Don't Overlook Roger Federer In The French Open

With Rafael Nadal aiming for his 6th French Open title to tie Bjorn Borg for the most French Open championships in history and Novak Djokovic's current 41 match win streak, most people have forgot about a man that has won 16 majors and is currently ranked 3rd in the world. However, to look past Roger Federer when talking about serious contenders to win the French Open, is a huge mistake.

Roger Federer has not had an easy walk in the park for the first three rounds of the French Open. To begin this quest for a second French Open crown, he had a tricky looking match with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Lopez had previously played Federer in a great match early in May in the 2nd round of Madrid that lasted nearly three hours. Federer won that extremely tight match, where all three sets went into tiebreakers, 7-6 (15-13), 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (9-7). Federer even had to save a match point during the third set tiebreak in that match. However, Federer played some great tennis and beat Lopez in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). 

In the second round, he lost just 5 games to the young Frenchmen Maxime Teixeira, as he took the match 6-3, 6-0, 6-2.

In the third round, Federer beat Janko Tipsarevic in a difficult third round match 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. His first set against Tipsarevic took just 19 minutes. Tipsarevic said after the match, "I was honestly expecting more from myself today but he was just too good."

Federer is also extremely confident right now. He said, "I'm at peace with my game right now. Physically I feel better. My body is in better shape. I've had more practice, more matches, because between Australia and Roland Garros last year I didn't play much, and when I played it was a bit difficult. It's still early in the tournament but at the same time it's really nice to be moving in the draw so well and so quickly.

In the round of 16, Federer will play his fellow countrymen from Switzerland Stanislas Wawrinka. Federer has owned his really good friend Wawrinka. Federer is 8-1 against Stan and he has won 18 sets out of 21 against Wawrinka in 9 matches. 

The last time Federer was seeded outside of the top two at a grand slam was in 2003 and Federer has never flown so far under the radar as he has at this year's French Open since before he won his first major at Wimbledon in 2003. Federer doesn't mind having so much attention on Nadal and Djokovic and having less pressure on his shoulders. He said, "People expected me to hopefully win or to prove myself here in Paris over many, many years, and this year I don't have to do that because I have already won this tournament before. And now the expectations are sky-high for Novak and Rafa, because he's the defending champion. That leaves me a bit out of the pressure situation, which is not a bad thing for me.

EPL Team Of The Season

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart, Manchester City

Joe Hart took away the starting role from Shay Given between the pipes this season for Manchester City and lead them to a third place finish and qualification in the Champions League. He was the model of consistency in the Premier League. Hart was 1 of only 6 goalies to play all 38 games in the league this season along with Petr Cech of Chelsea, Pepe Reina of Liverpool, Tim Howard of Everton, Brad Friedel of Aston Villa, and Ben Foster of Birmingham City. Among starting goalkeepers, he conceded the least goals in the premier league at home with just 12 in 19 games and he was tied for the premier league low with just 33 goals allowed in 38 games. Hart allowed just 0.87 goals per game, which was tied with Petr Cech as the low in the league. Hart led the Premier League and set a Manchester City single season record with 18 clean sheets. Hart also led the premier league with a save percentage rate of over 75. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said about his starting goalkeeper, “I think Joe is young and can improve a lot but he can also become one of the top goalkeepers in England history... He can improve a lot in his job because he is a fantastic keeper. He is as good as Cech and Van der Sar. He is younger than them but he can become like them. Joe broke the record for clean sheets and has been a solid rock and, in every important crucial game for us, he has come up with the goods. In the Tottenham game, he made some pretty crucial saves, and in the final against Stoke he made an instrumental save, without which the game could have gone in a different direction.”

Center Back: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United

In his first year as captain of Manchester United, Vidic led United to a Premier League title. He started all but three games for the champions. Although Vidic was sometimes guilty of committing silly fouls, his toughness led a defense that allowed just 38 goals during the season, which was tied for the 3rd least in the Premier League. He also scored the fifth most goals for United with 5 including a goal against Chelsea off a corner to give United a 2-0 advantage in the game. He was very dangerous off set pieces the entire season. Vidic was named the English Premier League Player of the Year for his importance to the United back four.

