Djokovic rallies past Wawrinka to win Rome Masters

By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO (AP)

The biggest losers at the Rome Masters on Saturday were the fans. One after the other, Andy Roddick and Radek Stepanek quit shortly after their semifinal matches began.

Roddick pulled out with a back problem after falling behind 3-0 in the first set against Stanislas Wawrinka. Stepanek stopped while trailing Novak Djokovic 6-0, 1-0 after appearing affected by the heat.

Total elapsed time for the two matches: a wimpy 49 minutes.

"You don't want to have these kind of situations at big events," said Djokovic, who joined the chorus of players complaining that the schedule i...

By GREGORIO BORGIA (AP)

Andy Roddick and Radek Stepanek retired from semifinal matches at the Rome Masters on Saturday, setting up a final between Stanislas Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic.

Roddick pulled out with a back problem after falling behind 3-0 in the first set against Wawrinka.

"I felt a little something last night in my back when I was getting treatment. Then, one wrong movement and I had a complete spasm," Roddick said. "I can't really move my left arm right now. You can't really play around that."

Stepanek stopped while trailing Djokovic 6-0, 1-0 with an apparent wrist injury and a...

By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO (AP)

Andy Roddick has pulled out of the semifinals of the Rome Masters with an apparent back problem, allowing Stanislas Wawrinka to reach the final of the clay-court tournament.

The sixth-seeded Roddick withdrew Saturday while trailing 3-0 in the first set. The American pulled up awkwardly after Wawrinka hit a forehand winner in the third game, then asked for a trainer on the changeover. Roddick came back out and double-faulted, then quit.

By FELICE CALABRO' (AP)

Roger Federer lost again, falling to 27th-ranked Radek Stepanek 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) Friday in the Rome Masters quarterfinals.

Once seemingly invincible, Federer was beaten for the sixth time this year. The top-ranked Swiss lost only nine matches in all of 2007. He piled up a string of losses at the beginning of this year when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis.

Stepanek advanced to the semifinals against the winner of the night match between Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic and Spanish clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro.

In the other half of the draw, Stanislas...

By LUCA BRUNO (AP)

Roger Federer has lost again, falling to 27th-ranked Radek Stepanek in the Rome Masters quarterfinals.

Federer was beaten 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) by the Czech player Friday.

This was Federer's sixth loss of the year. The top-ranked Swiss lost only nine matches in all of 2007. He piled up a string of losses at the beginning of this year when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis.

The Rome Masters is a clay-court tuneup for the French Open, which begins May 25. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam Federer has not won. He has also never won a title in Rome.

By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO (AP)

Rafael Nadal lost for only the second time in his last 105 matches on clay, falling to Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-1 Wednesday in the second round of the Rome Masters.

Nadal, who won the past three French Open titles, was bothered by a blister on his right foot and called for the trainer late in the second set.

The blister began bothering Nadal on Sunday, when he won the Barcelona Open.

"Today when I woke up, I said it was impossible to play," Nadal said. "I spoke to the doctor today and yesterday, and they put special protection on it and cream, but it was still tough....

By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO (AP)

Rafael Nadal lost for only the second time in his last 105 matches on clay, falling to Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-1 Wednesday in the second round of the Rome Masters.

Nadal, who won the past three French Open titles, was bothered by a blister on his right foot and called for the trainer late in the second set.

The blister began bothering Nadal on Sunday, when he won the Barcelona Open.

"Today when I woke up, I said it was impossible to play," Nadal said. "I spoke to the doctor today and yesterday, and they put special protection on it and cream, but it was still tough....

By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO (AP)

Rafael Nadal lost on clay for only the second time in 105 matches, falling to Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-1 Wednesday in the second round of the Rome Masters.

Nadal appeared bothered by a blister on his right foot, calling for the trainer late in the second set.

The second-ranked Nadal, the three-time defending champion in Rome, had never lost at the Foro Italico. The 23rd-ranked Ferrero won the Rome tournament in 2001.

Nadal also won the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open the past two weeks, but he appeared slightly off his game Wednesday.

Ferrero...

By MANU FERNANDEZ (AP)

Rafael Nadal won his fourth straight Barcelona Open title with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 victory over second-seeded David Ferrer in the final Sunday.

Nadal's 21st straight win at the tournament improved his record to 20-1 in clay court finals, including 4-0 at Barcelona. The second-ranked Spaniard, who has won 103 of his last 104 matches on clay, improved to 25-8 in finals overall.

Nadal moved to 6-3 against the fifth-ranked Ferrer, whom he beat on his way to a fourth straight trophy at Monte Carlo last week. The three-time French Open champion will go for a fourth straight Masters...

By (AP)

Dina Safina pulled off her third upset of a top-10 player in a week at the German Open, winning the title Sunday by defeating ninth-ranked Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The 17th-ranked Safina also beat No. 1 Justine Henin and No. 8 Serena Williams at the clay-court event.

The 22-year-old Russian overcame a slow start and dropped the first set _ as in her two other upsets _ before her shots began to find the lines.

Safina claimed her sixth WTA Tour title and first this year at the French Open warm-up tournament. She won $197,000 on Mother's Day.

"My mother can...

By (AP)

Rejecting pleas from its players and coach, the Spanish tennis federation chose Madrid's bullring Friday as the venue for the Davis Cup semifinal series against the United States.

The Spanish players had preferred one of the three other candidates _ Benidorm, Tenerife and Gijon _ for the Sept. 19-21 matchup against the defending champion Americans.

Rafael Nadal, the three-time French Open champion, was among eight Spanish players and captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario who signed an open letter this week denouncing the federation's process for choosing the host city.

The...