Serena storms to sixth Miami title

(CNN) -- Serena Williams came from a set down against Maria Sharapova to win the Miami Masters for a record sixth time on Saturday.

After a slow start, the world No.1 sprang into life in stunning fashion, winning the last 10 games of the match to eventually prevail 4-6 6-3 6-0.

Williams' win -- the 48th of her career -- means she surpasses the previous all-time title mark that she jointly held with Germany's Steffi Graf.

Read: Ferrer downs Haas

"Maria definitely pushed me -- she did a really great job today," Williams said, WTATennis.com reported.

"I look forward to our next matches -- it's going to be really fun for the fans and for us and for everyone."

The match was turned on its head in the sixth game of the second set with Sharapova serving at 3-2. Williams won the game to love before streaking away with the set and the match.

Williams joins Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Chris Evert as only the fourth player ever to win any WTA event six times.

Defeat for Sharapova means she has now finished runner-up for three successive years in Miami and five times in all.

"It's disappointing to end it like this but Serena played a great match, and I'm sure we'll play a few more times this year," Sharapova said, WTATennis.com reported.

Via: Serena storms to sixth Miami title

Murray rises after 'brutal' win

(CNN) -- When Andy Murray first won the Miami Masters in 2009, it set him on course for a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the world later that year.

He kept that lofty status for less than a month, but Sunday's painstaking victory in the final against David Ferrer has taken him back there and earned the 25-year-old a second title at Key Biscayne.

The British tennis star, who owns a home nearby, came back to practice for three weeks after his Australian Open final defeat in January.

He had to save a match point in the final set before he finally triumphed 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-1) against fifth-ranked Ferrer.

"It was a brutal match and at the end both of us were very, very tired. I just managed to get over the line. Physically it was an exhausting match," last year's losing finalist told CNN. "I'm used to the conditions here and that helped."

He earlier said on court after the match: "That sort of match a couple of years ago I probably would have lost. I was up a break three or four times in the third set and kept letting him back in through some loose shots.

Read: Serena makes history in Miami

"I tried to keep fighting, chased down every ball, made it as hard for him as possible. There was a lot riding on the match and I was glad to get through in the end."

The victory lifted Murray above 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer, who did not play in Miami after experiencing back problems during his quarterfinal defeat against Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells.

It is the first time since November 2003 that neither Federer or Nadal have been in the top two.

"The No. 1 goal for me is to win the major events and then the ranking takes care of itself," Murray told CNN.

"Getting to No. 2 is a good achievement. I hope I can go higher but it's incredibly hard right now, with the guys around at the top of the game. I'll give it my best shot."

Ferrer, who had been seeking to become the first Spaniard to win the Miami title, was denied his second Masters-level crown after a demoralizing defeat that means he has yet to beat a top-five player in any of his 37 career finals.

"There will be another situation like today, but my life doesn't change for one match. I need to work hard and to be focused for the next tournaments," said Ferrer, who turns 31 on Tuesday.

However, he did regret his decision to use a challenge on one of Murray's shots during his match point -- it was ruled in.

"The ball, it was really close. I saw it out... I made my decision in that moment. It's a bad moment now. I don't want to think anymore about that. I want to forget as fast as possible."

Ferrer could have moved above fourth-ranked Nadal if he had won, with his compatriot having sat out the tournament to rest his knee following his title at Indian Wells.

The men's schedule will switch focus to the Davis Cup quarterfinals this week before the beginning of the European clay-court season, where Murray will be seeking to retain his status for the French Open.

"If I'd served better I could have made it easier and that's something I need to do better in the clay court season," he said.

"This week I did a lot of things well but I need to serve better. If I serve better I'll be able to win matches like today more comfortably. It's easier to return on clay so it's even more important to serve well."

Via: Murray rises after 'brutal' win

Bromance of 'marathon men'

Open Court is CNN's monthly tennis show. Click here for program times and latest features.

(CNN) -- You'd think John Isner and Nicolas Mahut would be sick of the sight of each other.

But from the ashes of their record-breaking marathon match at Wimbledon in 2010 -- officially the longest in tennis history -- an enduring "bromance" has blossomed.

