Wozniacki and Federer in Domination

Caroline Wozniacki lost her serve in the first game, but then she came back and rolled off 12 of the next 13 in a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Arantxa Rus at the U.S. open on Thursday.

In the quest of her first Grand Slam Title, Caroline Wozniacki lost six games in total in the first two matches held at Flushing Meadows.

She will be facing against the American Vania King in the next match. King, who beat Jarmila Gajdosova – 29^th seeded, on Thursday.

In the late match, top seeded Novak Djokovic took the win in the first 14 games in a 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 victory against Carlos Berlocq of Argentina.

Novak has lost three games in total in the first two matches held at Flushing Meadows. His first challenger retired down 6-0, 5-1.

No. 3 Roger Federer also had an easy time. He was asked in an interview after his U.S. Open victory against Dudi Sela of Israel on Thursday to give other players some quick pointers and advice on how to dial in their serve.

He said, “It all starts with a good ball toss. Sometime, people think it’s just the swing, but I think the ball toss creates your motion after that. You should keep your elbow high on the serve, then the better you get, the more you can use rotation and legs.”

A-Rod Meets MLB to Discuss Poker Allegations

Alex Rodriguez’s day in court with Major League Baseball to discuss the reports he has been concerned in high-stakes and illegal poker games is planned for Friday.

Rodriguez informed reporters prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics that he will meet in Baltimore when the Yankees visit the Orioles.

Rodriguez said, “I’ll be talking to you guys on Friday afternoon.  I can’t wait.”

The baseman of Yankees is expected to get a stern caution and not a suspension.

MLB officers “seemed more interested in telling Rodriguez to avoid awkward situations than disciplining him.”

Rodriguez has refused to comment on the accusations Star Magazine first reported last month claiming he played in underground poker games.

In the meantime, A-Rod was scratched from lineup on Tuesday with a jammed left thumb.  He injured it fielding a ground ball Sunday at Minnesota, his first game back from the disabled record.

Rodriguez cut short his batting practice session to rest his thumb.

Rodriguez said, “It felt pretty painful. Hopefully it’s just a day or two.”

Report Says Joe Thomas Signs Contract with Browns

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, left tackle Joe Thomas has signed a seven-year, $84 million contract with the Browns.

The contract includes $44 million in certain money. Thomas had been put to enter the last year of his five-year $42.5 million rookie contract.

Thomas had a few rough outings last season, but is extensively believed one of the game’s top blind-side guardians.

The 28-year-old has created the Pro Bowl all four seasons since being a first-round plan pick.

Thomas informed the Akron Beacon Journal before the statement of his latest deal façade, “I’ve always loved playing for the Browns, and I love the fans. I love the city. I really see myself as a big member of the organization, and I really enjoy that. So certainly would like to stay here. But you never know what’s gonna happen in the NFL. It’s a crazy league and anything could happen.”

General manager Tom Heckert had said his focus was on employing the team’s stated $24 million in cap space on keeping young talent instead of splurging in free agency.

Thomas said, who is set to create a base salary of $8 million this year, “That’s something that I’m sure we’ll look at down the line, but we’re not really too worried about that as of right now, I think my focus is just trying to learn the [West Coast] offense first and trying to help this team win some games. I think along with those [goals], the contract stuff takes care of itself. I’m sure at the end of the season or toward the end, there may be discussions. But right now, first things first. We’ll try to hit the ground running here in the first game.”

Mardy Fish Wins in the Atlanta Tennis Championships

Mardy Fish provided himself small credit for saving two second-set match points versus John Isner.

Fish said, “When you’re in that position, it’s almost over.  I was lucky to get out of it. I played some good points. I don’t think he missed any first serves there. I stuck some returns and put some balls in play.”

Fish hit Isner in the final for the second straight year at the Atlanta Tennis Championships, receiving a 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 success Sunday in Norcross, Ga.

The world’s No. 9 player recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the tiebreak.

Fish said, “I didn’t necessarily change anything tactically.  I took care of my serve games a little bit better once I lost serve in the first game of the second.”

Isner was attempting to win successive affairs for the first time in his profession the same of what Fish did in 2010 at Newport and Atlanta.

However, the 6-foot-9 final service game of Isner consisted of two dual-faults.  He committed 29 unforced errors to Fish’s 11 through two sets.

Brian Perk Saved Draw for Galaxy

Brian Perk has to choose whether it’s left or right, eighteen minutes into his Major League Soccer debut.

Perk selected right, accurately and metaphorically, and blocked Seattle Sounders forward Fredy Montero’s penalty kick to protect a scoreless draw.

Perk said, “Just looking at him, I thought he was a crafty player.  Thought he’d show me one way and then go the other. That’s what he did. Lucky I guessed the right way.”

The penalty kick after Montero got a shot that came out to be planned for the back of the net until the elbow of Galaxy defender Omar Gonzales warded off the ball straightly to Perk.  The accidental handball resulted in punishment kick of Montero.

