Maria Sharapova Removed from Madrid Open

Serena Williams Defeated Maria Sharapova By 6-1,6-3 To Go through Semi-Finals along with Along with Top-Ranked Victoria Azarenka. Williams sealed her seventh straight win over Sharapova on the tournament's controversial blue clay court. The American No9 seed opened strongly, hitting six aces and earning two early breaks to take the first set against the No2 ranked Sharapova.The Russian showed some fight and broke for love to even the score at 2-2 in the second set but she quickly squandered her break with a costly sixth double fault.Azarenka overcame a shaky start to beat the French Open champion Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. After struggling with her serve, last year's runner-up found her stride and broke her Chinese opponent's first two service games of the second set on the way to pulling level at a set each.The Belarusian, who has won four titles this season, then used her powerful groundstrokes to take a 4-0 lead in the decider before holding off Li's late charge."It wasn't very much to do with confidence," said Azarenka. "I was thinking I had to change and come up with things to surprise her because she was playing unbelievable in the first set. I had to turn something around. I don't know if it was confidence, or belief, or whether it was just pushing myself to be better."Azarenka also gave her views on the blue clay surface, an innovation at this year's tournament, which Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal severely criticised on Thursday."I'm not a fan of this court, that's for sure," she said. "But I don't want to sit here and complain about it. Nothing is going to change this year. We can talk after the tournament about maybe possible changes or something."

Berdych,Del Potro Encounter In Semis

Tomas Berdych Beated Fernando Verdasco In Quarter-Finals Of Mutua Madrid open by 6-1,6-2 To face Del Potro In Semis. Verdasco came into the match on the blue clay of the Manolo Santana show court on a high after dumping out second seed Rafa Nadal on Thursday, his first victory over his Spanish compatriot in 14 attempts.However, sixth-seeded Czech Berdych, who thumped French 12th seed Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-1 to reach the last eight, comfortably ended a two-match losing streak to Verdasco on clay to set up a semi-final against Juan Martin Del Potro.The 2009 US Open champion, undefeated in 10 clay matches this season and winner in Estoril last week, eased to a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Ukrainian 16th seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in the earlier match on court three.''I am really happy with my tennis, with my body and I am feeling really confident on clay," Del Potro, who had an eight-month layoff in 2010 due to a wrist injury, told a news conference."I don't feel any pain so it's a good sign for the next tournament and I think I'm getting better tournament by tournament," the 23-year-old added.World number one Novak Djokovic, who has joined Nadal in threatening to boycott the event next year because of what they say are dangerously slippery courts, meets Serb compatriot Janko Tipsarevic, the seventh seed, later on Friday.Victory for the defending champion will set up a semifinal clash against Swiss third seed Roger Federer, who will rise above Nadal to number two if he wins the title, or Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer.

EURO LEAGUE 2012 GROUP TABLE:

Federer survives Raonic ace attack at Madrid Masters

Swiss Roger Federer returns a ball against Canada's Milos Raonic during the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.

Rogerer Federer sweated out a tough win in his first match n Madrid's blue clay on Wednesday, holding off Canada's Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) to survive into the third round of the Masters 1000.The Swiss needed two and a quarter hours to beat the 23rd-ranked youngster with 36 winners and 37 unforced errors in a battle which was not decided until a third-set tiebreaker."I was trying to weather the storm," said the Swiss. "I don't know where my game is at now and I don't care. I'm happy to train well and be playing some matches."Federer will Thursday face Richard Gasquet, who beat Serb Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-3.Federer held off seven Raonic break points and ended the Canadian's streak of first serve points at 44 for the week.Federer took victory in his first match since losing in the Miami third round to Andy Roddick on March 26. He has now won 78 of his last 79 matches against players outside the Top 20."To do something here means I have to come back in a few hours and play (Richard) Gasquet. It cold be a tough week."I'm happy to be playing good tennis. It's a big win, this could create good things. It was a struggle for me tonight. But my level was good. I'm happy were I am this season."Raonic stayed in the fight with 16 aces and 21 winners."If I can get things going my way, I can build confidence. Today I stepped on court believing I could win, and left the court knowing I could have won," said the Canadian.Spanish clay powerhouses Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer got on and off the controversial blue clay courts as quickly as possible with the Iberian pair racing into the third round.Second seed Nadal spent 80 minutes in winning his first match against Nikolay Davydenko since 2009, earning a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Fifth seed Ferrer dismissed Czech Radek Stepanek 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in almost the same match time.Nadal, leading critic of the dubious qualities of the Madrid surface being trialled amid huge controversy, tried to end talk of the courts and move onto the tennis."I played as good a match as I could in these strange circumstances," said the king of clay, winner of Monte Carlo and Barcelona titles last month. "I'm happy with the way that I played."The situation is not easy. This is a fantastic tourney, one of the best in the world. My motivation is strong to play here. I had a fantastic result today, I played better than I expected."But Nadal added a final word on the issue."Conditions here are completely different than on the rest of the clay circuit. If this was in the summer or at the end of the season I would have nothing to say."I'm not against change but this is the wrong time of the calendar for it. I don't want to speak more on this."Croatian Marin Cilic overcame eighth seed John Isner 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) as the big American fired 14 aces in his losing effort. Cilic dodged a bullet with six double-faults including one as he held match points in the second-set tiebreaker.Frenchman Gael Monfils continued his winning return after more than a month out with an abdominal injury as the 12th seed won as Russian Igor Andreev withdrew with a right shoulder injury trailing 6-3, 1-0.Compatriot and fourth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat racquet-smashing American Ryan Harrison, whose temper tantrum just a few days after leaving his teenaged years, did not help in a 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) loss.Ninth seed Gilles Simon took a win, beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-3.There were also wins for tenth seeded Estoril champion Juan Martin del Potro and 11th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.In the WTA second round, Czech Lucie Hradecka beat defending champion compatriot Petra Kvitova 6-4, 6-3 to send the third seed home.Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska brought an end to the 16-match win streak on clay of Sara Errani with a 6-0, 6-1 thrashing in 65 minutes.Roberta Vinci struck a blow for Italy after Errani's loss, sending out Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-2. Errani was fresh from the clay title in Budapest at the weekend.Top seed Victoria Azarenka reached the quarter-finals over former number one Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-4.French Open winner Li Na moved to the last eight with a defeat of 12th seed Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-4. US Open champion Samantha Stosur advanced over Petra Cetkovska 6-3, 6-2.

