Maria Sharapova completed the career grand slam Saturday when she won the French Open title in straight sets over Italy’s Sara Errani.

Sharapova treated the crowd at Roland-Garros to a 6-3 and 6-2 win, which featured 37 winners and six serving aces. Errani fell behind early in both sets and even though she won a few games, she wasn’t able to catch Sharapova.

The win was Sharapova’s first grand slam title since the 2008 Australian Open. The grand slam journey began for Sharapova in 2004, when she defeated Serena Williams 6-1 and 6-4 at Wimbledon. Her win over Williams helped put her in the top 10.

Her next grand slam came in 2006 at the US Open as she defeated Justine Henin 6-4 (twice).

With her French Open win Saturday, Sharapova will become the No. 1 ranked player in the world by the WTA. The last time Sharapova was ranked No. 1 was in 2008. During that time, Sharapova had been playing with a torn rotator cuff and had to miss a good part of the 2009 season.

Also with the win Saturday, Sharapova joined a rare list of female grand slam winners. Sharapova is one of 10 players to achieve the mark, joining such players as Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Martina Navraltilova and Steffi Graf. The last player to get a career grand slam was Serena Williams in 2003.

Saturday’s French Open Final was Sharapova’s second for the season. She lost in the Australian Open Final in January to Victoria Azarenka.

For Errani, the 25-year-old played earlier in the day as she teamed with Roberta Vinci to win the French Open Doubles title over Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova, 4-6, 6-4 and 6-2. Errani’s match against Sharapova was her first grand slam final as a singles competitor. She reached the quarterfinals at this year’s Australian Open. Errani reached the finals by defeating defending US Open champion Samantha Stosur in the semifinals.

On Friday, the last four men standing will return to the court at the French Open, with the winners proceeding to Sunday’s finals.

With the match-ups, you couldn’t ask for better tennis: No. 1 seed and reigning champ Rafael Nadal will face No. 4 seed Andy Murray and on the other court, it will be a No. 3 seed Roger Federer against No. 2 Novak Djokovich.

How often do you have the top four seeds meeting in the semi-finals (only 12 times since 1968)? And for all of these players, they have their different reasons to want a tournament victory.

Nadal

The reigning champ is looking for victory number six at Roland Garros to tie Bjorn Borg’s record of six wins. Nadal got off to a rough start in his first two matches of the tournament but finally in the third round, he gained confidence and is now playing well.

In addition to Borg’s records, Nadal his lost his last two clay tournaments against Djokovich and will want to regain his stature as the clay king.

Experience at Roland Garros this far in the game is also clearly on Nadal’s side.

Murray

The scrappy Scot is hoping third time is the charm after losing earlier this year to Nadal at Monte Carlo and Djokovich in Rome. After learning he will be playing Nadal on Friday, Murray was quoted as saying, “I can beat Rafael Nadal.”

Murray has never reached the finals of the French Open and his record against Nadal is 4-10. In his three matches on clay against Nadal, who he considers a friend, Murray has never beaten the Spaniard. During their match in Monte Carlo, Murray did not win a set against him.

He has been struggling with an ankle injury and the monkey on his back: he is only the second British male tennis player since Tim Henman, to reach the semis here (1936).

WINNER? I am going with Nadal. I think he’s mentally and physically stronger than Murray on clay. And if he continues to play well, he will again own Roland Garros.

Djokovich

Looking to continue his perfect run, Djokovich is the most well rested of the four as he entered the semis via a default by Fabio Fognini. He hasn’t played since Sunday and there’s definitely the most pressure on him for the win.

Should the stars align, a win will give Djokovic the No. 1 world ranking for the first time and it will tie him with John McEnroe’s record for the best start to a year with 42 consecutive wins from the 1984 season–you know McEnroe can’t be happy about this.

And while the record is impressive, I have to imagine Djokovic probably just wants to win it all as he nears a Grand Slam.

Federer

The 2009 French Open champion, Federer has lost his dominance. He is 0-3 against the surging Serb in their last three meetings this season but holds a 12-9 record against him, going 2-1 on clay.

Federer brings a strong serve to the game (an 89 percent success rate) and he enters the match as an underdog. He is yet to lose a set at this year’s French Open and he is primed to win a tournament considering his drought (his last tournament win was the Australian Open in 2010).

He also has experience on his side.