It had to, after the pair walked on court for a low-key first-round match in the men's singles draw, limping off three days later after 11 hours of tennis, battered, bruised, fatigued, but lauded as heroes the world over.

Even if either should go on to win a glut of major titles in their respective careers, it is entirely possible they will still forever be known for "the marathon match."

Read: U.S. grand slam drought: Is the NFL killing American tennis?

Far from resenting the attention their epic encounter brought them, the pair are firm friends; not surprising, given they are the only players on the planet to know just how much that eight-hour final set, which ended 70-68 in Isner's favour, can take from you.

"I'm actually really close with him," Isner told CNN's Open Court.

"Prior to that match, I knew him but it seemed in passing, I'd give him a head nod, nothing more than that but from that match, I've realized that he is one of the nicest, classiest guys on tour.

"He actually is a really good friend of mine. We keep in touch all the time so we developed a friendship from that match, obviously sharing a court for three days."

Isner is now officially the highest ranked American in the world following Andy Roddick's retirement, but try as he might to move on from the marathon match it is almost always top of the list when tennis fans approach him.

So what was it like to be involved in an episode that transfixed the world?

"Yeah, it was crazy. I don't think people will remember the fact that I won that match. I think it would be more the fact that we played it ... Nicolas Mahut, he was a warrior that day," Isner said.

"I do hear it all the time, it's something that's going to stick with me forever but I've feel like I've done some things out of that match. I've broken the top 10.

"I had a few marquee wins under my belt so I've done some good things to try to shed that label but it's up to me to keep doing more."

Many expected a tight encounter, given the serving prowess of both players and Isner won that battle too, firing down 112 aces compared to Mahut's 103.

For a player who stands at 6 foot 9 inches, Isner's serve is undoubtedly the most powerful weapon in his armory. When it fires, few in the world can live with him, even in this golden age of Federer, Murray, Djokovic and Nadal.

He has five ATP Tour titles to his name, winning twice at the Newport and Winston-Salem events. Last weekend he competed at Indian Wells, where in 2012 he saw off world No. 1 Novak Djokovic before losing to Roger Federer in the final. On Saturday he was beaten in his opening match by Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt.

"If I can get that opportunity where I can play those guys ranked in the top five of the world, that's when I usually see myself raise my game," Isner explains.

"I like playing on those big stages and I think that's one of the main reasons why I beat Federer, I beat Djokovic and I almost beat Rafa at the French Open of all places. That's why you play this game -- to get a crack at those guys, try to take it to them.

"Outside of my serve, I think my forehand is my best shot," he added. "It's no secret. My game isn't rocket science. The more aggressive I am, the better my results are going to be.

"I have to be really aggressive with my forehand. Something that I'm constantly working on. I need to return better. If I can do that, I'll see a lot more success but my serve is my weapon and that's something that I rely on all the time."

But while that towering frame benefits his imposing serve, it can also hinder his movement around the court. No surprise then, that Isner invests a huge amount of training time on improving his on-court coverage.

"I'm always trying to work on my weaknesses which in the main part is my movement. I can improve that aspect.," he said.

"If I can improve my movement just a little bit, my game will improve a lot so other than that, my height certainly helps me with my serve first and foremost but it's also a bit of a detriment when it comes to moving around the court."

"The game is pretty physical today where you see these guys running down balls. You can't hit a winner on some of these guys but for me, that's not the case."

Isner may have found it difficult to shake off the "marathon man" tag but there are some other things that have stuck with him by his own choosing -- like his love for wrestling.

The spectacle of World Wrestling Entertainment may not be to everyone's tastes but Isner and his friends still gather round to watch it every week.

"Although it is scripted, I do have great respect for these guys. A lot of guys make fun of me but these guys are actually putting their bodies on the line," he said.

"Growing up in North California, me and all my friends, it was pretty sad but our weeks revolved around a Monday night.

"Monday night wrestle would come on and we'd all huddle up and pay per views would come on and I'd get 10 of my friends to come over -- $5 each, so we could pay the $50 to watch the pay per view.

"It's something that I've always liked and I haven't grown out of it either. You know, at 27 at 6 ft 10 ins, I haven't grown out of that stage so for me, it's something I do to pass time on Monday nights."

Via: Bromance of 'marathon men'

Redfoo's party rock for injured Vika

(CNN) -- Her popstar boyfriend has written a song about her "heart of a champion," but Victoria Azarenka is struggling to get on court at the moment.

The Belorussian is unbeaten in 17 matches this year, but she has now suffered her third withdrawal of the season after a late pullout at the Miami Masters on Friday.

She cited the ankle injury that forced her to miss last week's quarterfinal against Caroline Wozniacki at Indian Wells, allowing Maria Sharapova to take the No. 2 ranking spot from her.

"The last two days I tried to practice, which did not get better so it just gives me a very obvious indication that it's not possible for me to play," Azarenka told reporters at Key Biscayne, where she was champion in 2009 and 2011 and this year had a first-round bye.

"Today I went on the court and I got more pain. I cannot really move. It makes me very frustrated."

The Australian Open champion has been dating LMFAO's Redfoo, whose new song "Heart of a Champion" samples the tennis star's trademark grunting and includes the lines "You gotta start aggressive, Keep your feet moving, You gotta really want it, With everything you're doing."

It even apparently alludes to her controversial Australian Open semifinal against Sloane Stephens, when the 23-year-old angered fans by taking a lengthy medical break at a crucial point in the match against the U.S. newcomer, citing breathing difficulties.

The chorus includes: "When you're losing your breathing, Your body is sore, To be the last one standing, In the eye of a storm, It takes the heart of a champion."

Redfoo, the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, is a keen tennis player himself and has entered in regional qualifying playoffs for this year's U.S. Open.

The 37-year-old rapper will try to get through in both singles and doubles, in which he will partner Ayaka Okuno, 17, who he has been coaching.

"It's always been a dream of mine to play professional tennis," he said in a statement last week.

Azarenka's withdrawal allowed 19-year-old Lauren Davis into the main draw, and she took her chance -- saving three match points against Madison Keys before beating her fellow American 6-1 5-7 7-6 (9-7) in the second-round match.

There was also a walkover in the men's event in Miami, as third seed David Ferrer progressed to the third round after Russia's Dmitry Turnsunov pulled out due to illness.

The Spaniard will next play Italian 32nd seed Fabio Fognini.

Via: Redfoo's party rock for injured Vika

Tipsarevic: Tennis is a 'clean sport'

Open Court is CNN's monthly tennis show. Click here for program times, news, videos and features.

(CNN) -- Roger Federer says it's naive to think tennis doesn't have drug cheats. But Janko Tipsarevic, who has played at the year-end championships the previous two seasons, is of the belief that his fellow professionals aren't doping -- or at least not on a widespread basis.

Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray -- the sport's most influential players who have combined won more than 30 grand slam titles -- have all called for either more tests or stricter controls, and last month the International Tennis Federation duly announced that it was adopting the biological passport program.

"I live in the belief that we are playing a clean sport," world No. 10 Tipsarevic told CNN's Open Court.

"If there is doping involved, maybe there is, maybe there isn't. But I can guarantee you that the people I'm hanging around with, none of them (are) doping."

Read: Tennis not free of cheats

In the new initiative a player's blood profile can be tracked, similar to cycling, a sport still reeling from Lance Armstrong's admission that he used performance enhancing drugs.

Significant changes can alert authorities to a potential doping infraction and more blood tests will also be carried out.

According to ITF statistics, Tipsarevic was among the minority of players who had to provide samples both in competition and outside of it in 2012.

The number of samples he provided in competition, in the highest category listed as seven or more, put him in the minority, too. The figures didn't include tests carried out by national doping agencies and at the Olympics and Paralympics.

Read: Federer: 'Naive to think tennis is clean'

As a top-50 player, Tipsarevic must adhere to the so-called whereabouts rule by making himself available to be tested in an one-hour slot for an out-of-competition test if the drug testers randomly come calling.

The rule has often given players headaches, with Serena Williams, the women's world No. 1, telling reporters in Dubai in February that testers had once paid her a visit in Mauritius.

