Tennis
Just playing at this year's French Open was an accomplishment for Venus Williams. Winning was a bonus.
Novak Djokovic's bid to win a fourth consecutive Grand Slam championship - and first at the French Open - might require a semifinal victory over Roger Federer.
Southern Cal coach Peter Smith wasn't exactly feeling confident after the Trojans lost just their second doubles point of the year.
Tamira Paszek overcame a second-set blip to beat Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 in the first round of the Strasbourg International on Monday.
Rafael Nadal showed he's still the man to beat on clay, defeating Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-3 Monday in a rain-delayed final to win his record sixth Italian Open and regain the No. 2 ranking.
Maria Sharapova successfully defended her Italian Open title Sunday, beating Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in a wild match in which play was twice interrupted by rain and the red clay turned to mud.
Serena Williams withdrew from the Italian Open with a lower back injury shortly before she was scheduled to meet French Open champion Li Na in the semifinals on Saturday.
Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka turned it on when she had to Monday, winning 12 of the final 14 games to reach the second round at the French Open.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic advanced to the second round of the French Open by beating Potito Starace of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-1 on Monday.
Defending champion Li Na won her opening match at the French Open, beating Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-2, 6-1 on Monday.
Roger Federer tied Jimmy Connors' Open era record of 233 Grand Slam match wins by beating Tobias Kamke of Germany 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the French Open on Monday.
Qualifier Lauren Davis, an 18-year-old from Boca Raton, Fla., knocked off 30th-seeded Mona Barthel of Germany 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the French Open on Monday.
Feliciano Lopez of Spain quit because of a side muscle injury Monday after losing the first five games of his first-round French Open match against Florent Serra of France.
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Vera Zvonareva of Russia withdrew from the French Open shortly before her first-round match Monday, citing an injured right shoulder.
It had been awhile since Melanie Oudin felt confident she could win a match at tennis' top tournaments.
Brian Baker gets asked quite a bit these days to run down the long list of operations his body needed during his 6 1/2 years away from the ATP tour.
Venus Williams bounced back from a poor start at the French Open on Sunday, beating 19-year-old Paula Ormaechea 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in her first Grand Slam match since revealing she has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
Andy Roddick exited in the opening round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2007, losing to 88th-ranked Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 Sunday at the French Open.
Fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame a slow start Sunday to beat Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and reach the second round of the French Open.
Former champion Ana Ivanovic reached the second round of the French Open by beating Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino of Spain 6-1, 6-1 Sunday.
