Nadal, Federer, Azarenka in ease, Sharapova jolts into Australia Open third round

Top seed Rafal Nadal breezed past Australia's 17-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis in straight sets to advance into third round of Australia on Thursday.It took Nadal, the 2009 Open champion, just under two hours to oust native wildcarder, a junior finalist at the Australian and US Opens last year, in 6-2, 6-4 and 6-2.Custom Rammus cute hatSixth-seeded Roger Federer, who is competing in a record 57th straight grand slam, also cruised through to the last 32 in straight set triumph of 6-2, 6-1 and 7-6 (4), dispatching Slovakian Blaz Kavcic.Andy Murry, who is the runner up for the last two years, also made it a quick work to reach the next round, dismantling Vincent Millot of France 6-2, 6-2, 7-5.Nadal will next play 25th seed Gael Monfils, who knocked out American Jack Sock 7-6 (2), 7-5 and 6-2. Federer's next opponent is Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili, who upset 31th seeded SpaniarCustom Phone cased Fernando Verdasco in five sets of 7-6(1), 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.Other players advanced into third round are 11th-seeded Milos Raonic as the Canadian powered off Romanian Victor Hanescu 7-6(9), 6-4, 6-4;16th-seeded Janpanese Kei Nishikori, who defeated Serbian Dusan Lajovic in straight sets 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (3).In women's matches, reigning champion Victoria Azarenka romped past Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1,Honeycomb Pom Poms 6-4 in 88 minutes. 

Sharapova was the only one Thursday encountering strong challenge among top seeds. The third seed had to squeeze her limit to surpass Italy's Karin Knapp in a match that lasted a tick under three-and-a-half hours.The 2008 Australian Open champion took the first set in a romp, easily winning it 6-3. But the world No. 44 levelled the match at one set apiece when she stormed back in the second.The Italian broke Sharapova twice, winning the set 6-4, but it was in the final set that the drama unveiled its plot.The decisive set lasted for 115 minutes, even longer than most of women's matches, ending in 10-8 in the Russian's favor."I'm really happy to get through. I really am. I worked really hard in the last few months and I wanted this match. I didn't play my best tennis I didn't do many things well," said the Russian, who stayed out match for a couple of months for injury.Sharapova next plays French 25th seed Alize Cornet who took out China Wheel ForksItaly's Camila Giorgi 6-3, 4-6 and 6-4.Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, fifth seed, downed Olga Govortsova of Belarus in 6-0, 7-5.The organizers had been forced to implement the "extreme heat policy" due to three consecutive hot days of over 40 degrees Thursday. The announcement was made at 1.52 p.m. after a bundle of criticism from players for playing on such extreme conditions. The forecast top for Melbourne on Thursday is 44 degrees.Play on all outside courts were suspended until 6:00 to resume, but in the center court Rod Laver and Hisense Court,Abercrombie Cap-AF30048 the matches could sustain as the roofs are closed."Today for sure I was lucky to play indoor. I saw a lot of matches in the morning that they were not very lucky than me. Today was really hard. Even indoor was ridiculous," said the Polish. "Everybody talk about it. We kind of trying to prepare for that weather and doing everything we can to survive those matches."Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, the 10th seed, defeated American player Christina McHale 6-0, 1-6, 6-2.

Players fight tough games at sweltering Australian Open

Extreme heat takes roll on players at the Australian Open as the temperature topped 43 degrees in Melbourne Park on Wednesday. Tennis is not only hot, but also tough for opponents of big names such as Serena,louis vuitton monogram canvas bags Djokovic and Li Na.Three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the third round after beating Argentine Leonardo Mayer in straight sets. The second seed stayed on track for his fifth Australian Open title and extended his winning streak at the Melbourne Park to 23 matches with a 6-0, 6-4 and 6-4 victory.The second round match was also the Serb's 26th consecutive win but Djokovic got a brief scare while serving at 3-0 in the first set when he turned over on his left ankle and tumbled to the court. But it appeared not so serious as he took the opening set in 22 minutes, just conceding eight points. 