"I like things as they are because the international doping agency needs to know every single day of my life where I am and if I'm changing locations," Tipsarevic said.

"We need to fill out this form to say today we're going to be there and at any time they can come and test us. On top of that you have the local drug testing.

"You have the tournament testing when you play tournaments ... I don't want to take it too far."

Read: Tennis serves up new measures in the fight against doping

In February, Murray called for more blood testing, saying that tennis needed to do everything it could "to ensure that everyone competing at the highest level and below is clean."

While just under 2,000 urine samples were collected in 2012, less than 200 blood tests were conducted.

Via: Tipsarevic: Tennis is a 'clean sport'

Nadal urges tighter drugs control

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal has called for stricter doping controls and more transparency to help eradicate drug cheating in tennis.

Nadal wants to ensure tennis is not plagued by the doping problems which have affected so many other sports, notably cycling, following the Lance Armstrong saga.

Read: Federer: 'Naive to think tennis is clean'

"It's something even I don't like to talk about because it has damaged the image of sport, and sport doesn't deserve this kind of thing in my opinion," the 11-time grand slam champion told CNN's Open Court show before his weekend triumph at Indian Wells.

"When somebody like Armstrong was an idol for most of the people who loved sport, at the end, you see that was not true.

"It's a big disappointment, so I think we need to work together in the same direction to change the situation. It cannot continue like this.

"We need to be stricter on a few things. We need to have all the controls made public."

Read: Nadal battles back for Indian Wells triumph

Nadal, who made his return to action in February following a seven-month absence with a knee injury, said tennis needs an all-encompassing approach to drug testing in order to maintain the sport's image.

"We have to work together, we have to be working together with the administrators and hopefully we can change that terrible situation," he said.

"We are lucky that in tennis, it has happened in just very exceptional cases but at the end, tennis is in sport, so if that happens in other sports, it affects tennis too."

In recent months sport has been hit by several high-profile doping scandals.

Cyclist Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, while Australian sport was given a wake-up call after a government report alleged athletes were using illegal substances supplied by organized criminal groups.

Cheating in sport: What are banned substances?

Football's governing body FIFA has already stated its intention to introduce biological passports, while the outcome of the Operation Puerto trial in Spain into the relationship between sport and doctor Eufemiano Fuentes' doping network is ongoing.

Biological passport

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) recently confirmed that it will introduce a biological passport program, a system similar to the one used in cycling, where players' drug test results are kept over a long period of time so that the use of illegal substances is more easily detected.

"The implementation of the athlete biological passport is an important step in the evolution of the tennis anti-doping program as it provides us with a great tool in the fight against doping in our sport," said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti.

In 2011 the ITF and the World Anti-Doping Agency conducted just 21 out-of-competition blood tests in a bid to detect illegal products such as human growth hormone (HGH), EPO, transfusions and other blood-doping substances.

According to the latest figures, the vast majority of tests in tennis in 2011 -- 2,019 of a total of 2,150 -- were urine.

Read: Fish furious as Odesnik prepares to return from drug ban

In February, the ITF banned Czech Republic player Barbora Zahlavova Strycova for six months after she tested positive for the stimulant sibutramine at a tournament in October.

She insisted the drug had made it into her system through a supplement and denied taking it to enhance her performance.

In 2010, former top 100 player Wayne Odesnik, was suspended by the ITF after Australian customs officials found eight vials containing HGH in his luggage.

He denied using HGH and never tested positive for it.

His two-year ban was cut in half because the ITF said Odesnik cooperated with its anti-doping program.

Earlier this month, 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer told CNN that it was "nave" to think tennis is clean, while world No. 1 Novak Djokovic recently queried the declining number of blood tests he had undergone.

"I wasn't tested with blood for the last six or seven months," he told reporters. "It was more regularly in the last two, three years ago. I don't know the reason why they stopped it."

Via: Nadal urges tighter drugs control

Is the NFL killing American tennis?