Center Back: Vincent Kompany, Manchester City

A huge reason behind Joe Hart's success this season was due to the unbelievable play of his central defender Vincent Kompany. Kompany started 37 of City's 38 Premier League games and was mr. reliable in the back. Roberto Mancini said about his center back, "Vincent can become number one in the world. He has always played at a high level. When he was at Anderlecht and I was at Inter, I wanted to buy him. He was a good player then. He has improved a lot and now is one of the top defenders in Europe. But he can improve even more. Vincent is incredible. He has a fantastic mentality. His attitude has been excellent. Without doubt he has been one of our top players this year." Kompany was awarded the Manchester City Player of the Year for his role in the City back four. Kompany was so good this season fo City that both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are now interested in buying the defender.

Full Back: Leighton Baines, Everton

The English defender had a great season for Everton with a career high of 5 goals and 11 assists, which was tied for the third most in the Premier League and most among defenders. He played every minute of every game for Everton in the Premier League. Baines was voted the Player of the Season for Everton to top off his unbelievable year. Everton manager David Moyes sai about his left back, "Leighton has had a realy good season.He has played well - been good going forward, created goals, and scored some goals. Where I go people ask me about Leighton Baines. They can see how well he is doing and what a great season he has had." Like Vincent Kompany, Leighton's great season has attracted other clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City. Roberto Mancini values Baines so much that he is willing to spend 25 million on the left back. 

Full Back: Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea

This selection is a combination of the lack of star power at the right back position and the quality season that Ivanovic had for the Blues. As always, Ivanovic was very dangerous in set pieces and strong in the air, as he scored 4 goals for Chelsea in the Premier League. The right back was a key component to Chelsea's offense, as he constatly was getting forward into the attack. Ivanovic was also one of the nominations for Chelsea's Player of the Year award. His outstanding season was rewarded with a new five and a half year contact with Chelsea, which will last until the summer of 2016.

Midfield: Rafael Van der Vaart, Tottenham Hotspur

Rafael Van der Vaart nearly went to Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window for 18 million pounds. As the deal collapsed, Van der Vaart fell right into Tottenham's lap for an unbelievably cheap 8 million punds, especially for a world class player like Van der Vaart. Although he missed 10 Premier League games, Van der Vaart still scored 13 goals, had 8 assists, had 113 shots including 41 shots on goal, which all led Tottenham. Van der Vaart had a nack of coming through for Tottenham when they really needed it and always scored the big goal. In Tottenham's second to last game, Van der Vaart scored the opening goal of the game in the 9th minute and helped Tottenham secure a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 victory. Luck enough for Spurs,Van der Vaart said he isn't going to leave White Heart Lane, so he can play in the champions league. He said, “I won’t be looking to leave Tottenham to play in the Champions League. I have only been here one year and I have really enjoyed my first year. Of course I want to be playing in the Champions League. Every player is the same. But I don’t want to leave and will see what next season will bring."

Midfield: Luka Modric, Tottenham Hotspur

Modric pulled all the strings and was the playmaker for the Spurs. His stats of just 3 goals and 2 assists don't tell any of the story of how great the Croatian international was for the Spurs. His ability to see the field and pass was unmatched in the Premier League. Like Van der Vaart, Modric always came thorugh when Tottenham needed him. In Tottenham's second to last game, Modric scored on a penalty kick in the 56th minute and helped Tottenham secure a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 victory. He led Tottenham in games played at 32. Harry Redknapp isn't the only coach he believe that Modric was the best player in the Premier League this season. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglsih said, "Jack Wilshere has shown that he is a top-class player. But my personal favorite this season is Luk Modric, a really gifted footballer who, at 25, is going to entertain us for many years ahead."

Midfield: Charlie Adam, Blackpool

Although his side was relegated, Charlie Adam had a fantastic first season in the Premier League. The Blackpool captain was tied for 12th in the Premier League with 12 goals and was tied for 10th in the Premier League with 10 assists. He also led his team in shots with 112 including 35 shots on goal, while missing just 3 Premier League games. Adam did his best to keep Blackpool from being relegated. He scored 3 goals in Blackpool's last 5 games. On May 7th against Tottenham at White Heart Lane, Adam converted on a penalty kick that helped Blackpool stay in contention to stay in the lead with a 1-1 tie on the road. On May 14th against the Bolton Wanderers, he scored the game winner in the 63rd minute in a 4-3 victory. Even on the last game of the season against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Adam scored in the 40th minute to tie the game at 1 before United won 4-2. The speculation can now begin on where Charlie Adam will be next season.

Midfield: Jack Wilshere, Arsenal

The 19 year old midfielder was absolutely fantastic this season in the Premier League.  He showed that he is a complete midfielder who can do nearly everything on the pitch. His combination of speed and quickness with vision and passing made him one of the best players in the Premier League this season. Wilshere's ability to play any position across the midfield allowed Wanger to utilize the full array of Arsenal's skillfull midfielders. His manager Arsene Wanger said about him, "He's a box-to-box player, more than just a holding midfielder. But to be honest, he can play in any position across the midfield. He can play behind the striker because he can penetrate." Wilshere's outstanding play was recognized as he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year. England boss Fabio Capello said about Wilshere, "... he plays without fear, and with confidence. Also, for somebody so young, he is a leader. It is incredible. I never saw someone so young be a leader on the pitch. It is incredible... As a young player, I think he is at the top, not only in England but Europe and the world."

Striker: Carlos Tevez, Manchester City

Tevez was tied for the Premier League lead with 20 goals this season and Manchester City needed every single one of his goals. Aside from Tevez, no other Manchester City player had more than 8 goals. Tevez scored a third of City's goals during the season. He also led Manchester City with 120 shots including 45 on goal. Only one other Manchester City player had over 50 shots and no City player had more than 20 shots on goal. He was also second on City with 6 assists. Tevez was arguably the most important player to City's third place finish and qualification in Champions League. In the thirty-one games Tevez played in (30 of which he started), City was 18-7-6. In the 7 games Tevez was out, City was just 3-1-3. However, Tevez has recently admitted he wants to make a move away from City to another club during the summer. He said, "I want to leave Manchester City. Football has changed a lot from me and I don't know if I will even make it to the next World Cup. And that has nothing to do with wheather I'm selected or not.... I need a change of scene."

Strike: Javier Hernandez, Manchester United

Hernandez, commonly known as Chicharito, had an outstanding season for the title winners. His paternship with Wayne Rooney up front, led to a league high 78 goals including a league high 49 at home. Hernandez was tied for 6th in the Premier League with 13 goals in only 27 appreances. It is even more impressive that he only played a full 90 minutes in the Premier league 7 times and he only started 15 games. He played his best towards the end of the season. Chicharito scored a huge goal on April 23rd against Everton in the 84th minute, which gave United a 1-0 victory. The huge win point United 6 points clear of Chelsea instead of just 4. His biggest goal of the seaon came within the first minute of United's huge game with Chelsea on May 8th. It gave United a 1-0 lead, which they never surrendered and won the game 2-1 at Old Trafford, which virtually wrapped up the league title.

Men's Notable French Open First Round Matches

1. Rafael Nadal vs John Isner: John Isner has really struggled this season. He began the season ranked inside the top 20 at number 19 in the world but has now fallen to 39 because of a rough 5 months to start the season. He is just 9-12 this year. Isner is not at all a clay court specialist and is much better on hard courts. John is just 3-5 on clay courts this season and hasn't reached the semifinals of any clay court tournament. Isner has never made it past the 3rd round at the French Open. However, his big serve and ability to hit the big forehand makes him somewhat of a threat to Nadal even if he is really struggling and has never been to good on clay. Nadal said about playing Isner, "He's one of these players that you prefer not to have to have in the first round. His style of game is dangerous. His serve is unbelievable. He can be dangerous... I have to be very focused with my serve."

