Nadal advances to Madrid final

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID -- Roger Federer will face Rafael Nadal for a championship.

On clay. In Spain.

The two rivals set up their first clash since the Australian Open when Nadal saved three match points to beat Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9) on Saturday.

Playing their fourth match this year, they needed a Masters Series record four hours, three minutes to decide matters at the Magic Box tennis centre. Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-4 in their semifinal.

Top-ranked Nadal's 33rd straight win on clay lifted him into his seventh final this season, but he will be nursing a right knee injury into Sunday's match.

Federer has lost his last five matches against Nadal, including the finals at the French Open, Wimbledon and Australia in February, when the Swiss player was in tears after the defeat.

"What's important for me is to get past that semifinal hurdle that I haven't been able to get past in the last couple of months," Federer said ahead of their 16th meeting in a final. "I feel like playing him anywhere is a challenge. The extra flair here is that it's in Spain."

Earlier, top-ranked Dinara Safina beat Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-2 to set up a final against teenager Caroline Wozniacki, who put away former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo 7-6 (1), 6-3.

Nadal, who won in the Spanish capital in 2005 when the event was played on indoor hard court, is 9-1 on clay against Federer, who didn't doubt Nadal would be in top shape for the pairs first match in Spain.

"They asked me the same question in Australia," said Federer, who faced Nadal after he had won a gruelling five-set match against Fernando Verdasco. "I think with the adrenaline and the crowd he's going to be the Rafa we know tomorrow."

It's the mental aspect that Federer will have to prepare for as he comes face-to-face with Nadal for the first time since the Spaniard denied him a chance to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam wins.

Djokovic was also left red-eyed after feeling in control for most of Saturday's match.

"It's frustrating when you play so well and you can't win," No. 4-ranked Djokovic said.

Nadal complained of discomfort in his right knee before the match, which hampered his ability to move as he made uncharacteristic errors that allowed for an early break in the first set.

Nadal had his leg wrapped in the second set before levelling.

In the deciding tiebreaker, Djokovic watched Nadal hit forehand winners down the near line to save his first two match points. The Serb then beat Nadal with a passing shot to save a match point of his own.

But leading 9-8, Djokovic sent the ball out and then netted on Nadal's next match point to end the longest three-set match in the history of Masters tournaments, the ATP level below the Grand Slams.

"I love these matches, it's very special to play these matches," said Nadal, who improved to 27-1 in clay semifinals. "If I don't fight here, when am I going to fight?"

Despite 50 unforced errors against Djokovic, Nadal's perseverance paid off as he rallied the 12,500 spectators with crucial winners to reach his 26th clay-court final. He has won 25 of those.

Djokovic, who missed a chance to take the No. 3 ranking from Andy Murray, added his latest loss to Nadal to those recently in the Olympics, the Davis Cup, and finals at Monte Carlo and Rome.

"I played one of my best on this surface, so ... I don't think you need my comments, you saw everything," Djokovic said. "A couple of points decided the winner."

Federer improved to 5-0 against del Potro, who has yet to take a set off the former No. 1. He will be going for his 15th Masters title -- and first in nearly two years -- which would allow him to equal the 22-year-old Nadal's tally. Only Andre Agassi has won more with 17.

Safina, coming off a victory at Rome, reached her fifth final of the season by staying undefeated in four meetings against Schnyder.

Wozniacki, who hasn't dropped a set this week to reach her third final of the season, saved two set points before rallying to take the first and then clinched it on her second match point when Mauresmo hit long.

Djokovic wins home Open in Serbia

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BELGRADE, Serbia -- Top-seeded Novak Djokovic beat unheralded Lukasz Kubot of Poland 6-3, 7-6 (0) in the Serbia Open final Sunday to win the first ATP Tour tournament held in his home country. Djokovic played in his fourth straight final after being runner-up in Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome. It was his 13th career title. "Although this is not one of the biggest tournaments I had won, it means the most to me," Djokovic told some 7,000 spectators that packed a makeshift tennis stadium on the banks of the Danube River. Kubot, who was in the draw as a lucky loser from qualifying after Steve Darcis of Belgium withdrew because of a shoulder injury, was the first Pole to reach an ATP final since Wojtek Fibak in 1983 at Basel. "I have one of my best memories here in Serbia, and hope to be back next year," Kubot said. The 179th-ranked Kubot served for the second set, but Djokovic managed to return two difficult drop shots to force the tiebreaker, where he won all three points on Kubot's serve. Djokovic's family brought the first ATP event to Serbia this year after buying the licence from the former ABM Amro Open in the Netherlands.

Wimbledon unveils retractable roof

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON -- Wimbledon picked the perfect day for showcasing its new retractable roof on Centre Court.

The sliding, canvassed roof barely had time to shut Sunday for the All England Club's grand opening -- or closing -- of the new structure before the rain starting pouring down over south London. In the same kind of weather that has forced so many rain delays in the past, the Centre Court then hosted a televised tennis spectacle in perfect conditions.

"It's a real treat to be able to play in these conditions inside, when it's been so miserable, cold, windy and wet outside," said Tim Henman, who teamed with Kim Clijsters to play married couple Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in doubles and singles matches.