Misbah steps down as Twenty20 Captain

Mohammad Hafeez took over from Misbah-ul-Haq as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain. 

Misbah-ul-Huq has stepped down as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain and Mohammad Hafeez has been named his successor for the Sri Lanka series in June.Misbah had captained Pakistan in eight games. His last Twenty20 assignment was the three-match series against England in the UAE in February, which England won 2-1. Misbah scored 67 runs there, with a strike-rate of just over 80.Hafeez said he was looking forward to the additonal responsibility. "Representing Pakistan is always an honor and captaining it is more than that. Now being a captain, I don't see any added pressure," Hafeez said. "The strategy might be different but while implementing them I will take my coaches and the PCB on board to get the best results for the team."Fast bowler Mohammad Sami, who last played for Pakistan in 2010, made a comeback. Sami had taken only one wicket in five matches for Karachi Dophins in the domestic Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup in March, but had finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the Bangladesh Premier League for Duronto Rajshahi. He was particularly successful against Dhaka Gladiators, claiming a hat-trick and then figures of 5 for 6 against them in two league games.The new faces in the squad include Sialkot Stallions batsmen Shakeel Ansar, who came into the limelight with his maiden Twenty20 hundred against Peshawar Panthers in March in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup, and Haris Sohail who went through that tournament scoring 173 runs in four matches without being dismissed. Left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who claimed 12 wickets in five games in the Super Eight T20 Cup for Sialkot, also made it to the squad.Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests between June 1 and July 12 in Sri Lanka.

• Pakistan Twenty20 squad

  Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shakeel Ansar (wk), Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Sami, Hammad Azam, Nasir Jamshed
• In: Mohammad Sami, Shakeel Ansar, Haris Sohail, Raza Hasan

Rafael Nadal Out Of Mutua Madrid Open

World No.2 Rafael Nadal has Been Defeated By His Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco By 6-3, 3-6,7-5 In the third Round match."I never was in control of the match, I didn't know how to win a point," said Nadal, who intimated he will not show up next year unless the controversial blue clay surface he abhors is modified.Nadal's perfect record on the dirt for 2012 was marred as Madrid native Verdasco clawed out the opening set to stun multiple Monte Carlo and Barcelona champion Nadal, who, though he dug out the second set, succumbed in the decider."Movement is very important for me and I couldn't move,” Nadal said."I couldn't hit ball the way I wanted. I lost because I deserved to lose."Verdasco lost the second set as Nadal found his rhythm, but the 15th-seeded challenger rallied from 1-4 down in the third to work his upset miracle, winning his first match over the king of clay from 14 attempts.The final set was littered with seven breaks of serve, with a nervous Nadal well off his game and expressing inward and outward frustration with the surface which has drawn his ire for weeks.Verdasco applied the pressure in the final game to break Nadal and advance on his second match point, with the winner kissing the surface in gratitude."I couldn't close out the match at 5-2. He played better than me," said Nadal, by far the harshest critic of the experimental switch to blue clay."The ATP and the tournament can do what they want, I tried my best, I've trained here since Thursday. I was as prepared as I could be."I was not good enough to adapt my game to this court. If things continue like this, it will be very sad."Next year this will be one less event for my calendar."The devastated number two will need to regroup if he is to regain equilibrium, with next week's Masters 1000 in Rome restoring some normality with a return to classic red clay and sea level altitude.Nadal last won Madrid in 2010 over Roger Federer and had dominated Verdasco including the loss of just four games in a Barcelona semi-final victory two weeks ago.The Mallorcan now stands 22-1 on clay since losing in the Rome final last year to Novak Djokovic.Elsewhere, Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych ended the injury comeback effort of Frenchman Gael Monfils, the number 12, with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 victory.Monfils was playing for the first time since a March abdominal muscle problem. The flamboyant French player lost serve five times while never earning a break point against Berdych.Estoril champion Juan del Potro, the 10th seed, beat Croatian Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-4.In women's play, Serena Williams staged a recovery at the expense of Caroline Wozniacki as the American reached the quarter-finals 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.The comeback win in 1hr 42min put Williams into a showdown with second seed Maria Sharapova, who earned her last-eight place when opponent Lucie Safarova withdrew before their match with stomach illness.Williams sleep-walked through the opening set as Denmark's sixth seed had it all her own way in half an hour."I had a slow start today, I don't know why," said Williams. "I was sluggish and mentally maybe fighting some demons."Wozniacki had been bidding for a sixth quarter-final of the season but, having won six titles in 2011, she is still searching for her first of 2012.The Dane rolled her ankle earlier in the week but said that was not a problem in her loss."It is feeling better, which is a huge plus. I can take a lot of positives from this match into the French Open," she said. "I believe in myself, the confidence is there. I can beat anyone on a good day."Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced over Italy's Roberta Vinci 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 while Lucie Hradecka beat Elena Makarova of Russia 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).