24. Sam Querrey vs Philipp Kohlschreiber: Philipp Kohlschreiber has always played very well at Roland Garros and he is very good on clay. In 2009, Kohlschreiber beat Novak Djokovic in the third round of the French Open 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 before he was knocked out in the round of 16. On the other hand, Sam Querrey has really struggled on clay. This season he is just 1-3 on clay courts and his only win came because Kevin Anderson had to retire after one set. Sam said about his early season struggles, "Even though I haven't had great results this year, my game feels really good and I actually feel confident. I have been hitting the ball as well as I have ever hit it and I am working really hard. I just need one little spaek to get going... Everyone has their ups and downs aside from gus like Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal], who are pretty consistent at the top. But I think I'm just a bit og a cycle and can turn it around pretty qucikly." Querrey has especially struggled at Roland Garros. He has never made it out of the first round and is 0-4 at the French Open in his career. Querrey said about his struggles at the French Open, "I have never won a match at the French, so the goal is to win one match. That is all I am really focusing on right now. I can't afford to look beyond that... Sometimes in sports you make runs out of nowhere. It would be great to do that here [at the Fench Open] and prove everything wrong." Thus, this matchup is so intriguing and could definitely be a possible upset because Kohlschreiber plays so well on clay and Querrey struggles so much on clay especially at Roland Garros.

3. Roger Federer vs Feliciano Lopez: Rafael Nadal is not the only highly seeded player who has a difficult first round match. Roger Federer will have a tricky match with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. In fact, Lopez and Federer played a great match early this month in the 2nd round of Madrid that lasted nearly three hours. Federer won the extremely tight match, where all three sets went into tiebreakers, 7-6 (15-13), 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (9-7). Federer even had to save a match point during the third set tiebreak. Although Federer has never lost to Lopez and is 0-8, Lopez looks like a different player in 2011. Lopez has had a terrific season especially on clay as he made it to the quarterfinals of Bareclemona and the finals of the Serbia Open before he lost to Djokovic. Although most people believe that Federer will advance out of the first round, Lopez will be a tricky opponent especially if he is playing well.

Lleyton Hewitt vs Albert Montanes: This is by far the most intriguing matchup of two guys who aren't seeded in the French Open. Lleyton Hewitt hasn't played since he lost to Yen-Hsun Lu in the first round of Indian Wells due to a foot injury. However, as always you can expect the Aussie to fight, scrap, and crawl for every point like he always does. His coach Tony Roche said about Hewitt playing through the pain at Roland Garros, "I think he's used to that. Look, he'd be the toughest competitor that I've ever seen. He's had a lot of setbacks over the last couple of years but he keeps bouncing back... It's his first tournament back fom his operation. It's a big ask, but he could do it... Lleyton is still as keen as ever. He feels in the grand slams, given the right opportunity, that he can still be competitive with the top guys." The other side of this matchup is the Spaniard Albert Montanes. He is a clay court specialist, as his 4 runner-ups and 5 tournament victories, have been all on clay courts. His only winning record at a major is at the French Open. He has made it to the third round of the French Open 5 times. However, this season Montanes has just not been good on the clay. He is 6-7 in 13 matches on clay this season and his ranking has dropped from 25 at the beginning of the season to 37. 