It seems no fan with a Centre Court ticket will ever return home again without seeing a single shot of tennis played.

"Fundamentally, it worked like it was supposed to work," said Ian Ritchie, the All England Club's chief executive.

To kick off the event, the sliding roof slowly started unfolding with a soft whirring in an afternoon ceremony as British singers Faryl Smith and Katherine Jenkins sang "Amazing Grace" in the centre of the court.

The 15,000 spectators -- along with invited guests such as former tennis great Boris Becker -- collectively raised their heads and cameras as the 10 trusses supporting a translucent canvas slowly covered the court to shield it from the heavy grey clouds above.

As the two-parted roof closed without a hitch, it was greeted by a thunderous applause.

Then shortly after the tennis began, as if on cue, it started to rain.

Not that anyone inside the stadium noticed.

"The conditions were really good," Clijsters said. "And I love the sound. Wimbledon already had that, where you feel like when (the crowd is) really into the match, the sound really comes down to the players. And now even more so with the roof. For the players, it just feels like they're right there next to you."

Agassi also said the closed surrounding will take the atmosphere to a new level.

"The sound was magnificent," he said. "I think when you get two people out there who can really play, and move and hit the ball, I think you're going to feel a level of titanic battle that you haven't seen yet. ... That's an environment that lends itself to some spectacular tennis."

The roof is perhaps the biggest change to come to the 87-year-old tennis cathedral, and marks a remarkable break with tradition by the famously conventional All England Club.

But if the Centre Court looked more modern than ever, the action on the grass looked decidedly old-school.

Graf, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, returned to the Centre Court for the first time in 10 years, while Agassi won his first Grand Slam title here in 1992.

They still know how to entertain a crowd, though. The couple drew a large cheer by exchanging a good-luck kiss on the court before the doubles match. Then they showed they can still make some shots as well.

On his first serve, Agassi taunted Clijsters for standing close to the baseline for her return, telling her to "move back a bit." When she didn't, he punished her with an ace.

On the next serve, Henman moved nearly all the way back to the wall for his return.

The ladies had their moments as well. In the third game, Clijsters and Graf exchanged so many crosscourt forehands that Henman and Agassi just put their hands on their hips and watched. When Clijsters finally hit the ball Agassi's way, he netted a volley -- to Graf's feigned dismay.

In the end, Henman and Clijsters won the one-set match 7-6 (6) after Agassi hit a lob long. Agassi then beat Henman 6-4 in singles and Clijsters defeated Graf by the same score.

But as much as the crowd enjoyed seeing the old Wimbledon stalwarts back on the Centre Court, it was the new structure that received the most praise.

"It's beautiful," said third-ranked Andy Murray, who hopes to become the first Briton since Fred Perry in 1936 to win Wimbledon. "It looks very nice, compared to most roofs."

Five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who beat rival Rafael Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday, sent a recorded greeting to the crowd, saying he couldn't wait to play at the new-look Centre Court.

"So often do we just wait around (during rain delays)," Federer said. "I know that can be fun too, but maybe after a few days you want to see a match. ... For me it's nice to see that Wimbledon is taking such a big step in the right direction."

The roof takes about 10 minutes to close, and the Centre Court's ventilation system then needs about 30 minutes to get moisture out of the air and create the right conditions. During short rain showers, organizers still plan on using the traditional covers on the court to create shorter breaks. Once the roof is up, it will not open up until a match is over.

After finally getting the roof completed, Ian Ritchie, the chief executive of the All England Club, said he wouldn't be surprised to see perfect weather at this year's tournament. But that's just fine with him.

"We see this as an outdoor summer tournament," he said. "The roof is an insurance."

No issues as Nadal wins 5th in Spain

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BARCELONA, Spain -- Rafael Nadal has won his fifth straight Barcelona Open title by beating David Ferrer 6-2, 7-5. The top-ranked Nadal exploited Ferrer's inconsistent service game to win the first set while also overcoming his own erratic play in the second set to win the Godo trophy at his fellow Spaniard's expense for the second straight year. Nadal, who was coming off a record fifth straight Monte Carlos Masters title, improved to 24-1 in clay court finals to pick up his fourth title of the season. The four-time defending French Open champion goes into the Rome Masters on a 25-match unbeaten run with only three defeats in his last 133 matches on the red surface.

Wimbledon roof to be ready in time

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WIMBLEDON, England -- The new retractable roof over Wimbledon's Centre Court could keep players, and fans, at the All England Club later than usual. Tournament organizers unveiled the 5,200-square-metre folding roof Tuesday and confirmed that it will be ready for the first time for the June 22-July 5 tournament. While matches will be scheduled as they were in previous years, the new roof and the 118 lights under it mean that play will likely continue well beyond the point at which bad light usually forces a halt. Also, matches will be moved from other courts to the tournament's only covered venue if bad weather hits the grass-court tournament. Last year's men's final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer finished in near darkness at 9:15 p.m. All England Club chairman Tim Phillips said that any match started on Centre Court should now be played to completion on the same day, with the only caveat that organizers do not intend following the U.S. Open and Australian Open in staging night matches. "Not yet," said Phillips, who acknowledged that play may continue past 10 p.m. "We still intend that it will be a day tournament." Phillips said that games would only be moved to Centre Court if enough games had been affected by the weather to threaten an overrun into the second week of the tournament. He identified the women's singles, which has matches scheduled for Monday and Tuesday on the second week, as the competition most likely to find itself under the new roof. Otherwise, players could find themselves without a rest day on the whole of the second week, he added. "On the first Saturday, one would want to ensure all the ladies singles are completed," Phillips said. But the prospect of late matches means the ventilation system under the roof will have to be working perfectly to prevent condensation and the danger of slipping for the players racing across court. It will take between eight and 10 minutes for the roof's 10 trusses to slide across and cover Centre Court, and then as long as another 30 minutes for the airflow system to reduce moisture sufficiently for play to begin. The construction of the closing roof began in 2006 with the dismantling of the traditional roof overhang after that year's tournament. The grass surface was more open to the elements during the wet tournament of 2007, but the overhang was back in 2008, along with 1,200 extra seats. A new 4,000-capacity Court No. 2 will also open for the first time, taking the total ground capacity to 40,000. If the Centre Court roof, which will be tested out on May 17 at a special exhibition featuring former Wimbledon champions Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, has to be closed during a match, it will not be opened again until after that match finishes so that players have consistent conditions and to prevent delays. Phillips and All England Club chief executive Ian Ritchie said the decision on whether to close the roof was solely down to the referee and that an unidentified member of staff would be responsible for actually activating the mechanism. "The button pusher," they jokingly called them. Any brief shower, such as the 15-minute rain interruption in Nadal's final victory in 2008, will still demand the use of the old-fashioned covers being pulled across the grass, rather than the more complicated process of closing of the roof. "Of course, it's going to be 13 days of blazing sunshine this summer anyway," Ritchie said.

Serena: 'I'm the best in the world'

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ROME -- Serena Williams may be ranked second in the world but she believes there is no one better.

The 27-year-old American was overtaken in the rankings two weeks ago by Dinara Safina, making the Russian and older sibling Marat Safin the only brother-sister duo to have been No. 1 in professional tennis.

"We all know who the real No. 1 is. Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world," Williams said Monday, adding that she is her toughest opponent and "I always beat myself."

Safina has never won a Grand Slam title, losing last year's French Open final and being beaten in the Australian Open final this year by Williams.

"I'm excited for her," Williams said with a smile.

Williams was speaking at the Italian Open, which she won in 2002 and where she will play her first clay-court event of the season. She opens against 2005 runner-up Patty Schnyder of Switzerland on Tuesday.

."I'm happy to be here," Williams said of the warmup for the French Open. "I think it will be a good event for me."

Safina, the 2006 runner-up, two-time defending champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Ana Ivanovic of Serbia are among the top eight seeded players who have first-round byes.

Venus advances at Family Circle

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Second-seeded Venus Williams struggled to advance at the Family Circle Cup on Wednesday, beating Sania Mirza of India 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. It took the fifth-ranked Williams almost 2 1/2 hours to defeat the 100th-ranked Mirza on the green clay of stadium court at the tennis centre on Daniel Island. Williams, who won the Family Circle five years+ ago, is now 3-0 against Mirza. "When she's playing against me, she's got to go for it and I think there's also a sense of nothing to lose," Williams said. "When you look at the numbers and the rankings and statistics, you know, I'm supposed to win this match, so I think that gives her an opportunity to swing freely." It appeared Williams had the match well in hand, winning the first set 6-1, although it took 46 minutes to do so. She led 3-1 in the second before Mirza rattled off five straight games, including breaking Williams at love to take a 5-3 lead and holding serve in the final game, which went to deuce eight times. Williams recovered to easily win the third set. "These kind of matches are great to pull out," she said. "I've been in these situations before, so I rely on that." While Williams struggled, it was a big day for fellow-American Melanie Oudin, who advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over No. 29 Aleksandra Wozniak, seeded ninth. "I was really happy with the way I played and how I kept it up, especially through playing a set and not letting her come back at all," said Oudin, ranked No. 176. The 17-year-old from Marietta, Ga., called it one of the biggest victories of her career. "This is definitely one of the top two biggest highlights I have had," she said, the other coming when she beat Sybille Bammer, who was ranked No. 27 at the time. Oudin will face 13th-ranked Marion Bartoli of France in the next round of the US$1-million Family Circle Cup. No. 5 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Blainville, Que., defeated Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-3, while Patty Schnyder, the No. 8 seed, was eliminated by Elena Vesnina 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5. No. 10-seeded Shuai Peng advanced with a 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Akgul Amanmuradova. In other matches Wednesday, 11th-seed Alona Bondarenko was ousted by Viktoriya Kutuzova 6-4, 7-5, and 12th-seeded Bethany Mattek-Sands was defeated by Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 6-4. Sabine Lisicki, seeded 16th, advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Lenka Wienerova and faces Williams.