Maria Sharapova wins Italian Open crown in Rome

Maria Sharapova recovered from a set and 4-0 down to beat Li Na and retain her Italian Open crown in Rome. At 6-6 in the third and final set, the match was interrupted for more than two hours by rain, but Sharapova returned to win the decisive tie-break. The 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) win over the French Open champion gave the Russian her 26th career title. Sharapova now heads to Roland Garros looking for the title that would complete a career Grand Slam.

Sania Mirza crashes out of Wimbledon first round

India's Sania Mirza crashed out of the women's singles event of the Wimbledon with a 6-7(4), 6-2, 3-6 first round loss to France's Virginie Razzano here Tuesday.

After losing a closely fought first set in the tie-breaker, the 60th-ranked Indian broke the 96th-ranked Razzano twice in the second to make it a set-all.

Sania's first serve, however, dipped to 48 percent in the final set and was broken twice for her to lose after a two-hour-12-minute battle.

The 24-year-old Hyderabadi's loss levelled the two players 1-1 head-to-head. The last time they faced each other was in 2007 at the hard courts of Los Angeles where Sania won in straight sets.

The Indian has never moved beyond the second round in the singles here.

Sania still has the women's doubles event to back on, where she is partnering Russia's Elena Vesnina.

Sania and Elena are seeded fourth and meet Anna Chakvetadze of Russia and Melanie Oudin of the US in the first round.

Sania and Vesnina were the runners-up at the French Open earlier this month.

Roger Federer pulls out of Japan Open, Shanghai Masters

Roger Federer withdrew from the Japan Open and Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 on Friday, citing the need to rest after a physically challenging year.

The Japan Tennis Association said the top-ranked Federer was withdrawing from the Oct. 5-11 Japan Open, along with the Shanghai tournament the following week.

"After consultation with my team and doctors, I decided to take the difficult decision to withdraw from both tournaments," Federer said in a statement. "This will allow me a chance to give my body a chance to rest, rehabilitate and recover from a physically challenging year."

Federer reached the final of all four Grand Slams this year, winning the French Open for the first time in his career, then breaking Pete Sampras' record with his 15th major title at Wimbledon.

He also earned two points for Switzerland last weekend during a 3-2 victory over Italy in the playoffs to remain in the top-tier World Group of the Davis Cup.

It is the second time Federer has pulled out of the Japan Open just before the start of the tournament. He also cited fatigue as his reason for withdrawing from the 2007 event.

"I'm disappointed that I have to withdraw from Tokyo and Shanghai as they are two of my favorite cities," Federer said. "The fans have been great to me over the years."

U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and third-ranked Andy Murray are scheduled to take part in the Japan Open.

Del Potro's Open win a new chapter for tennis

Twenty-year-old Argentinean Juan Martin del Potro, aka "The Tower of Tandil," won his first major title on Monday at the U.S. Open, where he defeated Roger Federer in five sets. Here are five reasons why his victory changes the tennis landscape more than any win since Rafael Nadal's first French Open title in 2005.

1. He wasn't in awe of Federer. Most of Federer's opponents can't handle the pressure of playing a tennis legend. Pretty much every player on the ATP Tour considers Federer the greatest player of all time, and he's a nice guy, too. Everyone likes him and looks up to him. Not many players, unfortunately, seem to think they are worthy of beating him (Nadal being the exception). Del Potro looked feeble against Federer at the Australian Open earlier this year, when he lost two love sets to him in the quarterfinals, and he started out in similar fashion in the U.S. Open final. By the middle of the match, though, del Potro was playing with confidence and aggressiveness. Few men have been able to do this against Federer, never mind at the U.S. Open, which Federer had won five years in a row.

2. He came from behind. The last man to defeat Federer in a major tournament after trailing two sets to one was Marat Safin in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals. Only two other men have done this against Federer, according to ATPWorldTour.com: Tommy Haas at the 2002 Australian Open and Jiri Novak at Wimbledon in 1999, when the 17-year-old Federer was ranked outside the Top 100. To do it on a stage this large shows how tough del Potro can be.