13. Richard Gasquet vs Radek Stepanek: Richard Gasquet has looked absolutely fantastic this season. He began the season ranked 30 in the world and has moved up 16 spots to number 14. At Rome, Gasquet had a great tournament. He beat Roger Federer in the third round 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4). Gasquet beat Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 before his great tournamnet ended with a loss to Rafael Nadal 5-7, 1-6. He showed his new found toughness and grit by coming back to beat both Federer and Berdych after dropping highly contested first sets in both matches. Gasquet showed his maturity, which he failed to show when he was younger and has shown his resolve and determination to fight for every point. His change of attitude makes him look like a real contender to make a deep run at Roland Garros as long as he can first get by the old veteran Radek Stepanek. Stepanek was ranked in the top 20 just last year but has fallen to 57 in the world now. However, he has begun to show his 2010 form, which should be dangerous for Gasquet. He beat Marcos Baghdatis at Monte Carlo in the first round and made it to the semifinals of Munich on clay.

25. Juan Martin Del Potro vs Ivo Karlovic: Juan Martin Del Porto is 6'6. Ivo Karlovic is 6'10. These two guys are huge and their first round match at the French Open should have huge serves and hitting from both guys. Although Del Potro hits the ball very hard and flat, he is also very good on the dirt. In 2009, he made it to the French Open semifinals. Del Potro has been working himself back into shape and tennis form this season after a 9 month break due to a wrist surgery. Del Potro has played pretty well since his return. He has won 2 tournaments and has beaten 5 players in the top 20 including Robin Soderling in straight sets twice, Fernando Verdasco, Mikhali Youzhny, and Marin Cilic. Karlovic and Del Portro aren't very familiar with each other either, as their only meeting was on grass four years ago. Both of these guys are great servers. Karlovic ranks 1st in 1st serve points won at 80%, service game won at 91%, and break points saved at 73%. He also ranks 2nd in aces with 357. Del Potro is a pretty god returner. He rankes tied for 2nd with Novak Djokovic and only behind Andy Murray in break points converted at 50%. Del Potro isn't too bad serving himself either. He rankes 6th in service games won at 87%, 5th in break points saved at 68%, and 5th in 2nd seve points won at 55%. It should be a great match especially if Karlovic can serve well and stay in the match.

Carl "Walk-off" Crawford

When the Red Sox signed Carl Crawford in the off-season to a seven year, 142 million dollar contract, they couldn't have envisioned a much worse start for the left fielder. Crawford looked extremely uncomfortable and wasn't relaxed at the plate for all of April. In April, Crawford was 15 for 97 and had a .155 batting average. He had 5 extra base hits in 97 at bats. He also struck out 17 times including 6 strikeouts in 4 games to begin the season. Crawford's numbers don't even look that bad compared to after April 17th when he was 7 for 55 and was batting .127 with just 1 extra base hit in 13 games.

May has been much kinder to Crawford. He is starting to look like the player the Sox signed to a huge contract during the off-season. In May, Crawford's fortunes have changed. He is 20 for 68 in May, which means that in 29 less at-bats, Crawford has five more hits. He is batting .294 during the month and has brought his average up from .155 to .212. 

Crawford has also earned the title of "Papi Jr." as the new clutch Red Sox. His first walk-off hit came on the 1st of May. The Sox has lost two in a row and were struggling at four games under .500 at 11-15. In the bottom of the ninth, Crawford came up with two outs and Jed Lowrie on third. Crawford singled to center to give the sox a 3-2 win a Fenway. Crawford said after the game about the hit, "After seeing it go through the middle, it was like a big weight off my shoulder. It's been a while since I felt this good. It's been tough on me; I can't sit here and act like it hasn't been. But you try to minimize that and keep positive thoughts in your head. As a team, we just wanted to put the month of April behind us," Crawford said. "We wanted to start fresh and act like the month of April never happened." Something began to click for Crawford after that game. He obviously felt like some pressure was off his back and he looked more comfortable, especially after his new teammates mobbed him after his first walk-off hit.

Crawford was not done with his clutch hits just yet. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Crawford came up with a runner on first and one out with the game tied at 1-1. Crawford hit a high shot off the monster and Jose Iglesias came around from first to score the winning run for the Sox. Crawford's hit in the 11th, extended his hitting streak at the time to 9 games dating back to May 1st. Crawford said after the game, "It's always nice to get walk-offs. I'll take 'em all the time. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek said about Crawford, "He's still settling in." Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon added about Crawford, "I think we're seeing a guy that goes out there, that's a great athlete and is doing what he can to pick up the ballclub."

