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.
The top-seeded players had early starts at the French Open on Wednesday, and both Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka made it to the third round without a problem.
Roger Federer dropped a set before earning his record-breaking 234th Grand Slam match victory to reach the French Open's third round.
Novak Djokovic advanced to the third round at the French Open by beating Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 Wednesday.
Victoria Azarenka was back to her top-ranked self at the French Open on Wednesday.
After starting off 10-0 in the French Open's first round, American women went 0-2 on Tuesday.
It was after a second-round victory at the 2007 French Open that Maria Sharapova famously compared her movement on red clay to a "cow on ice."
Rafael Nadal started his bid for a record seventh French Open championship with a mostly mistake-free 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 victory over 111th-ranked Simone Bolelli of Italy.
Petra Kvitova's experience was no match for 16-year-old Ashleigh Barty in the first round of the French Open.
American tennis player Mardy Fish recently had a medical procedure to correct a heart problem.
Southern California's Steve Johnson is ready for a break from tennis. His body could sure use the rest.
Nicole Gibbs and Mallory Burdette had no trouble putting aside their differences to help Stanford win its second national title of the day.
Probably would have been hard to imagine back when Brian Baker reached the 2003 junior final at the French Open that it would take him nearly a decade to make it to the men's tournament.
American women are 10 for 10 so far at the French Open, giving the country its most representatives in the Grand Slam tournament's second round since 11 made it in 2003.
