Tennis News

There are numerous candidates for the French Open on the women's side, but one stand-out performer who will surely prevail: Serena Williams.

The American has only won the title at Roland Garros once — back in 2002 — but her performances in Charleston, in particular, show that she is the best in the world on the surface.

On her day, the 30-year-old remains untouchable and there is no one on the WTA Tour that can match her power or intensity.

Tennis tournament is allowing players to wear colour for the Olympics, and Venus is all excited about it

Wimbledon’s all-white dress code won’t be in place for the Olympics. And the traditional dark green backdrop around the courts will be gone, too.

Novak Djokovic has ended his relationship with clothing manufacturer Sergio Tacchini and has signed with the Japanese company Uniqlo. Djokovic will wear shirts with a new logo at Roland Garros.

Uniqlo, which is subsidiary of Fast Retailing Co., also sponsors Japan's top-ranked player Kei Nishikori. In a statement, Tacchini said that Djokovic "has outgrown the Italian brand" and that it is "offering Djokovic the opportunity to take on new challenges."

Former world No 1 Kim Clijsters announced on Tuesday she is to retire after the US Open in September.

The 28-year-old Belgian told a news conference that she wanted to sign out in New York where she enjoyed the biggest success of her career winning the the women's singles title at Flushing Meadow three times in 2005, 2009 and 2010.

"As it stands I will end my career at the US Open, That is where I enjoyed my greatest triumphs and it is a very special place for me," she said.

India's Sania Mirza says that her sore knee is feeling better and that she will resume playing singles. Mirza, who reached a career high No. 27 in 2007, had not played singles since Miami, but did continue to compete in doubles, where she is ranked No. 12. Currently ranked No. 192 in singles, she qualified for Brussels this week before falling to Monica Niculescu.

ATP No 7 Tomas Berdych handed American Andy Roddick a second heavy loss in the French Open tune-up week, with the Czech putting his nation into early command over the United States on Tuesday at the World Team Cup.

Teammate Radek Stepanek finished the job 6-2, 6-1 over James Blake for an unbeatable lead as the four-time champion Americans sunk into a 2-0 deficit which guarantees the Czech a second victory from as many ties.

World number 18 Kei Nishikori has pulled out of the French Open because of a stomach injury, the Japanese said on Tuesday.

Nishikori said on his website (www.blog.keinishikori.com) that he had not fully recovered from the injury he picked up in Barcelona last month.

The French Open starts at Roland Garros on Sunday.

Rafael Nadal is hoping to finesse his sixth trophy at the Rome Masters into a lucky seventh at the French Open as the Spaniard heads to Paris for the grand slam beginning on Sunday.

Nadal spent Monday on court instead of resting as he beat world No 1 Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-3 to lift a sixth trophy at the Foro Italico in a final delayed a day by rain.

The Spaniard has recovered his winning touch with two straight clay success against Djokovic, who beat him in seven finals in 2011 on three surfaces.

Jelena Jankovic's French Open preparations took another hit on Monday, as she lost to Simona Halep in the first round of the Brussels Open - her fourth first round loss in four clay court events this year. The No.6-seeded Jankovic, who had dropped opening matches at Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome too, battled Halep for two hours and 54 minutes and looked like she was on the verge of snapping the losing streak, holding three match points in the third set - two at 5-3, one at 5-4 - but she fell, 62 36 76(3).

Former world number four Robin Soderling is to take a further break from tennis after suffering a illness-hit 10 months.

Twice a losing finalist at the French Open, Soderling was struck down by glandular fever after winning the Swedish Open in Bastad in July 2011 and has not played since.

But despite damage done to his thyroid and adrenal glands by the fever, he has no plans to quit the sport for good just yet.