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**wanglei** 11 фев 2018, 05:29

Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Former champion Maria Sharapova and third seed Simona Halep notched wins, while former runner-up Ana Ivanovic was a stunning opening-round loser on Day 1 at the Australian Open. The second-seeded former world No. 1 Sharapova eased past Croat Petra Martic 6-4, 6-1. The reigning French Open champion titled here in 2008 and was an Aussie runner-up in 2007 and 2012. Sharapova opened her 2015 season with a title in Brisbane two weeks ago. Her second-round opponent on Wednesday will be fellow Russian Alexandra Panova. Last years French Open runner-up to Sharapova, Halep, handled Italian Karin Knapp 6-3, 6-2 at Melbourne Park. Halep opened her latest season with her ninth career title in Shenzhen, China, two weeks ago. Shell meet Aussie Jarmila Gajdosova on Day 3 this week. Meanwhile, Czech Lucie Hradecka sent shockwaves by ousting fifth-seeded Ivanovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena. The Serbian Ivanovic, who was the Aussie runner-up to Sharapova in 2008, suffered her earliest exit at a Grand Slam event since the French Open in 2011. She was a quarterfinalist in Melbourne last year. I think the whole match I didnt really feel like myself out there, Ivanovic said. It was really tough for me to find a rhythm a little bit. In the third set, I really felt like she raised her level. Hradecka, playing her first Grand Slam main draw since last years Aussie Open, lost in qualifying at the other three majors in 2014. The doubles specialist entered the week ranked 142nd in singles play. She has 18 doubles titles, but none in singles. In the first set I was so nervous, Hradecka said. I couldnt hit any balls in the court. When I went outside, I started to serve in the second set, I thought, Okay, it cannot be the worst. Lets play every point and lets see what will happen. Its the earliest exit by a top-5 seed since 2003, when then No. 3 Jennifer Capriati was ousted by Marlene Weingartner. Seventh-seeded Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard doused German Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-2, 6-4, while another upset saw Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania beat No. 9 seed Angelique Kerber of Germany, 6-4, 0-6, 6-1. Bouchard was the only woman to appear in three Grand Slam semifinals last year. Bouchards second-round opponent will be Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens. In other action involving top-16 seeds, No. 10 Russian Ekaterina Makarova whipped Belgian An-Sophie Mestach 6-2, 6-2, No. 14 former Roland Garros runner-up Sara Errani drilled American Grace Min 6-1, 6-0 and Kazakhstans Yaroslava Shvedova upended No. 16 Czech Lucie Safarova 6-4, 2-6, 8-6. In other play involving seeds, German Carina Witthoeft took out No. 17 Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 6-1; No. 21 Peng Shuai of China beat Germanys Tatjana Maria 6-4, 7-5; No. 22 Czech Karolina Pliskova defeated Russian Evgeniya Rodina 7-5, 6-1; Belgiums Yanina Wickmayer downed No. 23 Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Frances Caroline Garcia upset No. 27 Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-4, 6-2; Frances Kristina Mladenovic doused No. 28 Sabine Lisicki of Germany 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; No. 31 Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan overcame Pole Urszula Radwanska 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; and Germanys Julia Goerges vanquished No. 32 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-2, 6-1. Several other women moved on, including Americans Christina McHale and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Puerto Rican Monica Puig and Italian veteran Roberta Vinci. On Tuesday, top seed Serena Williams will meet Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck and fourth-seeded Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova will face Dutchwoman Richel Hogenkamp. The reigning U.S. Open champion Williams owns 18 career Grand Slam titles, including a whopping five Aussie crowns. Also slated for opening-round action on Day 2 are sixth-seeded former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska, eighth-seeded former No. 1 and 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, 11th-seeded 2014 Aussie Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova, and 18th-seeded former top-ranked star and former Aussie finalist Venus Williams. Adam Eaton Jersey . Szabados joined the Southern Professional Hockey League team last week. The 27-year-old goaltender from Edmonton backstopped the Canadian womens hockey team to Olympic gold Feb. Jayson Werth Jersey . The Henry Burris-led squad finished second in the East Division before advancing to the Grey Cup where they ultimately fell to the home field advantage wielding Saskatchewan Roughriders. http://www.baseballnationalsauthority.com/Joe-Blanton-Jersey/ . The Calgary skip fell 10-8 to Swedens Oskar Eriksson in semifinal action Saturday and will face Switzerlands Peter de Cruz for the bronze medal (Saturday at 10pm et/7pm pt on TSN2). Anthony Rendon Jersey . According to TSNs Farhan Lalji, Richardson is heading to Toronto for a physical and is expected to sign with the Argonauts. Sean Doolittle Jersey . The NFLs Defensive Rookie of the Year will be named at the NFL Honours Award show on February 1. The 23-year-old 2013 second-rounder out of Oregon becomes the third Bills linebacker to win the honour after Jim Haslett (1979) and Shane Conlan (1987.ASHBURN, Va. -- The linebacker with 100 per cent attendance says theres a 99 per cent chance hes done. Washington Redskins captain London Fletcher, who has never missed a game in 16 NFL seasons, announced Wednesday that he plans to retire at the end of the year, the conclusion of a remarkable career for the undersized, undrafted player from a Division III school. "I felt like I accomplished everything I can accomplish in the National Football League from a players standpoint," Fletcher said. "Obviously everybody wants to go out like Ray Lewis with the Super Bowl parade ... but it wasnt in the cards for me." Fletcher left a tiny opening that he could return, but age has finally started to catch up with the player who always seemed ageless. Hes 38, and his tackles and playing time have declined this season. Hes set to be a free agent, and hes the leader of a struggling defence that is one of many reasons the Redskins (3-11) have clinched their fifth last-place finish in six years. "Im about 99 per cent certain that this will be my last season," Fletcher said. "Ive got to leave at least one per cent in case I change my mind, but its really just about having another conversation with my wife. ... I want to put on a nice suit when I go to that 100 per cent." Fletcher, listed at 5-foot-10, has answered the call for all 254 regular season games since joining the St. Louis Rams out of John Carroll in 1998, the longest consecutive games streak for a defensive player since the 1970 merger and fourth all-time behind Jeff Feagles (352), Brett Favre (299) and Jim Marshall (282). Hes started 213 straight games -- the longest such run by a linebacker in NFL history -- over four seasons with the Rams, five with the Buffalo Bills and seven with the Redskins. He said hes thought about retirement for four or five years, but he had previously said would wait until the calm of the off-season to decide for good rather than announcing it in-season while emotions are strong. He said Wednesday he changed his mind because he wanted a chance to say goodbye to the fans at Sundays home finale against the Dallas Cowboys. Fletcher once called himself the "Susan Lucci of the NFL" because he was always getting snubbed at Pro Bowl time, but the drought ended when was selected for the all-star game for four consecutive seasons starting in 2009. He was second-team All-Pro in 2011 and 2012, has played in two Super Bowlls and is the only player since sacks became an official stat in 1982 to have 30 sacks, 20 interceptions and 20 forced fumbles.dddddddddddd Asked if hes Hall of Fame worthy, he laughed and said there will "definitely" be room for debate when hes compared to others who have been enshrined. "I think hes definitely a Hall of Fame calibre player," coach Mike Shanahan said. "His work speaks for itself." Fletcher said he can still "go out and make plays" despite his age and is leaving in part to spend more time a family that includes three young children. He said he hopes to leave a legacy of helping develop teammate Perry Riley, but Fletchers overwhelming accomplishment is that he always found a way to play, no matter how badly he was limping from some injury after the previous game. "I dont know how he does it," linebacker Brian Orakpo said. "Any time Im feeling bad or I dont want to practice or Im sore, and I look at this guy and hes still going -- you cant complain. Its impossible to go out there and complain because this guys out there doing it and he has 10-plus years on me." Fletcher said the streak was his way of not letting his teammates down. "I always wanted to be able to be there for them and know that, Hey, they can count on me," Fletcher said. "And even prove doubters wrong when theres a little nick or bump and they think, Hey, this is going to be the end of the streak or whatever the case may be -- to be able to say: You know what? Im tough enough to get through this." Notes: Fletcher also gave a passionate endorsement for Shanahan to return. "I think you should extend him, as crazy as that may sound," Fletcher said. ... Fletchers advice to embattled quarterback Robert Griffin III, who has been benched for the rest of the season: "This is a time for him to exhale, take a step back." Griffins rambling response: "I agree with him. And I did take that advice because for some people it can push you over the edge and really frustrate you, so for me I just gotta do what Fletch told me and exhale, just let it all go because you have to let the people that know you defend you. And you cant try to defend yourself or your family in these situations. Its unfortunate and people wont understand that. But people that know me, know my parents, know my family, know what goes on around here, they have to defend me." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '