and more than one sack in a calendar month since | Forum
wzh123
Jun 11 '18
NEW YORK -- Caroline Wozniacki isnt just back playing tennis. Brandon Crawford Jersey . Something important about her seems changed. And a lot of it was evident during her 6-0, 6-2 demolition of Latvias Anastasija Sevastova on Tuesday in a quarterfinal match that ended Sevastovas giant-killing run through the US Open.Wozniacki began by blitzing to wins in the first 10 games of a match that passed the 50-minute mark before Sevastova, who was fighting an ankle injury that required two visits from the trainer, won a solitary game.Even if I had no injury, it wouldve been tough to beat her. Caroline played great, Sevastova said.Referring to Wozniackis mere five unforced errors compared to the 30 she made, the 48th-ranked Sevastova added, I think she made no mistakes.Wozniacki moves into Thursdays semifinal round opposite Angelique Kerber, who could overtake Serena Williams for No. 1 in the world if she wins this tournament. Kerber will find that Wozniacki, whose ranking has plunged to No. 74 in part because of an ankle injury that forced her to miss three months this year (including the French Open), will not be an easy out. She looks nothing like the player who bombed out early at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.Wozniackis game and attitude have more of a serrated edge now, and she says age and suffering some hard knocks have a lot to do with it. She used to be the best counterpuncher on tour, bar none. But against Sevastova -- and eight-seeded Madison Keys and Svetlana Kuznetsova in this tournament before that -- Wozniacki was the aggressor. She now comes forward more, cracking hard shots off both her forehand and backhand. She kept Sevastova pinned deep behind the baseline, often finishing her off with smashes, same as shed done against Keys in the previous round.Seeing it on TV is one thing, but I was feeling how deep shes hitting the ball and feeling like I cant get on the offense right away, Keys said after their match. Its totally different watching and playing.A lot of this feels different than when Wozniacki was the top-ranked player in the world for 67 weeks in 2010 and 2011. She didnt play this assertively or talk with the hint of swagger that occasionally slips out now. She constantly had her bona fides questioned then -- and even now, at age 26 -- because she still hasnt won a Grand Slam title. She made the final here in 2009 but lost to Kim Clijsters and was beaten by Williams in the title match two years ago.Until now, Wozniacki hadnt been back to a Slam semifinal since.Wozniacki will now admit her desire to hang onto the No. 1 ranking and the constant references to the lack of a Slam title wore on her, even if she tried to never let it show. She never got sharp or refused to answer the same question over and over, but she had a lot more of Clijsters in her than Williams, now a close friend but one of the most rapacious winners on tour.At times, Wozniacki seemed like shed succeeded Clijsters for the title of nicest player on tour -- which is a great thing to be as a human being but often has no application to dominating tournaments.So imagine the little ripple of surprise Wozniacki caused the other day after shed upset Keys -- playing some tennis that was almost as immaculate as her win over Sevastova -- and actually bragged a little, saying, I think it sucks for some of the other players to have to play me early in tournaments.On Tuesday, Wozniacki admitted she saw Sevastova slip and fall during their match. But she told herself to have no sympathy.I think I was just a little extra focused, Wozniacki said. I knew if she can still walk and still put weight on it and stuff, then shes obviously going to go more for her shots. ... I kept serving well and made her run.Sevastova looked nothing like the player who had knocked off French Open champ Garbine Muguruza earlier in the tournament. And Wozniacki looked nothing like the ball returner whose own father and coach, Piotr, has said used to be happy just to make a semifinal.The dream needs to be to win, Piotr told USA Today on Sunday.Consider it done, his daughter says.I think when youre a little kid and you dont know what anything really means, everybody knows what it means to be the best in the world, and everybody knows what it means to be No. 1, Wozniacki said Tuesday. That is something Im extremely proud of. ... I mean, how crazy is it to say that youre the best in the world at something? Doesnt matter if its tennis, football, being a lawyer.So bring on Kerber. Then the Williams-Simona Halep winner after that.I still believe and feel like Im one of the top players, and grinding my way back, Wozniacki said. Hopefully, I have two more matches here. Dave Dravecky Jersey . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Cheap Giants Jerseys For Sale .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons.http:///...lando-cepeda-jersey/ .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- There are a lot of reasons for the New York Giants success on defense this season, and then there is Damon Harrison.Affectionately called `Snacks by his teammates, Harrison isnt what one would consider a glamour player on coordinator Steve Spagnuolos unit.Other players are more noticeable. Second-year safety Landon Collins is having a career year with 87 tackles and five interceptions.Jason Pierre-Paul is playing like the old `JPP with seven sacks, including 5+ in the past two games.Fellow defensive end Olivier Vernon has sacks in four straight and cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie are helping to limit opposing big-play receivers.Harrisons work is more covert. With his dreadlocks reaching underneath his helmet, the 6-foot-3, 343-pound Harrison is the force in the middle of a defense that has not allowed a player to rush for 100 yards this season. Only three teams have gained 100 yards in 11 games.It seems like every week there is something he does that has me saying (Wow), how in the heck did you do that, linebacker Devon Kennard said of Harrison.Its ridiculous. It might get overpassed by some of the other plays we are making all over the field, but I dont know if I have seen a defensive tackle dominate, the way he dominates.Kennard said there was a play against Cleveland this past weekend when the Giants won their sixth straight game on which Harrison split a double team and made the tackle.Harrisons play has helped the Giants (8-3) jump from the NFLs last-ranked defense in 2015 to No. 16 heading into Sundays game at Pittsburgh against the Steelers (6-5).Giants guard Justin Pugh laughed when asked about playing against Harrison, who made the NFL as a free agent with the Jets.Just look at him, Pugh said. Hes an unmovable person. Hes a good player. He plays low and he has a chip on his shoulder.That chip helped Harrison get a five-year, $46.2 million deal from the Giants in the offseason.Spagnuolo said he didnt know what to expect from Harrison other than what he saw on videotape, a force in the middle of the defensive line who wasnt satisfied simply being a run stopper.Spagnuolo got that and more, even a couple of hits on the running backs coming thrrough the line on pass plays. Deion Sanders Jersey. He has been such a key component to the way this thing has kind of gelled together and I am not talking about when he is out on the field, as much as when he is off the field, when he is on the sideline, when he is in the locker room, Spagnuolo said.I watch him all the time. He has been the glue. He has been the guy that can get the guys to refocus. You need somebody in the group that will do that and he has been that guy.Harrison said he spoke with Spagnuolo after signing and the defensive coordinator just told him to be himself.He has done that playing what is a thankless position. More often than not, he is getting double-teamed, although playing in a 4-3 formation with the Giants has helped him focus on one gap.He had to handle two gaps playing a 3-4 scheme with the Jets.Im getting old, Harrison said. I used to like the double teams, but now Im just trying to run away from them. Pass them on to (Johnathan) Hankins. A young guy.If thatll help the team and make the team better, cause the linebackers to make more plays, then Im all for it. I try to fight through the double team and still make the play. Im not just sitting on the double team and holding it. I want to make plays. Double team and single team, I still think I have a chance to make a play.The statistics bear that out.Harrison is third on the team with 63 tackles. He also had 1+ sacks, four tackles for losses, three quarterback hits, a pass defended and a forced fumble.Game notes Safety Nat Berhe (concussion), LB Mark Herzlich (concussion) and DE Owa Odighizuwa (knee) did not practice for the second straight day. Pugh (knee) and fellow OL Marshall Newhouse (knee) and Brett Jones (calf) were limited. Returner Dwayne Harris (wrist) practiced fully. ... Collins was honored as the NFC defensive player of the month. The NFL said that Collins is the first safety with 30-plus tackles, three-plus interceptions, and more than one sack in a calendar month since Philadelphias Brian Dawkins in 2006.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ;Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys OutletChina Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Gear Cheap NFL T-shirts Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China ' ' '
Share:
