Djokovic extends winning streak beating Nadal again in final

Maria Sharapova stormed to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Sam Stosur in the Italian Open final yesterday for the biggest clay-court title of her career.

After a three-hour rain delay, the seventh-seeded Sharapova won the opening four games, then cruised from there to follow up her victory over top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals.

This tournament is a key warmup for the French Open, the clay-court Grand Slam that begins in one week, and Sharapova will now be among the favorites in Paris.

Sharapova is a three-time Grand Slam winner and Roland Garros remains the only major title she hasn’t won.

Stosur hadn’t reached a final since losing to Francesca Schiavone at Roland Garros last year and the Australian is now 0-8 in her career against Sharapova.

A former No. 1, Sharapova had been struggling to regain her best form ever since undergoing right shoulder surgery in October, 2008 – which caused her to miss 10 months of action.

The Russian won her last title in Strasbourg, France, a year ago.

With her fiancee and New Jersey Nets guard Sasha Vujacic watching from the stands, Sharapova didn’t drop a set all week, and she required just 1 hour, 23 minutes to beat Stosur.

In the men’s final, top-ranked Rafael Nadal failed to halt No. 2 Novak Djokovic winning streak.

Djokovic who is now unbeaten for 39 matches beat Nadal yesterday 6-4, 6-4 to win all four finals the duo have played this year, including his first victory on clay over the Spaniard in Madrid a week ago.

Nadal had won this clay-court tournament five of the last six years and was a tough challenge for the Serbian after the latter’s three hour semifinal against Murray on Saturday night.