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 ROME (AP) - Maria Sharapova failed once again in her bid to become No. 1. Sharapova lost to eighth-seeded Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Italian Open on Saturday. In the title match Sunday, Schnyder will face defending champion Amelie Mauresmo, who reached her fifth consecutive Italian Open final with a 6-2, 6-4 win over sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva.
The top-seeded Sharapova could have overtaken Lindsay Davenport for the No. 1 world ranking if she had won this $1.3 million clay-court tuneup for the French Open, which starts May 23.
Sharapova also had a chance to take the top spot at the German Open last week but lost to eventual champion Justine Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals.
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