WINNER? I’d love to see another Rafa – Federer final but I think Djoky is unstoppable right now. As Nadal said of the match,

“It’s the best player of today against the best player in history. … It’s going to be a beautiful match,” Nadal said. “I would watch it — if I was a spectator.”

Interested in watching the matches? Beginning at 8 a.m. ET, the Tennis Channel will broadcast the Nadal and Andy Murray match and NBC will air the second one between Federer and Djokovic on  NBCSports.com. NBC television coverage will begin at 11 a.m. in all time zones.

After struggling with his first two French Open matches, Rafael Nadal showed up in good form on Saturday and won his third round match against Croatian Antonio Veic, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. Nadal is now 41-1 at the French Open.

Earlier this week, Nadal had difficulties against John Isner on Tuesday, taking five sets (a first for Nadal at the French Open) to earn the win after struggling with the 6’9″  American’s cannonball serve. Two days later in the second round, Nadal lagged behind fellow Spaniard Pablo Andjuar 5-1 in the third set to come back and win, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6.

Many had to wonder what was in Nadal’s head; I kept thinking he may have knee problems again.

With his early week struggles, Nadal commented:

What is wrong about me is my footwork, my legs,” he said earlier this week. “But they’re very much connected to my head. Maybe I’m more nervous than usual. I don’t know.”

Any doubts that may have lingered for Nadal were erased on Saturday with the dominant win and a brief 90-minute match compared to the seven-plus hours it took during the week for his previous victories.

In response to Saturday’s match against Veic, Nadal said:

“I improved in every aspect of my game. I was more aggressive; I made fewer mistakes. I think that at the moment, I have more control of the ball,” Nadal said. “I played very well on my forehand. I opened the court with my cross-court shots. I won points with my forehands. My backhand has improved quite a lot.”

Solutions don’t come from heaven. I mean, you can’t change everything in one day. And you know what? I had not forgotten how to play tennis for a week, but I played better today.I have more confidence, and that’s a major step forward for me.”

Good to know it wasn’t physical problems.

Nadal will meet unseeded Ivan Ljubicic in the fourth round, who beat No. 16 Fernando Verdaco 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance.

While it’s good to have Nadal back, should he advance to the finals, there’s still his nemesis Novak Djokovic to contend with for a potential title. Also on Saturday, Djokovic captured his third-round win by defeating Juan Martin del Potro, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and continued his perfect season with 42 consecutive wins.

However before he won the match, he had to endure a Friday evening start against del Potro that was later called by officials and ultimately completed on Saturday.

While Nadal marches toward a tie with Bjorn Borg for French Open victories, Djokovic is now only four wins away from a record 44-0 season and a No. 1 world ranking.

Next up for Djokovic is Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

Other than a match against Nadal in the finals, I don’t know what will break Djokovic’s streak. I’d never wish an injury on any athlete but who knows, maybe an upset is on the horizon by the local countryman?

Earlier this month, the tennis world was thrown a curve ball when Novak Djokovich beat Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open in straight sets, ending his 0-9 clay record against the talented Spaniard.

Fans and tennis peers had to ask, was this an off day for the clay king or has a new competitor emerged?

The question may have been answered just one week later as Djokovich again beat Nadal in the Sunday finals of the Rome Masters, 6-4, 6-4.

This represented Djokovich’s fourth straight win against Nadal.  Hmm…Is he inside Rafa’s head or what?

As usual, Nadal was a man of few words about the loss:

“He is simply doing amazing things.”

With this win, Djokovich has won his seventh straight tournament; he remains undefeated in since his Davis Cup win in 2010 (39-0), and he is within reach of the No. 1 world ranking.

Is he unstoppable? » Continue reading “Is Djokovich the New World Leader in Tennis?”

It was considered a great upset for the sports world this past weekend. The champion’s reign had come to an end.

Nope, I am not taking about the Dallas Mavericks’ shellacking of the Los Angeles Lakers but the upset of Rafael Nadal by Novak Djokovic on Sunday at the Madrid Masters.

The No. 2 world seed won in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4.

He entered the match with a 0-9 record against Nadal and with the win, it represented his first victory on clay against the surface’s king. It was also Nadal’s first loss on clay in almost two years.

Somebody had to fall.

Nadal’s response to the loss was succinct:

“I came up against a great player obviously — he’s having a monster year.”

Indeed, he has.

» Continue reading “Meet the New Rivalry: Nadal vs. Djokovic”