Crawford came through once again for the Red Sox last night in the clutch. The Red Sox were looking for their 6th win in a row lat night against the Tigers at home. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Crawford hit a bases-loaded single to lift the Sox over the Tigers. Crawford said after the game, "You always want to get a hit in those situations," the left fielder said. "You know it's gonna win the game, you definitely don't want to go to extra innings. So you just try to tell yourself to focus a little harder and hope for the best. It's always nice to come through in those situations. I've been struggling so whenever I get a chance to do something good like that it definitely feels good." Red Sox manager Terry Francona said about Crawford hitting yet another wal-off, "It's gotta be good for his confidence. It's a good time to hit, the infield is playing in, the outfield is playing in. He stayed on the ball really well, that's the one thing you don't wanna do -- roll over and pull off -- and he stayed on it really well."

In just the month of May, Carl Crawford has three walk-off hits for the Red Sox. In his last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Crawford had just 2 walk-off hits.

The Heat Have To Clean Up The Glass In Game 2

On January 15th the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 99 to 96. In that game, the Bulls outrebounded the Heat 42 to 30 on the glass. 

On February 24th the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat again 93 to 89. In that game, the Bulls outrebounded the Heat 53 to 39 on the glass. 

On March 6th the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat for a third time in three games 87 to 86. For a third straight game, the Bulls outrebounded the Heat 36 to 30 on the glass. 

In game one of the Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals matchup, this pattern continued. The Bulls beat the Heat by 21 points 103 to 82. They outrebounded the Heat 45 to 33 on the glass. They also had 19 offensive rebounds including 8 from Joakim Noah, while the Heat had just 6 offensive rebounds. All of the Bulls offensive rebounds gave them 19 more shot attempts than the Heat. 

Lebron James admitted that the Heat will have to figure out how to keep the Bulls off the boards. He said after game 1, "You play defense. You play defense hard and the shot goes up and they get an offensive rebound, kick it out for a three, or get a layup, or a dunk. Those are demoralizing for a defensive team. We've got to figure out a way to clean that up. This was the fourth straight time we've gotten outrebounded by the Bulls. That's where they're dominant. We did a great job of holding them on forced attempts. They shot just [43.7 percent] form the floor." Dwayne Wade said, "We know we have to do a better job of cleaning the glass. We’ve got to get more second-chance efforts and rebounds. There’s not just going to be one guy getting 13 or 14 rebounds [the way Bulls center Joakim Noah did]. We all have to chip in and box out.’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra added about all the Bulls second chance points, "It simply overwhelmed us tonight. It was something we simply couldn't overcome. We have 48 hours to get back to our identity. We’re a good rebounding team. We've proven that all season long. We've got to revert back to our habits."

When many teams play the Heat, they don't attack the glass to try and get offensive rebounds because they are fearful of run outs, which the Heat do exceptionally well. All of the offensive rebounds by the Bulls prevented the Heat from running out on the fast break. They had just 10 fast break points during the game.

It will be a long series for the Heat if they don't clean up the glass.

Novak Djokovic, Not Rafael Nadal, Is The Favorite To Win The French Open

On November 27, 2010, Novak Djokovic lost to Roger Federer 1-6, 4-6 and was knocked out of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in the semifinals. Djokovic hasn't lost a match since then and has a 39 match win streak dating back to last season. Novak has started his 2011 season with a 37 match win streak. In 1984, John McEnroe began his season with 42 straight wins. The record for most victories in a row was set by Guillermo Vilas in 1977 when he when 46 matches in a row. Djokovic would surpass McEnroe and tie Guillermo's record for consecutive victories if he wins all seven of his matches at Roland Garros.

