Subject :MONACO -- Roger Federer will try to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time and Stanislas Waw
MONACO -- Roger Federer will try to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time and Stanislas Wawrinka his first Masters title anywhere when they meet in an all-Swiss final on Sunday. Cooper Kupp Rams Jersey . Federer ousted defending champion Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday, after Wawrinka had beaten sixth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 6-1, 7-6 (3). Sundays match will be the first all-Swiss final since Marc Rosset beat Federer in Marseille in 2000, and the first time that Federer and Wawrinka meet in a championship decider. "I think its incredible that we are in the finals together, the same week weve been playing so well," Federer said. "I know Spaniards have it, French guys have it, Americans might have it. But for us its so rare. Last time was 14 years ago. I played so many matches in the meantime ... You think its never going to happen again." The odds appear stacked against Australian Open champion Wawrinka, who trails 13-1 overall against 17-time Grand Slam winner Federer. Wawrinka has lost his previous two Masters finals -- at Madrid last year and Rome six years ago. But he will take heart from the fact his only win against Federer was here, in the third round, back in 2009 -- although Federer had other things on his mind back then. "I was basically on my honeymoon. I married on Saturday and I came over here and played him like on Thursday," Federer said. "I know I have a good head-to-head (record) against him. I dont read that much into it. Hes a different calibre player now." Federer looked in good touch against Djokovic but conceded that the Serb -- who had a right-wrist injury -- was not at his best. "I feel like I have put in the performance to be there, gave myself the opportunity this week. So Im very happy with my play. Of course, I did see that Novak was struggling," Federer said. "Now I set up the dream final for Stan and myself and Swiss tennis and the Swiss fans. Its very exciting times right now." Djokovic complained of soreness in his right wrist at the start of the week and took to the court with it heavily strapped. It seemed to affect him more toward the end of the first set, and he was serving way below his best throughout the second. "Its unfortunate that when youre playing at this level against Roger, big tournament, that you are not able to play your game because something else is taking away all your energy and effort," Djokovic said. "I did everything I could really, I was on the medications every day, I was doing different therapies, injections." The fourth-seeded Federer entered the tournament only after accepting a wild card invitation, having missed the two previous editions. He lost three consecutive finals to eight-time champion Rafael Nadal from 2006-08. Djokovic missed two break-point chances when he had Federer 15-40 down in the 10th game, but Federers backhand got him out of trouble and he saved the next one with a smash at the net. Federer was inconsistent in his quarterfinal win against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but looked sharp against Djokovic, teasing him with one casual drop shot that surprised the Serb and drew loud cheers from the centre-court crowd soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine. Federer broke for 6-5 when Djokovic netted a weak forehand. At the changeover, Djokovic nursed his right wrist as he sat in his chair, looking stern-faced and pensive. "From the end of the first and the whole second, every shot was pain, especially with the serve," he said. Djokovics first-serve speed dropped to 160 kph (100 mph) in the second set and he was unable to properly flex his arm as he tried to return one shot from Federer in the third game. But it was becoming too easy for Federer, who improved to 18-16 overall against Djokovic. Samson Ebukam Womens Jersey . - Anthony Beauvillier had the winning goal in the third period as the Shawinigan Cataractes edged the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 2-1 on Wednesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. Josh Reynolds Youth Jersey . Yet coming off consecutive series losses at St. Louis and Pittsburgh, Los Angeles needed some sort of spark as August approaches. The Dodgers found it in the ballpark of their biggest rival, and left the Bay Area in first place following an emphatic three-game swing.OAKLAND, Calif. - Support his big moves or not, Billy Beane made one thing perfectly clear: The Oakland Athletics season probably would have ended sooner without Jon Lester a part of it.Oakland had the man on the mound it traded for to shine in these very moments, and the As summed up their topsy-turvy season in a single game, over a span of innings a€” and extra innings.A roster of tired, banged-up bodies that owned baseballs best record as recently as mid-August and stumbled through September is now headed into the off-season after a 9-8, 12-inning loss to the Kansas City Royals in Tuesdays wild-card game.Beane went all in on July 31, dealing slugging left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to the Boston Red Sox for Lester, the veteran left-hander who seemed poised to pitch his team into the division series before Oakland collapsed once more late this season.Simply put, if we dont have Jon Lester, I dont think we make the playoffs, Beane said Wednesday as players packed up their belongings in a quiet clubhouse.The small-budget As beat out the big spenders in the Lester sweepstakes. Then Wednesday, Beane bid Lester a likely farewell as he heads off for a big-money contract elsewhere.An offence that had been prolific to that point almost immediately went into a long funk, sparking questions and scrutiny about Beanes decision to part ways with someone as dynamic in the middle of the order as Cespedes, the two-time reigning Home Run Derby champ. The Cuban defector signed a $36 million, four-year contract before the 2012 season.Manager Bob Melvin handed the ball to Lester on Tuesday with the season on the line and Oakland built him a nice lead that appeared would be plenty, and the recent struggles might all be forgotten as things started fresh. Yet that 7-3 cushion wouldnt last against a determined Royals team, a starved franchise and fan base celebrating the organizations first playoffs since 1985.The As went 88-74 to get back to the playoffs, failing to stay with the red-hot Angels down the stretch after Oakland won the previous two AL West crowns.A microcosm of that game was a microcosm of our year, theres some truth to that, Melvin said.The September collapse baffled all involved, Melvin and his players alike were regularly at a loss for words in describing the varioous ways they were failing to come through a€” or, like Tuesday night and some many others recently, to finish off an opponent when the opportunity arose. Josh Reynolds Rams Jersey. Im proud of the fact we went to the playoffs for a third time in a row, Beane said.Had the As advanced, neither centre fielder Coco Crisp nor catcher Geovany Soto would have been available because of injuries sustained Tuesday.Beane speaks of small windows of opportunity for this club.He got aggressive this summer to give the As their best shot at a deep October run this time on the heels of consecutive five-game losses in the division series to Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers.Lester was the perfect pitcher to take Oakland further at last, just as he did leading the Red Sox to a World Series championship only 12 months ago. He threw a no-hitter against the Royals in 2008 to boot.Beanes other deals included the July 4 acquisition of right-handers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs for three top prospects.On Aug. 31, the GM traded away pitching prospect Nolan Sanburn for Adam Dunn, who reached the playoffs for the first time but never saw the field Tuesday and has plans to retire without a single post-season at-bat. He had counted on this being his chance in his 14th major league season.Horrible, its an awful feeling, said Melvin, who fully expected to be in the ALDS and use Dunn. I have so much respect for Adam Dunn that it kills me he didnt get in that game.At the start last spring, the As lost two top starters to season-ending elbow injuries and eventual Tommy John surgeries in Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin. Given an organizational focus on building depth from the bottom of the farm system on up, Oakland had the arms to withstand those losses, and, eventually, even the excess with the additions of Hammel and Samardzija that Beane traded left-hander Tommy Milone to the Twins when he became the odd-man out and found himself in the minors despite an impressive winning stretch.Now, Oakland must decide who will play shortstop in 2015 given Jed Lowrie is set to become a free agent at a position that wont have many.Its somewhat cathartic for us to start working on next year, Beane said. Theres still a lot of good pieces here. Were very much a jigsaw puzzle. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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