Bruce Arena, the Galaxy Coach, said, “Give Perk a lot of credit in his first game.  I don’t think he was tested a whole lot, but certainly a penalty kick is as much of a test as you’re ever going to face.”

The debut of Perk integrated one other save as he held the backline steady so the Galaxy with 9-2-9 can endure without its top two goalies.  The Galaxy has as well lost two of its defenders for the reason of injury by the last part of competition on Monday, although Seattle with 8-4-8 was unsuccessful to capitalize against the depleted defense.

Montero caught A.J. DeLaGarza, Galaxy defender, with a kick to the face in the 13^th minute, and DeLaGarza left the game after 10 minutes.  His line mate Gonzales experienced a left hip pointer that required him out of the game in the 80^th minute.  Arena illustrated together defenders as “fine” after the game.

Perk said, “When Omar went down I was thinking maybe we should take a draw.  Zero-zero without our two center backs is OK.”

The Galaxy as well played without David Beckham for most of the competition.  Beckham sat out the last two games of the group fighting a back injury, and Arena stayed until the 68^th minute to release Beckham from the bench, delighting the run out crowd of 27,000 followers at the Home Depot Center.

Arena said, “Beckham we knew could play about 20 to 25 minutes tonight.  I thought David did well having been out a couple of weeks, so that was OK.”

Beckham arrived moments following the best threat of Galaxy of the night and the merely time Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller was tested.  Landon Donovan, Galaxy midfielder, crossed the ball to forward Juan Pablo Angel.  Angel got a shot across the goal after dancing around the one defender.  Keller used each inch of his 6-foot-2 frame to turn aside the shot off the far post.

Nationals Drops Debut of Davey Johnson

Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals second baseman, put in a few ninth-inning heroics, yet it was not sufficient as the Los Angeles Angels clip the Nationals 4-3 in the debut of latest Nationals manager Davey Johnson.

With the Angels leading 3-2 in the ninth, Espinosa hit yet another new home run to add to his tally, tie the game and place the game into extras.  Espinosa is currently tied with Michael Morse for a team leading 15 home runs.  Espinosa, Morse and Ryan Zimmerman, every one of them, had solo shots throughout the game to include the Nationals scoring.  On the other hand, the Angels were capable to push a run across the plate in the center of the 10^th off reliever Sean Burnett to finish the game.

Starting pitcher John Lannan renounced over two runs for the first time in seven starts and admits his pitches were finding over the plate Monday night.  Lannan went 5.2 innings giving up three runs on 11 strikes, walking two and striking out two.

For Davey’s debut, the game on Monday was a bit of a comedown, although the manager who is 68 years old while disappointed with the outcomes cannot have had a good time:

“I enjoyed every minute of it,” Johnson said of his first game as a Major League manager since October 2000 with the Dodgers, “I enjoyed every minute of it, I probably went a little farther than I should have with Lannan. I wanted to give him an opportunity to get a win. But the bullpen did a good job, we just didn’t hit with runners in scoring position.”

The 68 years old said, “I still enjoyed that one even though it was a loss.  It’s a joy. I love baseball. I enjoy every pitch that’s thrown. That never changes.”

Aggie Defeats FSU

The Aggies achieved four runs in the top of the 7^th inning to remove a 2-1 Florida State guide, and themselves a 3-run pillow as they succeeded the first game of the Tallahassee Super Regional 6-2. The Aggies achieved one more run in the 8^th inning to provide them their last border of success.

Coach Childress had an precise synopsis of the game:  “We played well on both sides and the two starting pitchers did as good a job as you could ask them to do. (Matt) Junegel hits a mistake in the first inning to give us a lead and allows us to relax a little. Ross (Stripling) weathered the storm in the first inning and only gave up one run, I thought that was huge. After that he settled down and did a nice job. He gave up a home run to (Jayce) Boyd in the bottom of the sixth and we came right back in the seventh inning. We went probably 10-11-12 at bats and didn’t have good at bat against (Sean) Gilmartin and just like that in the top of the seventh we string about six quality at bats in a row together, score four runs and the bullpen does a nice job for us.”

So it was pleasant to see the Aggies go out there and beat one of the finest pitchers in the country and as Gilmartin was the 28^th pick of the 2011 MLB draft. With the exemption of the home run he gave up to Juengel in the first inning, Gilmartin was leading for the six innings before the Aggies got to him in the seventh. I can observe why the Atlanta Braves desire him in their association.

Ross Stripling had one more firm outing for the Aggies giving up 2 received runs on 7 strikes over 6 innings whereas striking out 8. The triumph moves Stripling to 14-2 on the year. Kyle Martin pitched a scoreless 8^th inning, and Nick Fleece blocked out the game by receiving the final three outs in the ninth.

The Aggies play FSU in Game 2 at 3 PM Sunday on ESPNU. A triumph Sunday or Monday will offer the Aggies their first journey to the College World Series since 1999.