PARIS -- Rafael Nadals path to a record-extending ninth French Open title could take him through a series of matches against the men who beat him on clay this season.
Wholesale Nike Air Max 90 . The top-seeded Nadal was drawn Friday to possibly face No. 21 Nicolas Almagro in the fourth round, then No. 5 David Ferrer in the quarterfinals. "Those are opponents that know how to play well on clay," Nadal said. "But its never easy." The other mens quarterfinal matchups could be No. 2 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 8 Milos Raonic, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka vs. No. 7 Andy Murray, and No. 4 Roger Federer vs. No. 6 Tomas Berdych. The possible womens quarterfinals are No. 1 Serena Williams vs. No. 7 Maria Sharapova in what would be a rematch of last years final won by Williams, No. 2 Li Na vs. No. 6 Jelena Jankovic, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska vs. No. 8 Angelique Kerber, and No. 4 Simona Halep vs. No. 5 Petra Kvitova. Ferrer, who lost to Nadal in the 2013 final at Roland Garros, upset him in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals last month. Almagro ended Nadals 41-match winning streak in Barcelona by beating him in the quarterfinals there a week later. Those defeats were both in best-of-three-set matches. The French Open, like all Grand Slam tournaments, uses a best-of-five format for men, and Nadal was asked Friday whether that gives him an advantage on clay. "I give my most every point, every game, every set. Whether its (best of) three or five, if you want to win, you have to play well," he said. Nadal has three losses on clay in a season for the first time since 2004, when he was only 17 and had yet to play a match at the French Open. He was beaten in the Rome final last weekend by Djokovic; they only could meet in the final in Paris. Djokovic has won the pairs last four meetings, but Nadal is 5-0 head-to-head at the French Open, including victories in the 2012 final and 2013 semifinals. Djokovic, a six-time major champion who needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, and Federer, owner of a record 17 major titles, were drawn to meet in the semifinals. Nadal, who stands third among men with 13 Grand Slam trophies, could meet Australian Open champion Wawrinka in the semifinals. Nadal is 59-1 for his career at the French Open, with four titles in a row in 2005-08 and again in 2010-13. Williams won the clay-court Grand Slam tournament in 2002, beating her older sister Venus in the final, then waited 11 years before adding a second French Open trophy in 2013. The Williams sisters were drawn Friday to face each other in the third round, which would be their earliest meeting at a Grand Slam tournament since their very first matchup, in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. Venus is seeded 29th at the French Open. Shes won seven Grand Slam singles titles, 10 fewer than Serena, who holds a 14-10 edge in head-to-head matches. "It never gets easier," Serena said. "Shes essentially the love of my life, so its definitely difficult."
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Fake Nike Air Max 90 .ca! Hi Kerry, The recent issues in the Boston-Pittsburgh game have highlighted a number of officiating, game control, and player sportsmanship aspects.The Colorado Avalanche lost a game last week, but have maintained their hold on top spot in the TSN.ca NHL Power Rankings for another week, ahead of the St. Louis Blues and the Anaheim Ducks. After they were ranked 10th last week, Ducks fans were out in full force to express their dissatisfaction with the rankings process. Of course, when a goaltender comes up from the AHL and has a .952 save percentage in six starts, well, the results are perhaps better than might have been reasonably anticipated by mere models. In any case, the Ducks are rolling and their ranking reflects as much. The Boston Bruins moved from 11 to six, starting to find their footing with one regulation loss in the last five (entering play Monday). With a 7-1-2 record in the last 10 games, the Minnesota Wild have stormed back into the Top 10, jumping from 13 to seven on the strength of Josh Hardings play between the pipes. Outstanding play from goaltender Robin Lehner has lifted the Ottawa Senators up from 18 to 13 while, further down the rankings, the Washington Capitals (4-1-1 in their last six) and the New York Rangers, who have six wins in their last seven games, bothh moved up five spots, to 18 and 19, respectively.
Clearance Nike Air Max 90. Heading the wrong way, the Tampa Bay Lightning have climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, but a potentially serious injury to Steven Stamkos, suffered Monday afternoon, knocked them from five all the way down to 16. Detroits winless-in-three stretch bumped them from 12 to 17 and the Calgary Flames dropped from 17 to 23 after one win in their last seven games. The New York Islanders, outscored 16-6 on a four-game losing streak, and missing star winger Thomas Vanek due to injury, slipped from 19 to 25. Among other Canadian teams, the Vancouver Canucks fell from four to eight, taking some lumps on Southern California, while the Toronto Maple Leafs moved from nine to 11 and the Montreal Canadiens hold steady at 14. The Winnipeg Jets have won three of four, enough to go from 22 to 20, and the Edmonton Oilers, who have gone nine straight without a regulation win, fall one spot to 28. Scott Cullen can be reached at
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