches."

Meanwhile, seeds Sam Stosur , Li Na and Sabine Lisicki all moved into the second round.

US Open champion Stosur, seeded five, saw off Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1 6-3 and goes on to play Arantxa Rus.

Last year's French Open winner Li began her campaign with a 6-3 6-1 win over Ksenia Pervak and Germany's Lisicki, a Wimbledon semi-finalist 12 months ago, beat Croatia's Petra Martic 6-4 6-2.

Lisicki's fellow German, Angelique Kerber, the eighth seed, is also through after a straight-sets win over Lucie Hradecka, as is RussianNadia Petrova, who enjoyed a similar success over Maria Elena Camerin.

However, 16th seed Flavia Pennetta and 27th seed Daniela Hantuchova are both out.

Italian Pennetta lost 6-4 6-3 to compatriot Camila Giorgi, while Hantuchova was beaten 6-4 7-6 (7-1) by American Jamie Lee Hampton.

Paris Makes it Grand Slam Maria

PH

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Maria Sharapova crushed Sara Errani 6-3 6-2 in the final of the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

The Russian took ruthless advantage of a nervy and error-strewn performance from the 21st seed playing in her first Grand Slam final.

Sharapova - whose run to the final took her back to the top of the world rankings - becomes the 10th woman to win the full set of all four Grand Slam titles that seemed so unlikely after several injury-plagued years.

The six foot two inch Sharapova stormed into a 4-0 lead in the first set in just 15 minutes.

Errani, looking to emulate compatriot Francesca Schiavone who won the 2010 title, was clearly struck by stagefright on her Grand Slam final debut.

But she clawed her way onto the scoreboard to get to 2-4, before the more composed Russian went to 5-2.

And although the tough Italian saved two set points in the eighth game, a big backhand down the line secured the opener for Sharapova at 6-3.

Errani hit just three winners to Sharapova's 12 in the first set and despite knocking out former champions Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova on her way to the final, she was being overpowered.

Errani, 10 days younger than her opponent, bravely stopped the rot, mixing up her game to retrieve a break before handing it straight back to the iron-willed Sharapova for 5-2.

The the 25-year-old Sharapova saw two match points saved by a pair of exquisite Errani drop shots.

But victory was hers when Errani netted a return, ending the 90-minute final.

The newly crowned world number one added the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen to her triumphs at Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006 and the 2008 Australian Open.

Maria Makes Final and Becomes No 1

Maria Sharapova booked a place in her first French Open final and moved up to world number one by overcoming Petra Kvitova in straight sets in Paris.

Second seed Sharapova produced the more assured play to steer herself to a 6-3 6-3 victory over the fourth seed.

The result also keeps the Russian on course to achieve the career Grand Slam by winning the one major tournament which has eluded her.

Sharapova will play Italian 21st seed Sara Errani in Saturday's final.

The new number one, who will displace Victoria Azarenka on Monday, will be a huge favourite to beat surprise finalist Errani, especially considering the manner of her victory against left hander Kvitova.

Sharapova was contesting her third French Open semi-final and had high hopes of victory at Roland Garros having come into the tournament on the back of clay court wins in Stuttgart and Rome.

The Russian had beaten Kvitova on the way to victory in Stuttgart and, after saving break points in both her opening service games, Sharapova grew in confidence and consistency to break her rival in the fifth game.

Kvitova's power and precision had helped her beat her opponent to claim the Wimbledon title last year but Sharapova had the answer to anything the Czech could throw at her.

The blustery conditions on court Philippe Chatrier were an issue but the Russian dealt with them better.

Some heavy blows were being traded and Sharapova regularly came out on top before going on to win the first set.

Kvitova exerted more pressure on Sharapova early in the second set, although like the opener she failed to take a break point and lost her own serve in the following game to go 3-1 down.

This time around, however, the number four seed broke back to level, although any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished.

Sharapova was controlled and concentrated and again broke her more wayward rival before a second serve ace secured victory.

Sharapova Steers Paris Course

Maria Sharapova powered to a 6-2 6-3 success over Kaia Kanepi to move just one win away from a first French Open final.

The Russian won five successive games in the second set as she turned the screw on her opponent in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

The second seed and title favourite is looking to complete her set of grand slam titles and go one better than last year, when she lost to eventual champion Li Na in the last four.

Sharapova had struggled in the wind against Klara Zakopalova in the previous round, dropping her first set of the tournament.

There had been a remarkable 21 breaks of serve in that match and - in similar and breezy and cool conditions - it looked like the same could happen again when all of the first three games went against serve.

But Sharapova looked much more secure, powering groundstrokes, and after she held for 3-1 she wasted little time racing through the rest of the first set.

Kanepi, who ousted former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the third round, began the second set brilliantly, winning the first two games.

The Estonian had a chance to go 3-0 up but she could not take it, and from there Sharapova turned the screw, winning five successive games.

Kanepi had one last big effort, breaking the Russian to love when she served for the match, but she could not hold her own serve and a mis-hit backhand sealed her fate.

She will now face either fourth seed Petra Kvitova or Yaroslava Shvedova.