Sonstiges » on a new contract that could get done over the

MASON, Ohio -- Venus Williams left her winning touch in Canada. Williams knocked off sister Serena while reaching the finals in Montreal on Sunday, finishing runner-up. She lost to Lucie Safarova 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 in the first round Tuesday. "I wish I could have felt today like I did in Montreal, just to make it more competitive," Williams said. The tournament lost its other defending champion when Victoria Azarenka withdrew because of an injured right knee. Williams had an energizing week in Canada and hoped to keep their momentum going in Cincinnati, using it as a springboard to the U.S. Open. But her successful week came with a cost. Williams arrived Sunday night and opened Tuesday morning, leaving little time to recover from her deep tournament run. "Yeah, it was definitely a quick turnaround," she said. "Maybe it would have been a little better to play a little later in the day. But I think she just played so well. No matter what shot I hit, she hit a winner." Safarova led 5-2 in the third set and appeared to have won a match point, but Williams challenged and the call was overturned. Williams rallied to win the set and then another. "Thats a terrible feeling," Safarova said. "You think youve won and you have those emotions, and suddenly, youre back in the match against a great player. Then she broke me, and I thought, Uh, oh. Ive lost matches on challenges before. I told myself, Im not losing this one." Azarenkas withdrawal is the latest setback in a season full of injuries. Shes been sidelined for much of the year with an ailing left foot. She aggravated an injury to her right knee at Montreal, where she lost in the quarter-finals, and hoped a few days of rest would take care of it. She decided to withdraw after practising Tuesday morning. "I started to feel a little bit better and did everything I could, but its just not enough time for me to feel good to play a full match," she said. "Im going to get more treatment and get more work done and should be good for the U.S. Open." Fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova broke Madison Keys to go up 3-0 in the final set and held on for a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win that was gratifying. She was coming off a loss in the third round at Montreal. "I didnt have a great week last week," she said. "No matter who is across the net, its never easy going out in the first round because you want to change that result around. You want to change your attitude and your performance and obviously the result." ------ Freelance writer Mark Schmetzer contributed to this report. Cheap Air Force Ones China . Rodriguez, who has steadfastly denied using banned substances while with the New York Yankees, made the decision nearly four weeks after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz largely upheld the discipline issued last summer by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. "I think its a good move for him," former Commissioner Fay Vincent said. Nike Sb Shoes Outlet . Mesoraco hurt his hamstring while scoring from second in Friday nights 5-4 loss at Atlanta. Chapman was hit by a line drive during an exhibition game on March 19, breaking his nose and a bone above his left eye. The left-hander looked strong while throwing 43 pitches in batting practice before Saturday nights game against the Braves. http://www.airforce1nearme.com/sb-shoes-outlet-near-me.html . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. Authentic Nike Air Force 1 Wholesale . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him. Air Force 1 Cheap Near Me . Ortiz hit a pair of two-run homers, including his 400th shot in a Red Sox uniform, and drove in a career high-tying six runs to power Boston past the Houston Astros 10-7 on Saturday night.Marian Gaborik could be staying with the defending Stanley Cup champions next season and beyond. While nothing is done yet, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the Los Angeles Kings and the pending unrestricted free agent are close on a new contract that could get done over the next 48 hours. The Kings acquired Gaborik from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline and the veteran winger was instrumental in the teams Stanley Cup win. In 41 games with the Blue Jackets and Kings, Gaborik scored 11 goals and 19 assists. He missed 17 games with a sprained knee and 22 games with a broken collarbone last seaason.dddddddddddd Gaborik, a native of Slovakia, was drafted by Minnestota in the first round, third overall, in 2000. He spent the first eight years of his career with Minnesota followed by a four-year stint with the New York Rangers. Gaborik was dealt to Columbus at the 2013 trade deadline. Gaborik is coming off a five-year contract that paid him an average annual value of $7.5 million per season. The 32-year-old has 347 goals and 357 assists for 704 points over 810 career games in the NHL. He has represented Slovakia numerous times on the international stage, including the 2006 and 2010 Olympic Games. ' ' '