move to Parma and the full-back could punish team | Forum
miaowang123
Feb 24 '19
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork. Cheap Air Max China .com) - In less than a week, Grand Slam tennis will be on the menu once again for the first time in four months. Stan Wawrinka will return as the defending mens champion, but he certainly wont be the favorite heading into the Australian Open. Novak Djokovic failed in his bid to capture a fourth straight and fifth overall title in Oz a year ago, but many expect him to return to the winners circle this time around. Djokovics 2015 season got off to a rough start with a loss at the hands of 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic in a quarterfinal in Doha last week, but rest assured, hell be ready to go for another run at his best Grand Slam event. The top-ranked Serb has won four of the last seven championships in Oz and is 4-0 when reaching the final round at Melbourne Park. Last years Wimbledon champ and French Open runner-up probably figures his stiffest competition will come from last weeks season-opening Brisbane champion, Roger Federer, who claimed his 1,000th career match win with the victory in Brisbane, joining Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) on that exclusive short list. The 17-time Grand Slam king is a four-time Aussie champ and former runner-up who hasnt run the Down Under table since 2010. The former world No. 1 Federer was last years Wimbledon runner-up to Djokovic and hasnt captured a major title since the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. Note: If Djokovic or Federer capture this years Aussie, that future Hall of Famer would set the Open Era record with five such championships. Then theres the great Rafael Nadal. The Spanish bull has been sidelined since October before returning to action in Doha just last week only to suffer a first-round setback against German fellow left-hander Michael Berrer. Rafa was rusty and it showed. Can he shake off the rust in time to make a big run in Melbourne? The former No. 1 star captured his lone Aussie title six years ago and is a two-time runner-up Down Under, including last year when he was shocked by Wawrinka in four sets in the final. Rafa was slowed mightily by a back injury in the title match and that back problem plagued him for much of the 2014 campaign, as did a wrist injury and a bout with appendicitis, which led to a season-ending appendectomy. Sure, Rafa captured yet another French Open title last year, but 2014 was basically a lost season for the 14-time Grand Slam champ, as he battled that bevy of physical ailments. Having said all that, I would still expect Rafa to be in the mix in Melbourne. The current world No. 4 Wawrinka broke through for his first-ever major title at the 14 Aussie, but he certainly benefited from that Nadal back injury, as the Spanish great was running at less than half speed in that particular final. Dont get me wrong, Stan played great at last years Aussie, but Im not expecting a repeat performance. He also had that tremendous gutsy victory over Djokovic in the quarterfinals, as Wawrinka prevailed in arguably the match of the year by outlasting the then-reigning champ in five sets, including a dramatic 9-7 fifth set. The Swiss slugger opened his latest campaign with a title in India last week. Note: Djokovic, Federer and Nadal had combined to win the previous eight Aussie Opens before Stan the Man broke through last year; and Federer, Nadal and Murray have combined to produce the last six runners-up at the physically demanding major. Kei Nishikori will look to become the first-ever Asian mens champion in Melbourne ... or at any major for that matter. The world No. 5 was last years surprise U.S. Open runner-up and just might have enough game to challenge the big boys this month. He reached the fourth round in Melbourne in each of the last two years and was a quarterfinalist there back in 2012. How bout Andy Murray? Is he all the way back from that back injury? Murray hasnt reached a major final since winning it all at Wimbledon in 2013. The athletic Brit is a three-time Aussie Open runner-up and has reached at least the quarterfinals there every year since 2010. He crashed out in the quarters a year ago while still on the mend from back surgery, but I think hes primed for another big run in the Bourne. Murray is a two-time Grand Slam champion and an Olympic gold medalist who hasnt missed a major quarterfinal (when competing) since the 2010 U.S. Open. The mens Top 10 is rounded out by last weeks Doha runner-up and former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, rising Canadian Milos Raonic, U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, and last weeks Doha champ David Ferrer. Cilic has already announced he will skip the 2015 Aussie due to a right shoulder injury, which will make world No. 11 Grigor Dimitrov a Top 10 seed in Oz. My favorites out of this lot of players to make a run are Raonic and Dimitrov. Raonic, who was last weeks Brisbane runner-up to the great Federer, possesses perhaps the best service game on the planet right now and is in the best shape of his young career, while Maria Sharapovas beau, Dimitrov, is a Grand Slam ace in the making, with his all-around game and fluid style that has forced the comparisons to Federer, thus prompting the nickname Baby Fed. Dimitrov reached the Aussie quarters a year ago. On the comeback front, former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro returned to action this week in Sydney, this after being out of commission since last February with a wrist injury. I dont expect too much from Delpo right now. FYI: The last American man to capture the Aussie was Andre Agassi back in 2003. An American will not win it again this time around. The easy pick here would be Djokovic ... and thats exactly who Im goin with. Air Max Clearance . - The Green Bay Packers got back to work on Friday without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Cheap Air Max China Wholesale . TSNs coverage of the Third Round gets underway Sunday with Game 1: Los Angeles at Chicago at 3pm et/Noon pt. TSNs broadcast schedule for the Third Round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs is as follows: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings• Game 1: Los Angeles at Chicago – Sunday, May 18 at 3pm et/Noon pt• Game 2: Los Angeles at Chicago – Wednesday, May 21 at 8pm et/5pm pt• Game 4: Chicago at Los Angeles – Monday, May 26 at 9pm et/6pm pt Featured in the broadcast booth for TSN are play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert and game analyst Ray Ferraro, with Farhan Lalji contributing reports from rinkside.Wasps are the team to beat in Pool 2 but Connacht and Toulouse will also have their sights set on the quarter-finals. The inclusion of Zebre means two teams are likely to qualify for the knockout stages and try bonus points against the Italian strugglers could prove decisive. Connacht have found form at the right time after a sticky start to the season while Toulouse continue to struggle post Guy Noves. Connacht Bundee Aki is a key performer for Connacht Champions Cup record: P18 W7 D0 L11Best finish: Pool stagesWhats hot: The Westerners are back in the Champions Cup following last seasons incredible Guinness PRO12 title success and play an exciting brand of attacking rugby. After a slow start they have registered back-to-back bonus-point wins over Edinburgh and Ulster. Whats not: Defence is a real area of concern for Pat Lam - they are conceding an average of almost four tries per game - as is a lengthy injury list.Whats changed: Key duo Robbie Henshaw and Aly Muldowney have departed the Sportsground, with second rows Lewis Stevenson and James Cannon arriving from the Aviva Premiership and talented youngster Cian Kelleher joining from Leinster.One to watch: Ultan Dillane burst onto the international scene last season and has been linked with a move to Munster. It will be interesting to watch his development. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Wasps Winger Christian Wade has scored four tries in six appearances Champions Cup record: P93 W59 D2 L32Best finish: Winners (2003-04, 2006-07)Whats hot: Five wins from six games tells you all you need to know about Wasps start to the season. Dai Youngs men are playing some scintillating rugby, scoring tries for fun. Kurtley Beale and Willie le Roux will only add to their attacking prowess once they become available for selection. Wasps will be without the injured Sam Jones for up to five months Whats not: The absence of James Haskell and Sam Jones have left Wasps short on back-rowers. Thomas Young and Guy Thompson will be tasked with filling the void.Whats changed: A raft of international stars have arrived at the Ricoh Arena, offsetting the departure of Charles Piutau. Danny Cipriani, Kyle Eastmond, Beale and Le Roux have bolstered the backline. One to watch: Jimmy Gopperth has accepted the challenge of Cipriani and Eastmonds arrival and started the season with gusto. Cheap Air Max Wholesale. The Kiwi is a reliable goal-kicker but it is with ball in hand where he was really impressed.Toulouse Maxime Medard is one of a number of talented backs at Toulouse Champions Cup record: P150 W102 D4 L44Best finish: Winners (1995-96, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2009-10)Whats hot: Toulouses star-studded backline includes the likes of Maxime Medard, Yoann Huget and Gael Fickou. They can tear opposition defences apart when they take the mood. Former England fly-half Toby Flood has been deployed at inside centre Whats not: Toulouse are a crumbling, dilapidated giant. They havent played decent rugby in 10 years and thats unlikely to change if they persist with Jean-Marc Doussain at fly-half instead of Toby Flood.Whats changed: Toulouse continue to struggle post Noves. They lost Louis Picamoles and Corey Flynn in the close season, with Scotland lock Richie Gray and Sofiane Guitoune the only high-profile arrivals.One to watch: Like he did with France, Thierry Dusautoir will let his actions speak louder than words as he tries to inspire his underperforming side.Zebre Kurt Baker played sevens rugby for New Zealand Champions Cup record: P12 W0 D0 L12Best finish: Pool stagesWhats hot: Zebre were on course to beat Connacht last month, only for the heavens to open. They have also pushed Cardiff, Glasgow and the Dragons close. Three losing bonus points is all Zebre have to show for their efforts so far this season Whats not: One losing bonus point is all Zebre have managed in 12 Champions Cup games and they could face a long wait for that first European win.Whats changed: Carlo Festuccia, Josh Furno and Giovanbattista Venditti have all returned after stints in the Premiership with fellow Italy internationals Kelly Haimona and Mirco Bergamasco leaving for pastures new.One to watch: Former New Zealand sevens player Kurt Baker has made the move to Parma and the full-back could punish teams who kick aimlessly downfield.You can watch Englands tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the British Masters on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price! Also See: Champions Cup fixtures Champions Cup standings Rugby on Sky Sky Sports pundits ' ' '
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