With only a few weeks to go, it is almost illegal to not be excited about the Olympics. By the middle of June, local councils will order us all to meet in our local park at 6.30 each morning and say communally, "Oooh, it's only a month to the opening ceremony" and recite the competitors in the first heat of the 200-metres backstroke.

Maria Sharapova overcame a frustrating rain delay to defeat Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 in the final of the Rome Masters yesterday.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominated tennis for five years but today's Rome Masters final will emphasise how a new duopoly rules the sport. When it comes to fighting over the major spoils Nadal and Novak Djokovic are usually the last two men left standing and the Spaniard and the Serb will meet this afternoon in a final for the ninth time in the last 14 months.

Leading pair forget their blue days in Madrid to roar into last four back on Rome's red clay

No wonder Maria Sharapova is hoping the organisers of this week's tournament here do not go too far in modernising the Foro Italico. Not only is the site one of the finest of any comparable tournament in the world, but the event also has good memories for the 25-year-old Russian.

Any possibility that Rafael Nadal might eventually become a convert to blue clay was dashed at the Madrid Masters last night as the world No 2 suffered a remarkable defeat to his fellow Spaniard, Fernando Verdasco.

Roger Federer could hardly face a tougher challenge than the one awaiting him as he makes his first appearance of the European clay-court season at the Madrid Masters today. The 30-year-old Swiss, who has not played a competitive match for six weeks, had a bye in the first round. He now faces Milos Raonic, who beat David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-4 yesterday.

It took Agnieszka Radwanska 17 years to decide that her father, Robert, was not the best man to be her full-time travelling coach. It has taken the 23-year-old Pole just three months to appreciate the wisdom of her decision to stop touring with her father and to work instead with Tomasz Wiktorowski, Poland's Fed Cup captain, and Borna Bikic, who used to coach Jelena Dokic.

It is four years since Maria Sharapova last won a Grand Slam title, but with every passing week the 24-year-old Russian is proving that her hunger for success remains undiminished. Having lost in the finals at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells, the world No 2 will aim to go one better today when she faces Agnieszka Radwanska, with the Miami title at stake.

Maria Sharapova advanced to the Sony Ericsson Open final by beating Caroline Wozniacki 4-6 6-2 6-4 last night in a two and a half hour battle.

Novak Djokovic is playing some way below the standards he set last year but the world No 1 was still too good for his fellow Serb, Viktor Troicki, in the third round of the Miami Masters last night. Djokovic recorded his 11th victory in a row over the world No 27, winning 6-3, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Richard Gasquet in the last 16.

World number one Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova stayed on track for a mouth-watering showdown in the final of the Indian Wells WTA tournament while defending champion Caroline Wozniacki was beaten by Ana Ivanovic yesterday.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic defeated Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open yesterday, while leading American men Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick were knocked out.