Editor's note: Open Court is CNN's monthly tennis show. Click here for screening times and follow on Twitter @cnnopencourt

(CNN) -- The future seemed so bright. When 2003 came to a close, Andy Roddick was the youngest American male to end the year as the world's No. 1 tennis player.

Aged 21, he had just won his first grand slam title at the U.S. Open, following in the footsteps of illustrious compatriots such as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

But then the drought -- another decade on, the United States is still waiting for its next male grand slam winner.

So what's gone wrong? A nation that dominated tennis from the mid-1970s is struggling to repeat those past glories -- and there is no quick solution in sight.

"I think the best athletes in other countries are playing tennis sooner than they are here," U.S. tennis great John McEnroe told CNN's Open Court.

"We've got to grab some kids that are playing American football or basketball, for example, we've got to make it more accessible, affordable."

Read: Grand slam diet

But that's not as easy as it may sound, especially when parents of talented kids do the maths.

Tennis has strong participation numbers among American school kids, but that drops off once they get to high-school age as the costs of playing skyrocket compared to subsidized sports such as gridiron, basketball and baseball.

"In junior high school, the school pays for travel expenses when they go for games. When the season is over, they pay for the expenses. Tennis you pay your own," says renowned coach Nick Bollettieri, whose academy (now owned by IMG) was the breeding ground for top U.S. men's talents such as Agassi, Sampras and Jim Courier.

'Show me the money'

Potential tennis stars are also being offered higher average pay by rival U.S. sports.

Bollettieri's research has indicated that, to break even on the men's ATP World Tour, you need to be ranked at least 163rd.

He says an NFL player of equivalent status earns $1.4 million a year -- and that's without endorsements.

"When a parent looks at the financial side and sees those two figures, they say, 'Wow, and it doesn't cost us a dime,' " added Bollettieri.

"If those same parents are struggling to make a living and they look in the paper and see $25 million for a four-year contract in baseball, $80 million for LeBron James ... they look at that and the programs that develop these people, it doesn't cost them anything."

Read: How Novak Djokovic rose to the top

It is often argued that poverty helps breed sports stars because athletes are more determined than their wealthier peers, but seven-time grand slam champion McEnroe is unconvinced by that argument.

"Some of the guys come from tough situations who want it more -- then again, if you look at some guy from Mallorca named Nadal who presumably lives in a pretty decent situation, and some guy by the name of Federer came out of Switzerland and his parents were reasonably well off," the 54-year-old said.

Since Roddick's New York breakthrough, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have won 34 of the 37 grand slam titles.

"It's obvious that a lot of the other countries, their players have definitely become better, there's no question about that," says Michael Chang, the youngest player to win the French Open, as a 17-year-old back in 1989.

"The depth of men's tennis in particular has gotten deeper and deeper every year," the American told Open Court.

"When you've got guys like Rafa, Novak and Roger playing at the level they're playing, there's not going to be a whole lot of winners outside of those guys and now you can put Andy Murray inside of that group as well.

Read: Chang's 'underhand' tactics

"It's been very, very difficult for American tennis to be able to follow our generation."

Success breeds success

Bollettieri believes the success of his Florida-based academy was based on offering scholarships to the likes of Agassi, Courier and Monica Seles, which later attracted other young talent from around the world including current stars such as Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters.

"When you get good people like that at the same place, when you get 15, 20, 30 players who are the best in America and some of the best in the world, they compete," the 81-year-old said.

"They're in a competition, not costing them a dime -- it helped get me where I am. You've got to have it very attractive for a young boy or girl of 11, 12, 13 years old to play tennis opposed to other sports if it looks like they're a hell of an athlete."

Roddick retired during last year's U.S. Open, on his 30th birthday, and now John Isner is America's No. 1 player.

A towering 6 foot 9 inches, he could have been a basketball player but stuck with tennis and kept playing through four years at the University of Georgia before turning professional. It's an unusual path, as most top players join the pro ranks in their teens.

Read: Hungry Federer eyes grand slam titles in 2013

Ranked 15th in the world after reaching a career-high ninth last March, he has never gone past the quarterfinals of a grand slam. Arguably his major claim to fame is playing in the longest match of all time at Wimbledon in 2010, though he has beaten Federer and Djokovic.