3. He won without his A-game. The U.S. Open final is the toughest major final in the sport. It's held the day after the semifinals, so the players are a bit more tired than usual. It begins in late-afternoon shadows, and often ends under the lights. This year, the wind was strong. Del Potro hadn't played at night the entire tournament and he plays a riskier game than Federer, which is more dangerous in difficult conditions. He missed far more easy shots in this match than he did against Nadal in the semifinals or, for that matter, in any other round of the tournament. Yet he kept his composure and made adjustments to his tactics when necessary. That's the sign of a champion.

4. He showed off a new weapon. Great players introduce something new to the sport. John McEnroe reinvented touch. Pete Sampras redefined the serve. Ivan Lendl brought fitness to a new level. Federer has super-charged the all-court game of yesteryear; Nadal makes the topspin of the 1980s look like slice. Del Potro's contribution is the hardest forehand in the history of the game (one was clocked at 110 mph). I've never seen a player who could consistently hit winners from four feet behind the baseline and wide of the doubles alley. If del Potro can continue to hit that shot, and even improve it, he'll be a threat to win every tournament he plays.

5. He can get a lot better. Del Potro is 20 years old and hardly in extraordinary condition. He can add muscle to his lanky frame and improve his stamina. He can refine his volley technique and his slice backhand. If he has the desire to do these things, he's going to be a great player for years to come.

Sampras leads tributes to Federer

Pete Sampras hailed Roger Federer as the best player of all time after the Swiss matched his record of 14 Grand Slam titles at the French Open.

Federer beat Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 to win his first Paris title.

"What he's done over the past five years has never, ever been done - and probably will never, ever happen again," said Sampras.

"Regardless if he won there or not, he goes down as the greatest ever. This just confirms it."

Federer joins Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Andre Agassi as the only men to have won all four Grand Slam titles.

The 27-year-old, who lost to Rafael Nadal in the last three French Open finals, was presented with the Coupe des Mousquetaires by Agassi.

The Las Vegan, who won eight Grand Slam titles in his 20-year career, says Federer's statistics are unmatched.

"We're watching two guys in the prime of their years compete against each other - and Nadal has an answer for Federer. But what criteria do you use to judge best ever?" stated Agassi.

"Roger's numbers - it's hard to disagree with. His domination on different surfaces - hard to disagree with."

Sampras won 14 Grand Slam titles but never made it past the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

The American is convinced that Federer has not only surpassed his own achievements but those of Australian Rod Laver, who twice won all four Grand Slams in the same year.

"Now that he's won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game, in my opinion," he added.

"I'm a huge Laver fan and he had a few years in there where he didn't have an opportunity to win majors. But you can't compare the eras and in this era the competition is much more fierce than Rod's."

Laver completed the coveted Grand Slam for the first time in 1961, but he turned professional in 1962 and was banned from competing in the major tournaments until the open era began in 1968.

He won his second Grand Slam in 1969, although three of the four tournaments were then played on grass.

The Australian, now 70, says it is impossible to compare players from different eras but he told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Federer is the greatest player in his era.

"He's a great champion and a credit to the game with the way he competes on and off the court."

Federer, who matched Ivan Lendl's record in reaching his 19th Grand Slam final, believes he should be judged when his career is over.

"I don't know if we'll ever know who was the greatest of all time but I'm definitely happy to be right up there," said Federer, who plans to play into his 30s.

"I think it should be judged at the very end. I don't know. It's for other people to decide."

After a tense five-set win over Juan Martin del Potro in Friday's semi-final, Federer outclassed surprise finalist Soderling on Sunday.

"He's a great player," conceded the beaten Swede.

"He doesn't have any weaknesses at all. He really deserves to be called the best player of all time."

Former British number one Tim Henman, who played against both Federer and Sampras in their prime, also believes Federer has the edge.

"What puts Federer ahead is that his game is complete," Henman told BBC Sport.

"Sampras was a phenomenal player and his record speaks for itself but you always felt there were aspects of his game that you could target.

"Winning in Paris just emphasises that Federer is the ultimate all-court player."