French Open 2011: Is this where it starts for Nadal?
Rafael Nadal’s record on clay -31 titles -has few parallels, and his achievements in Paris in particular are the stuff of legend. Since he turned…
Marianne Bevis Archives: 05/2011
French Open 2011: On-fire Federer dances to new record
It was exactly a year ago that a line was drawn under one of Roger Federer’s most outstanding records, and it remains, by common consent,…
French Open 2011: Djokovic beats Del Potro over two days
It was the day that the seeds started to meet each other in the heavyweight encounters of the French Open. And the headliner on first…
French Open: Hantuchova ends Wozniacki’s Slam hopes
It was the opening day of the third round in Paris and the first time that the seeds got to face one another in their…
French Open 2011: Victory for Sharapova, defeat for Clijsters
It was always going to be a tough ask for everyone’s favourite tennis mum, Kim Clijsters. She came into Paris with a 15-match winning streak…
French Open 2011: Djokovic, Federer and Ferrer Impress
Rafael Nadal’s first round match against John Isner always looked like an interesting opening challenge. Few, though, foresaw just how interesting. “I thought I was…
French Open 2011: Elena Baltacha eases into round two
Elena Baltacha, the British No1, has followed her young compatriot Heather Watson into the second round of the French Open. Baltacha beat US teenager Sloane…
French Open 2011: Murray, Federer and Djokovic cruise
It seemed, as the 2011 French Open got under way, that it may be the tennis balls that stole the headlines when the sun went…
French Open 2011: Heather Watson reaches second round
The French Open main draw boasted three women bidding to be the first British woman to reach the second round in Paris in 17 years.…
French Open 2011: Caroline Wozniacki eyes her first Slam
Caroline Wozniacki displaced Serena Williams as the top ranked player last October, aged just 20. Yet while she goes into the French Open this week…
Juan Martin del Potro fit to play at the French open
Juan Martin del Potro has revealed that he is fit to play at the French Open after recovering from the hip injury he suffered in…
Rome Masters: Unbeaten Djokovic in a class of his own
Even two hours of rain at the Foro Italico could not dampen the anticipation surrounding a double-final day at the Rome Masters. On the dot…
Rome Masters: Murray takes unbeaten Djokovic to the brink
Short of leaving blood on the court, it’s hard to know what more Andy Murray could have done to avoid his 6-1 3-6 7-6 loss…
Rome Masters: Gasquet gears up for Nadal showdown
Marin Cilic has had a strange run in Rome. First he lost his opening opponent, Ivo Karlovic, with a back injury and then he faced…
Rome Masters: Triumph for Schiavone, disaster for Federer
Thursday afternoon, and the Rome Masters saw attendance records broken again. Centre Court at the Foro Italico was the place to be. Those who didn’t…
Rome Masters: Top three seeds get off to winning starts
It was all going to plan on the day that the top three men played in Rome for the first time. The temperature was in…
Rome Masters: Schiavone and Federer steal the limelight
The first round is complete at the hot and burnished Foro Italica in Rome and just two seeds have fallen – neither of them were…
Rome Masters: Can Federer or Nadal catch inspired Djokovic?
Rome is the last clay Masters in the calendar, having switched places with Madrid this year. It has a certain Italian vibe -friendly, relaxed and…
Madrid Masters 2011: Federer resists López onslaught
There were questions aplenty as the top four seeds made their first appearances at the Madrid Masters. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had contested the…
Madrid Masters 2011: Seeds vanish in Madrid’s magic box
There has been a nice symmetry to the disappearance of eight of the top 16 men in the Madrid Masters draw, as though this magical…