"I would love to go further than that (quarterfinals) and I know my fellow American players would love to as well," Isner told Open Court at this month's San Jose Open, which is folding after 125 years of existence at various Californian venues.

Opportunities for young American players are reducing, with the second-oldest tennis tournament in the U.S. relocating to Brazil, while the license for the Los Angeles Open -- which began in 1927 -- was sold to a Colombian group last year.

"Ten years, it is a long time, but I don't think American tennis is as bad as people portray it to be," Isner said.

"In the '70s, '80s, '90s, I think American tennis fans were a bit spoiled with all these great players. The game today is very, very tough. It's very international.

"You see players in Europe that are just so strong and so physical and these guys are really dominating the game, especially the players that come from Spain."

Size matters

Bollettieri believes Isner will struggle to win a grand slam, not because a lack of ability but because of his size -- though Juan Martin del Potro, three inches shorter, won the 2009 U.S. Open.

"John has a lot of the tools, but the bigger you are you have to have footwork as well. The downfall of John today is footwork, mobility," Bollettieri said.

He is wary of predicting a future male U.S. champion, but is encouraged by some of the young talent emerging.

Bollettieri points to Christian Harrison, the 18-year-old younger brother of world No. 76 Ryan -- who at just 20 has already represented his country in Davis Cup and passed $1 million in on-court earnings.

"Today the game depends on strength, mobility and then talent. You've got to have strength and speed, you've to have at least two weapons, you'll never make it with just one," said Bollettieri, who also has high hopes for 15-year-old Michael Mmoh -- who he calls a "big boy."

Read: McEnroe -- 'Attila the Hun' of tennis

If size is becoming increasingly important -- players are much taller and stronger -- that means tennis has to fight to keep its prospects from joining more physical sports to which they would also be suited.

"It'd have been tough to have steered Kobe Bryant or LeBron James into tennis because they were such good athletes ... and the scholarships -- Bryant went from high school directly to the pros," Bollettieri said.

"It's not that a smaller person can't make it, but it's more difficult today."

Even though he is only 20, Ryan Harrison is coming to a make-or-break time in his fledgling career, according to U.S. sports journalist Douglas Robson.

"He really needs to make a move and I think he realizes that," Robson told Open Court.

"He's had some tough draws at majors but he hasn't been past the second round of a grand slam yet, he hasn't won an ATP Tour title, and a lot of players his age would've already passed those thresholds."

High cost of developing champions

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has been criticized in recent years for failing to produce successors to the last golden generation of male players, but Bollettieri supports the efforts of McEnroe's younger brother Patrick, who took over as head of development in 2008.

"They certainly are doing a lot, but it's tough to convince people when their son looks like he's going to be a helluva football player or basketball player," Bollettieri said.

He said the USTA could highlight the top 20-30 young players in the country, but it would then cost $3-7 million a year to develop them.

Read: Andy Murray's five-star hotel venture

To attend one of IMG's academy programs -- Bollettieri sold his interest to the sports agency in 1987 -- players will pay between $50,000-69,000 depending on age and whether they board. IMG gives out scholarships "on a limited basis" selected on academic, athletic, character and financial review.

"Pat is working his ass off getting more people playing the game, but what happens is when they get to be 13, 14 and have a lot of potential -- that's where the cost factor comes in and they have to come up with millions of dollars," Bollettieri said.

"We've got more people playing now, more youngsters, but in order to get the champions ... the people are blinded by what they see every day."

Courier, who won four grand slam titles in the early 1990s and topped the world rankings at the age of 22, is also loathe to blame anyone for the lack of American men's success.

"America has no ownership of the top ranking. It's a free-for-all," the U.S. Davis Cup captain told Open Court.

"Tennis is a very individual sport and I think it'd be very naive for a country to take the credit for individual players. Does America take credit for Tiger Woods? I'd say Earl Woods deserves the credit -- he's the one who really drove that.

"So in the tennis landscape, you look at the Williams sisters. Their father was a big driver, my family was a big driver, so I don't think we can put any blame on anyone."

Via: Is the NFL killing American tennis?