Nobody has been able to stop Novak this season. He has won all seven of the tournaments he has entered. His previous high for titles in one season was 5 in 2007 and 2009. He began his season with a victory at the Australian Open including a win over Roger Federer in the semifinals in straight sets. He beat Federer once again in the Dubai final in two sets a month later. At Indian Wells, he knocked off Federer for the third straight time and then beat Nadal in the finals. At Miami, Djokovic beat Nadal in a second straight final. A month later, Novak won the Serbia Open in his home country without dropping a set in the tournament. His most impressive displays have been at the last two tournaments. At Madrid, Djokovic beat Nadal in the final 7-5, 6-4 on clay. At Rome the next week, he once again beat Nadal in a final on clay in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Before those two matches, Novak had been 0-9 against Nadal on clay and had only won 3 sets in 9 matches against him. However, it looks like Djokovic has cracked the code on how to beat Nadal on clay. He has been taking a lot of chances and has been very aggressive against Nadal in the previous two finals on clay. He is the only player to ever to beat Nadal multiple times on a clay court in one season. Djokovic is a combined 7-0 against Nadal and Federer and is 13-0 against players ranked in the top 10 this year. As Rafael Nadal said after he loss to Novak at Rome, "He is doing amazing things. He is playing fantastic, doing a lot of things very well and has a lot of confidence. The most important thing for me is to be confident and be happy with what I am doing. I have done everything I can, I cannot ask more of myself but one player is doing better then me."

Djokovic has shown unreal confidence during his 39 match win streak. After his victory over Nadal at Rome, Novak said, "I'm just most happy about the game I have this year on clay. The way I'm striking the ball and the way I'm so self-confident. I always knew I could beat the top players, but now I have the confidence to do it... I have won against him [Nadal] twice in the last eight days, which I think is incredible, an incredible achievement for me, and has given me a lot of confidence for the French Open."

John McEnroe said, "Nadal doesn't seem to know what to do against him, and quite honestly, if Nadal is baffled by playing him, then that just shows you how great he's playing on clay. You're looking at a guy [Djokovic] who's the best player in the world right now." Pete Sampras added, "I've seen him play a number of times over the years, and he was at the level with Roger and Rafa, but you never felt like his temperament could withstand a four-hour match. It always felt like he was a little bit up and down, a little bit emotional... It took him a few years to find his way.... And this year, something clicked in him, where he just sort of became a little bit more positive... And now he has that aura now where he's really, really tough to beat."

Djokovic also has a great chance to get to number 1 in the world for the first time in his career. No matter how he fares at the French Open, if Nadal doesn't win at Roland Garros, then Novak will rise to number 1. 

Djokovic beat Nadal 7-5, 6-4 at Madrid for his first victory over Nadal on a clay court.

Djokovic beat Nadal in a second straight final at Rome 6-4, 6-4. He became the only player to to ever beat Nadal multiple times on a clay court in one year.

NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Predictions

Eastern Conference Finals:
2. Miami Heat over 1. Chicago Bulls in 7 games

Western Conference Finals:
4. Oklahoma City Thunder over 3. Dallas Mavericks in 7 games

Adrian Gonzalez Has A Great Shot At The Triple Crown

It has been 44 years since someone has hit for the Triple Crown. Boston Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski was the last player to achieve the feat in 1967. Yaz is confident that his Triple Crown won't be the last in MLB history. He said, "Somebody will break it. All the records, you would think [get broken]... Usually, somebody wins two of the three categories. To get that third one makes it more difficult. There's always somebody that pops up and has more home runs or something like that, or RBIs. So you just never know."

The player who may finally hit for the Triple Crown is wearing the same uniform as Yaz did for all 23 years of his career. It is very possible that Boston Red Sox first basemen Adrian Gonzalez can achieve the feat. Gonzalez is 7th in the AL with a .325 batting average, 4th in the AL with 9 home runs, and leads the AL with 34 RBI's. Gonzalez has a rare combination of outstanding power and consistency to get on base. There is no doubt that Gonzalez is going to hit a lot of home runs and is going to have a lot of chances to knock guys in, batting third in a very dangerous Red Sox lineup. If Gonzalez can keep his average up, he has a real chance of joining Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski as the only Red Sox players to hit for the Triple Crown. 

