Djokovic tops Federer in Italian Open

Tennis: Top-ranked Novak Djokovic bolstered his clay-court credentials a week ahead of Roland Garros with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 win over Roger Federer to capture his fourth Italian Open title Sunday in Rome.

Extending his winning streak to 22 matches, Djokovic proved too consistent and too quick for Federer, who has never won the title at the Foro Italico in 15 appearances.

“It was a great week and today was my best match,” Djokovic told the crowd in Italian.

Djokovic produced a spectacular return to set up the decisive break at the end of the first set then got an early break in the second.

The match lasted just 75 minutes.

“Novak was too strong today,” Federer said. “I know I can play better. Novak was rock solid today.”

Djokovic also won the Rome title in 2008, 2011 and last year.

Handed a marker to sign a TV camera lens after the match, Djokovic wrote in Italian, “Grazie ancora Roma” – Thanks again Rome – surrounded by a heart.

• Sharapova rallies to beat Suarez Navarro for Rome title: Maria Sharapova rallied to beat 10th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and win her third Italian Open title.

The victory gives Sharapova confidence on clay as she prepares to defend her title at Roland Garros, which starts next weekend.

With the temperature soaring above 90 degrees at the Foro Italico, Sharapova struggled for long stretches to figure out Suarez Navarro’s spins, slices and heavy topspin shots.

But once Sharapova started stepping into the court, attacking the Spaniard’s serve and finding the corners, she took control.

Sharapova’s first two titles in Rome came back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.

Peter Sagan wins Tour of California

Cycling: Slovakian Peter Sagan surged late and won the Tour of California in Pasadena, California, by three seconds with a close third-place finish.

Britain’s Mark Cavendish won his fourth stage of the eight-stage event and 13th victory of the season in a mass sprint in the last of nine circuits around the Rose Bowl.

Sagan, who began the final day trailing former race leader Julian Alaphilippe of France by two seconds, gained four bonus seconds for the third-place finish and a one-second bonus during a mid-race sprint.

Wouter Wippert of the Netherlands was second in the final stage. Sagan edged Wenatchee native Tyler Farrar by a few inches for third to secure the title.

Sergio Luis Henao Montoya of Colombia finished third overall, 37 seconds behind Sagan. Sagan, who won two stages of the event and has four Tour de France stage wins, held the race lead after winning the Stage 5 time trial. He collapsed at the finish line after finishing sixth in the mountainous Stage 7 to Mount Baldy and relinquished his lead.

• Contador retains Giro lead but loses one second to Aru: Injured Alberto Contador made it through another day in the mountains as he retained the overall lead after nine stages of the Giro d’Italia but lost a precious second to closest challenger Fabio Aru in San Giorgio del Sannio, Italy.

Aru kicked for the line in an attempt to wrest the leader’s pink jersey from Contador but is still three seconds behind the Spaniard, who is attempting to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro and Tour de France in the same year.

Richie Porte remained third, 22 seconds behind Contador.

Aru’s Astana teammate, Paolo Tiralongo, claimed his fourth professional victory and his third in the Giro, clocking nearly six hours on the undulating 134-mile leg from Benevento to San Giorgio del Sannio, which featured two category-two climbs either side of a category-one ascent.

Contador, who dislocated his shoulder in a fall on the final sprint on Thursday, came through Saturday’s first major test in the mountains and was able to cope with his injury again a day later.

The 98th Giro ends on May 31 in Milan.

Messi goal clinches Barcelona’s title

Soccer: Lionel Messi scored in the 65th minute, and Barcelona clinched its fourth Spanish league title in six seasons with a 1-0 win at 2014 champion Atletico Madrid.

Messi scored off a passing combination with Pedro Rodriguez, who started because Luis Suarez was hurt. Messi has 54 goals this season, including 41 in the league.

Barcelona, which clinched with a game to spare, has won the league seven times in 11 seasons since Messi’s debut and 23 times overall. Messi, Neymar (37) and Suarez (24) have combined to score 115 goals.

The Blaugrana host Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final on May 30 and meet Juventus in the Champions League final on June 6 at Berlin.

Real Madrid will finish second despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s 30th club hat trick in a 4-1 win at Espanyol.

Ronaldo has 58 goals this season, including 45 in La Liga.

• Leroux and Wambach score twice, U.S. beats Mexico: Sydney Leroux and Abby Wambach each scored twice and the United States beat Mexico 5-1 in Carson, California, in the second send-off match for the team in advance of the Women’s World Cup next month.

Wambach came in as a substitute to start the second half and scored on a penalty kick in the 58th minute and added a header in the 72nd minute to bring her career total to 182 goals.

Real Madrid wins Euroleague title

Miscellany: Real Madrid pulled away in the last four minutes to beat Olympiakos 78-59 in Madrid to end its 10-year wait for a ninth Euroleague basketball title.

It was a seven-point game in the final quarter when Andres Nocioni hit a 3 with 3:45 left, and Madrid only increased the margin from there.

Matt Lojeski scored 17 off the bench for Olympiakos.

Madrid lost the previous two Euroleague finals under coach Pablo Laso, to Olympiakos in 2013 and Maccabi last year.

Madrid’s last Euroleague title also came at the expense of Olympiakos in 1995.

• Lorenzo wins French MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo won the French Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, ahead of championship leader Valentino Rossi for his second straight MotoGP victory.

Lorenzo, who won at home in Spain at the beginning of the month, started from third on the grid but quickly overtook Andrea Dovizioso and pole sitter Marc Marquez after a mistake by the two-time defending champion.

Lorenzo leapfrogged above Dovizioso into second overall, 15 points behind Rossi heading into the Italian’s home race at Mugello on May 31.

• Oliver wins hurdles in Shanghai; Liu honored: Defending world champion David Oliver won the men’s 110-meter hurdles at the Shanghai Diamond League track and field meet, but it was recently retired Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang who got the biggest ovation of the night.

Liu became one of China’s most celebrated athletes when he won the hurdles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Liu retired a month ago at the age of 31 due to recurring injuries.