KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. Seahawks Jersey . - Maria Sharapova was happy to play an 11 a.m. match Monday, especially when her work day was already done by the time a mid-afternoon shower interrupted play. "Its nice to see all the players coming back in the locker room, and Im like, Ill see you later," she said. Sharapova started early but didnt start well. She won only five points in the first four games before settling down to reach the quarterfinals at the Sony Open by beating Kirsten Flipkens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. The worlds top-ranked players had an easier time. Serena Williams eliminated fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-1. Rafael Nadal received a warning for slow play and still won in 59 minutes against Denis Istomin, 6-1, 6-0. Venus Williams lost her serve eight times and was beaten by No. 10 Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 5-7, 6-3. Sharapova, meanwhile, endured her second successive ragged three-setter and found herself trailing 4-0 after only 15 minutes. "I usually like playing the first match, but I didnt start off the way I wanted to," she said. "Nothing was working." Seeded No. 4, Sharapova seemed thrown off by the lack of pace from Flipkens, a tour veteran who hits floating backhands and sometimes slices her forehand as well. "Shes a different type of opponent," Sharapova said. "There are not too many girls that hit a slice backhand 90 per cent of the time in the rallies. But I know what to expect from her game. It shouldnt be that much of a surprise." Sharapova finished with 36 unforced errors and only 13 winners. She also double-faulted 10 times. But she won — and was ready to leave Crandon Park before most matches had even begun. With the rest of the day free, what was on the schedule for one of the worlds most celebrated athletes? "Not much, actually," Sharapova said. "I like to have my afternoon tea around 5. Its like a Russian tradition. Ill see my dog, spend some time with him, then get treatment, dinner, and then the day is over." At the top of her to-do list for the rest of the week is winning her first Key Biscayne title. Sharapova has been the runner-up five times, including each of the past three years, but she downplays any frustration regarding her many near-misses. "Of course you want to be able to hold the winners trophy," she said. "But you also remember the matches that you got through to get in the position to get to the final stage. Its not like I didnt have my opportunities in those finals; I just didnt take them. Thats why you come back and hope for another chance." Williams seems to be gaining momentum as the tournament unfolds, as usual. She overcame sloppy patches in her first two matches and committed only one unforced error in the second set against Vandeweghe. But Williams was impressed with the 22-year-old American, and told her so when they met at the net after the match. "She said, Listen, you played so well. Weve got to play doubles. Wed do so well," Vandeweghe said. Williams next plays No. 5-seeded Angelique Kerber, who beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. No. 8 Petra Kvitova rallied past No. 12 Ana Ivanovic, who double-faulted nine times in the final two sets and lost 3-6, 6-0, 6-0. In mens third-round play, No. 10 seed John Isner, the only American to reach the mens third round, hit 17 aces and beat Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-3. No. 22-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov rallied from a break down in the final set to beat Dusan Lajovic 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (5). Dolgopolov has gone 6-1 this month despite his worries about unrest in his native Ukraine, where his mother and other relatives still live. "For me it was important it has calmed down and no people are dying," said Dolgopolov, who was born in Kyiv. "But theres a little bit of chaos still going on, and no one knows who is the ruling party and who is controlling the country. Its a mess."Steve Largent Womens Jersey . The deal for Emery is worth $1 million. The 31-year-old Emery had a 9-12-2 record with a 2.96 goals against average and a .903 save percentage with two shutouts during 2013-2014 with the Flyers. Steve Largent Youth Jersey . Johnson was the CFLs most valuable defensive player back in 2011 when he recorded eight interceptions, 55 tackles and two defensive touchdowns with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.The matchup is set for the 101st Grey Cup with no shortage of hot storylines expected to play out in the lead up to Sundays big game. But what amongst all these subplots will be the biggest factor next Sunday when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium? The first story to formally unfold came at the final whistle of Sundays Eastern Final when Kent Austins Tiger-Cats toppled the Toronto Argonauts at the Rogers Centre. Austin - a Rider legend, having led the team to Grey Cup victories as quarterback in 1989 and head coach in 2007 - is in his first season behind the Ticats bench. He will look to deliver Hamilton its first Grey Cup of the 21st Century in front of many fans that lived and died with him under centre between 1987 and 1993. The 50-year-old Austin made headlines in his only prior visit to Regina this year, but Riders fans got the better of him after a 37-0 defeat in Week 4. His homecoming would have been storyline enough, regardless of the opposition. However, once the Riders won the Western Final, the possibility of beating their former hero became a reality as the team hopes to win just its fourth Grey Cup in 103 years. Speaking of former heroes, Austins not the only former star looking to haunt Rider Nation on Sunday. Andy Fantuz - the Most Outstanding Canadian from the 95th Grey Cup - will be wearing black and gold Sunday after having spent six seasons with the Riders. Also making their Rider returns are Hamilton quarterback Henry Burris (a Rider in 2000 and 2003-04) as well as kicker Luca CCongi (2006-11). Kam Chancellor Womens Jersey. However, Saskatchewan is not likely to grant their visitors much of an advantage, boasting one of the CFLs most rabid fan-bases. Thus emerges another plot-line: Home-field advantage. Saskatchewan bested the Calgary Stampeders Sunday night and earned the right to fight for the Grey Cup on their own turf. It marks the third straight year that the host citys team has advanced to the final and in both prior instances - the B.C. Lions in 2011 and the Argonauts in 2012 - the home side has won the Grey Cup. Mosaic Stadium is regularly one of the most difficult playing environments for visiting teams, with fan support often acting as a 13th man in the defensive formation. Unfortunately for Riders fans, "The 13th Man" is another ghost that they must exorcise if they hope to earn a fourth Grey Cup in franchise history. In each of their last two Grey Cup appearances, the Riders have been no worse than tied heading into the fourth quarter, including the infamous too many men on the field penalty that helped end the 97th Grey Cup in 2009. Will they be able to close out the game in their first-ever Grey Cup home game? Or, will they suffer a record 16th Grey Cup loss? But Hamilton, too, has its demons to battle. The Ticats have not even appeared in a Grey Cup since they last captured the title in 1999 and were on the losing end of the last Grey Cup meeting between these two teams: Austins 77th Grey Cup triumph. So, what will the biggest storyline be once Sunday rolls around? As always, its Your! Call. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