Women's singles event top seed Serena Williams of United States took just 63 minutes to ease to a straight-sets victory against her Serb opponent Vesna Dolonc at 6-1, 6-2.As the oldest player to ever rank No.1,Custom USB Wired Gaming Keyboard Williams went 78-4 and won 11 titles in 2013. She also beat Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka back-to-back the week before last to win in Brisbane without dropping a single set.Paper Tissue Honeycomb BallsFourth Seed Li Na won 7-5 in the tiebreak of the second set to beat Swiss qualifier Belinda Bencic 6-0, 7-6(5). The two-time runner-up dominated the first set, playing only 22 minutes to win without dropping a game and conceding only 10 points.louis vuitton men handbags prices 

But Bencic put up more of a challenge in the second set and broke Li twice to force a tiebreak. But Li prevailed to win 7-5. It was Li's second straight match against a 16-year-old. She beat Croatian Ana Konjuh, the youngest player in the women's draw, in the first round.In men's event, third-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer overcame a slow start to beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.Custom Teemo hat Ferrer trailed 0-3 in the opening set but managed to force a tiebreak, in which he won by 7-2. He then lost the second set 5-7 before taking control back in the final two sets at 6-0, 6-3.

Ivanovic ends Serena's 25-match win streak

Moments before she started pounding the first of her many winners past Serena Williams at the Australian Open, Ana Ivanovic listened intently to the announcer on Rod Laver Arena outlining the extraordinary accomplishments of the woman soon to be across the net from her.Williams, a five-time champion at Melbourne Park, won 78 of her 82 matches in 2013, and was coming into the fourth round on the second-longest winning streak of her career -- 25 matches.It was her 70th match at the Australian Open, a record in the Open Era. And then, of course, there's the 17 major singles championships."When we were starting the match and they were talking about all her Grand Slam titles, it was quite impressive," Ivanovic said, recalling the pre-match introductions. "But I didn't think much about the occasion and who I was playing, because it can get overwhelming."True to her word, Ivanovic, who had never won a set against Williams in four previous meetings, took on the biggest serve in women's tennis without fear. And she hit pinpoint forehands -- 20 of 33 winners were on that side -- to all areas of the court.China Fork Extensions Williams, who later revealed she was carrying a back injury, didn't even bother trying to chase some of them down.Just under two hours later, it was game, set and match: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and an upset victory to put Ivanovic into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time since her run to the final in 2008. 

The action will be intense at the Australian Open, but there's still plenty of time for fun. Check out some shots of the lighter side of the event."It's not easy playing such a champion ... but she is also just a human," said Ivanovic. "I just went out there swinging."Williams never got into the swing of things, at least not to way Ivanovic expected. She noticed from the outset that Williams' serve seemed to lack its usual zip. Williams also made some very uncharacteristic errors on her backhand, a telltale sign of back pain."It wasn't the best," Williams admitted later, sounding surprised when asked about the back injury. Her coach had let it slip after the players walked off the court that Williams had been experiencing back pain for days."Again, I don't want to blame anything. I feel like Ana deserves all the credit," Williams added. "I feel she played unbelievable today. I think she went for her shots. It's not like I gave her the match."Ivanovic will next play 19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, who had a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0 win over local hope Casey Dellacqua.The other quarterfinal in Ivanovic's half will feature two-time finalist Li Na, who beat No. 22 Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-0, and No. 28 Flavia Pennetta, who defeated No. 9 Angelique Kerber 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.The men's draw progressed more according to rankings when three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and No. 3 David Ferrer advanced to the quarterfinals, along with No. 7 Tomas Berdych and No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka.Djokovic continued his bid for a fourth straight Australian title with a 6-3, 6-0,honeycomb paper balls6-2 win over Fabio Fognini. Ferrer beat Florian Mayer 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 and will next play Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon finalist. 

Djokovic will play Wawrinka, who finished off the Sunday night program at Rod Laver with a 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) win over Tommy Robredo."I've been elevating my game as the tournament is going on," said Djokovic, who later entertained the crowd with an impersonation of his new coach, Boris Becker. "The general feeling on the court, all the shots,Our store can offer cheap Juicy Couture Grade Wallets sale, welcome choose! using the court position really well, being aggressive, playing my style of the game."Follow what the top players are saying, get updates from the scene and more with our Australian Open Twitter feed.On Monday, Djokovic's major threats to the title -- top-seeded Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and 17-time Grand Slam singles winner Roger Federer -- will play their fourth-round matches. Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka and No. 3 Maria Sharapova are in action on the women's side.Ivanovic will have the day off -- she's planning a celebratory dinner with some of her Serbian relatives who live in Melbourne.paper drinking straws wholesaleAsked if having Williams out of any Grand Slam makes a difference, Ivanovic said it "definitely" did, then explained why in effusive terms."I think she's done so much for the sport, and she's still doing it," Ivanovic said. "She's such a great athlete and a great person to have on tour. We want her, because it pushes us."With the challenge met on Sunday, Ivanovic, at the urging of several fans, attempted to throw a souvenir towel into the stands. The breeze blew it back at her.Custom LOL Assassins Taipei pure cotton hoodyShe was plainly off the mark, perhaps for the only time all day.

Maria Sharapova upset in Round 4

Maria Sharapova followed Serena Williams out of the Australian Open after the second fourth-round upset in 24 hours.Third-seeded Sharapova lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Dominika Cibulkova on Monday, struggling with her serve in the second and third sets and making 45 unforced errors as she tried to claw her way back.Her serve started to backfire from the eighth game, when she was broken at love while trying to serve out the first set.Maria Sharapova had been resilient but shaky in her first three Australian Open matches, but those mistakes caught up to her against Dominika Cibulkova on Monday,Custom LOL cute Q version design pure cotton long sleeve T-shirt Melissa Isaacson writes. During a run of four breaks against her, Sharapova won only three points on her own serve and fell 5-0 behind in the second set.The four-time major winner rallied to win four straight games before Cibulkova held to level the match. After taking an off-court medical time out after the second set for a hip strain, she was broken immediately and had seven double-faults in the third set.Sharapova was two tournaments into a comeback from a prolonged layoff with a right shoulder injury, and said her run to the fourth round was a positive sign because she was healthy and back on tour."I have to look at the positives and see where I have come from in four or five months. I haven't played a lot of tennis in those six months," said Sharapova,Long Sleeve T-Shirts who won the Australian title in 2008 and lost two other finals."So I certainly would have loved to play a little bit more before playing a Grand Slam, but this is the chance that I was given." 

Top-ranked Williams, a five-time Australian Open champion, was knocked out in a three-set loss to 14th-seeded Ana Ivanovic on Sunday, and later revealed she had a back problem that had her considering withdrawing from the tournament.The absence of two of the biggest stars in women's tennis opens up the draw for two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka, who was playing No.paper honeycomb 13-seeded Sloane Stephens later Monday.Sharapova made it hard for herself in Australia,Custom Riven fashion design pure cotton hoody with a zipperBuy Smiling Face Handbag(AAA) wholesale, Custom Fit Stripe Shirt and more. having difficulty closing out her second- and third-round matches. She needed almost 3? hours to beat Karin Knapp in searing heat the second round -- playing 50 minutes between her first and final match points. She said she couldn't use the heat wave as an excuse for her loss, and added that the hip strain wasn't anything out of the ordinary for a tennis player.Cibulkova had spent just over 3? hours on court in her first three wins, including a 6-1, 6-0 win over No. 16 Carla Suarez Navarro in the third round.The pair hadn't played since Sharapova's quarterfinal win at Wimbledon in 2011. Now they're evenly split in six head-to-heads, but Cibulkova has won two of their three matches at the majors with her win Monday and her quarterfinal victory at the 2009 French Open.Cibulkova raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set before tightening up and letting Sharapova back into the match. She was more steady in the third, when she didn't even face a break point."I was never doubting myself," the No. 20-seeded Cibulkova said, adding that Ivanovic's win over Williams the previous day had been motivational but not her main inspiration against Sharapova."It was a great match for Ana. But this was a different story. I already beat Maria before and I beat her" at a major.

Seahawks turn back 49ers for a return to Super Bowl

The Seahawks are headed to the Super Bowl for the second time in their history thanks to a spectacular play by their All-Pro cornerback. With 30 seconds left and his team trailing by six, San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick tried to hit Michael Crabtree with an 18-yard pass in the corner of the end zone.But Sherman leaped and batted the ball up with his left hand. Teammate Malcolm Smith made the interception to preserve a 23-17 victory at a raucous CenturyLink Field.Seattle will play the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.It was the third turnover of the second half by Kaepernick, who has a history of struggles against the Seahawks.Seattle took a 23-17 lead with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter on Steven Hauschka's 47-yard field goal. The Seahawks saw their offense stall after safety Kam Chancellor intercepted a pass intended for Anquan Boldin at the 40, but the Seahawks could only advance the ball 11 yards.That was the second consecutive turnover by Kaepernick, who was stripped from behind on San Francisco's previous possession. The ball was one-hopped by Seattle's Michael Bennett and returned 17 yards to the San Francisco six-yard line.The Seahawks were unable to punch the ball across the goal line,wholesale honeycomb paper ball however, and receiver Jermaine Kearse fumbled on a short third-down reception. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman suffered a leg injury on that play and had to be carted off the field.Although the Seahawks retained possession of the ball, they would turn it over on downs as quarterback Russell Wilson fumbled on fourth down and teammate Michael Robinson recovered the ball on the 15.The touchdown came on fourth-and-seven play, after the Seahawks had lined up for a field goal but called a timeout at the last second. Wilson came back on the field and, after San Francisco's Aldon Smith jumped offside, the Seahawks quarterback had a free play. He found Kearse streaking down a seam.After a first half light on offense, the third quarter was marked by the teams trading rapid-fire scores.Buy buy cheap Bench Outerwear Yoga Clothes, Custom Fit Stripe Shirt and more.Seattle got it started with 9:51 remaining in the quarter, when Marshawn Lynch broke loose on a 40-yard touchdown run that ignited the already-loud crowd and forged a 10-10 tie. 

The 49ers answered with a scoring drive of their own that included a 22-yard run by Colin Kaepernick, and, a play later, a fumble recovery by San Francisco center Jonathan Goodwin after Kaepernick fumbled.Food paper bag wholesale On the next play, Kaepernick fired a laser-straight, 26-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin while scrambling from pressure. Boldin outleaped a defender in the back of the end zone to make the catch.Trailing, 17-10, Seattle answered with a 69-yard kickoff return by Doug Baldwin. That set up a 40-Hydraulic dirt bucket suppliersyard field goal that trimmed the lead to four points.That flurry of scoring was markedly different than the first half.San Francisco headed to the locker room with a 10-3 halftime lead, and neither team was able to generate much offense.The 49ers had a slight advantage in total yards, 128-126.Although San Francisco had only three receptions for 17 yards in the first half, Kaepernick did a lot of damage with his legs, running for 98 yards in eight carries. That included his 58-yard scramble in the second quarter that set up the first half's only touchdown, a one-yard plunge by running back Anthony Dixon.Seattle's Russell Wilson was under constant pressure and was sacked four times in the first half, including the first play of the game.http://cnbattachment.com/ On that, linebacker Aldon Smith broke free as Wilson rolled left. Smith grabbed him and punched the ball loose as Wilson tried to break free. They both fell to the turf, and Smith somehow was able to pop to his feet and pounce on the fumble at the Seattle 15.San Francisco couldn't take full advantage of the prime field position, however, gaining just eight yards before kicking a 25-yard field goal.That set the tone for a defensive slugfest of a first half in which the Seahawks failed to find their offensive rythym. Their defense did a good job of containing San Francisco's passing game, but the Seahawks were frequently burned by the scrambling of Kaepernick.The 49ers suffered a key loss in the first half when guard Mike Iupati suffered an ankle injury on Dixon's touchdown plunge.Running back LaMichael James left the game after suffering a neck injury when he was clobbered while fielding a punt, but he returned in the second half.

Durant makes MVP statement with career-high 54

For the Thunder the past few weeks, with Russell Westbrook missing in action, there have been a lot of clouds hanging over them. They've blown leads, they've struggled against mediocre teams,canada goose jacket women they've lost games they should've won.tissue paper pom pom wholesaleFriday night against the Warriors, Durant swept 'em all away and let the sun shine down in Chesapeake Energy Arena.On the second night of a back-to-back, just 24 hours after he scored 36 in 43 minutes for the Thunder in Houston as they locked down the Rockets to just 19 second half points, Durant was popping the Warriors for 54 and six assists. He had 29 at halftime, and 15 in the fourth quarter as he almost single-handedly held off the onrushing Warriors and the Stephen Curry lightshow.Naturally, Durant downplayed his supernova performance."As a leader my main objective is to serve my teammates. How can I help them out," he said.party paper straws "Some nights I've got to put it up, I've got to score. Some nights I've got to do other things. Tonight, they found me and I was able to hit a few shots. And I just tried to do the best I could to lead the team and lead us to victory. It's far from just me."Here's the thing about the Thunder without Westbrook: It kind of is about just Durant. Yes, Serge Ibaka was outstanding in Friday's win with 21 points on 8-11 shooting and eight rebounds. Reggie Jackson chipped in 14. But in the 12 recent games for OKC without its All-Star point guard, the Thunder are 7-5. And in those 12 games, Durant is averaging 36.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 50 percent shooting. 

With the way Durant has played, he's taken firm hold of the MVP conversation and not just implanted himself as LeBron's challenger, but maybe the player to beat. LeBron recently said he was jealous of Durant and the number of shot attempts he's taking. Maybe it was a bit of MVP gamesmanship from the reigning four-time MVP to try and sway perception back to his side.Or maybe he's seeing what we all are. With his team in a tough spot, Durant is taking his game to a higher level. He's carrying his squad, doing what they need him to do. Friday against the Warriors, he shot a lot. And he made a lot.“We have to get a set to put him in spot where he feels comfortable, which is any time you cross halfcourt," said Scott Brooks about OKC's offense on Friday. "But tonight we were running the plays and if they're guarding him one-on-one, he's going to have the ability to score.”There's no doubt the Thunder are a better team with Westbrook alongside Durant. If this team is going to compete for an NBA championship, Westbrook has to be healthy, and in the lineup. But this little stretch here is also a little treat for basketball fans, seeing Durant unchainepaper drinking strawsd and unhinged as a pure destroyer of basketball worlds. He said he's just doing what his team needs him to do. And right now, that's score the basketball.So with Westbrook out, the Thunder aren't as good. But it's opened up the door for narrative,disposable wooden cutlery which is one of the necessary elements in winning an MVP. Build the story, win the award. Right now, Durant is raising his game to new places to help his team win. And as Durant stood at the free throw line in the fourth quarter sitting on 52 points, the chants rained down on him.

Kenya's Kipsang targets new course record at London Marathon

World marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang is eyeing to set a new course record when he lines up for the 2014 London Marathon race on April 13.However, Kipsang is alive to the calibre of challenge that he will face as the organizers have confirmed a list of elite runners that includes the best over the 42-kilometer distance."It is hard to break the world record in London. So what I plan is to set a new course record and hopefully, I will travel back to Berlin to try and lower down the world mark in September,"Kipsang broke the world record when he won last September's Berlin Marathon in two hours, three minutes and 23 seconds. He will be keen to regain the London Marathon title he won in 2012 just a few months before claiming the bronze medal at the London Olympics."It is true I want my London marathon title back. There are no doubts about that,nike shox shoes but it will all depend on the level of fitness of the other opponents," he said.Kipsang was fifth in last year's race when Tsegaye Kebede of EthiHoneycomb Tissue Ballsopia triumphed in London for the second time.The Kenyan looked odds on to win again last year until Kebede overtook him in the final mile.There is a new twist in this year's line up. Britain will be hoping their own and world 10,000m champion Mo Farah will successfully glide from track to win the London marathon on his debut this April.Authentic Replica lv monogram vernis handbags 

Farah's inclusion of course symbolizes athletics' eternally changing order. When you throw in Olympic and world marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich, the 2011 world bronze medallist Feyisa Lilesa, and London course record holder Emmanuel Mutai, it becomes toxic.But the Kenyan challenge is completed by Stanley Biwott,Authentic Replica lv monogram canvas bags the 2012 Paris Marathon champion who was eighth in London last April, and Martin Mathathi, winner of the 2013 Fukuoka Marathon.The field also includes Marilson dos Santos of Brazil, the two-times New York champion who was fourth in 2011.Farah, 30, ran his fastest half marathon when second in the Great North Run last September and has since been training hard for his first marathon race."I gained a lot of valuable experience running part of the course alongside the top guys last year and can't wait to race over the full distance this April," said Farah, who will have an eye on the long-standing London record of 2:07.13."The London Marathon always attracts the world's best runners to its elite fields and this year will be no different. I am expecting it to be one of my toughest races and a real learning experience," said FT-Shirts Hoodiesarah in a statement from the organizers."I had another great year on the track in 2013, but the marathon is my main focus for this year. As a young boy growing up in London it has always been my ambition to run the London Marathon and to be able to make my marathon debut in my home town is very special."