Adrian has benefited from leaving Petco Park, a pitcher friendly park, and coming to Fenway Park, a hitter friendly park. Petco Park has been the 3rd hardest park to get hits in this season, while Fenway Park has been the 5th easiest park to get hits in this year. Gonzalez's swing is made for Fenway Park. He is one of the best hitters in the MLB at hitting the ball the other way and will be able to continue to launch balls on the outer half of the plate over the Green Monster in left field. 

Recently Gonzalez has been on a tear. Sox fans are expecting the daily Adrian Gonzalez home run these days. In his last 8 games, he has 7 home runs and he has 5 in his last 4 games. If Gonzalez can hit a home run tonight, he will join Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Dick Stuart, George Scott, and Jose Canseco as the only Red Sox players to hit a home run in five straight games. Gonzalez has 8 home runs in May and needs 5 more homers to tie Jim Rice's team record for the most home runs as a Red Sox in the month of May. Gonzalez also has 19 RBI's in May. He is currently on pace for 44 in May, which would be the team record for the most RBI's in a month. 

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said about his slugging first basemen, "He amazes me. He's really good, he's intelligent and he knows what he's doing." Red Sox third basemen Kevin Youkilis said about Gonzalez, “This is the player that we got here for a reason. He was brought over here for a reason. It’s fun to sit back and watch. I get a great look on deck. He’s one hell of a player. It’s definitely a lot of fun to watch him hit balls to left field, right field. He’s a special player and he’s showing why the Red Sox were so adamant in getting him.”

Liverpool Looks Poised To Contend Next Season In The EPL

In the 1987-1988 season, Liverpool won their 18th English football championship. At the time, Manchester United had just 7 English football championships. With Manchester United's 1-1 tie today against Blackburn, they have now secured their record 19th English Premier League title surpassing Liverpool, who hasn't won a league title since their victory during the 1987-1988 season. Liverpool is no longer the most successful club in history of English domestic football, as that distinction now belongs to Manchester United. However, Liverpool will definitely have a great chance of winning their 19th league title next season.

On January 31st, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was sold to Chelsea for a British record transfer fee at 50 million pounds. On that same day, Liverpool confirmed a signing of Ajax striker Luis Suarez on a contract until the summer of 2016 and a signing of Newcastle striker Andy Carroll worth 35 million pounds. 

Since Liverpool acquired Suarez and Carroll and got rid of Torres, they have found new life.  Liverpool was 9-5-10 before the transfers and had just 32 points in 23 games. They were only four points out of the relegation zone after a 2-1 loss to Blackpool on January 12th. In the 13 games after the transfers, Liverpool has picked up 26 points with a 8-2-2 record and has wins over Chelsea and Manchester United. Liverpool currently has a five match unbeaten streak and in those games they have scored 17 goals, while only conceding 3 goals. Liverpool has climbed all the way up to 5th in the Premier League and is two points ahead of Tottenham for the Europa League spot. 

Liverpool's success is even more impressive because of the injuries they have had to deal with recently. Andy Carroll has started just 5 games for Liverpool and has been hampered with a thigh injury since his transfer to Liverpool. Carroll is still trying to get healthy and fit enough to play at top form. Steven Gerrard has missed the last two months with a groin injury that he needed to have surgery on. He hasn't appeared in a game since March 6th. If Carroll and Gerrard can return to form, Liverpool look even more dangerous next season.

Although Liverpool have been without two of their biggest stars, a big reason for their new found success has been because of Luis Suarez. Suarez has been outstanding for Liverpool. In 12 appearances, he has 4 goals and 3 assists. His speed has caused havoc for Premier League teams' back lines. Suarez has also made his teammates so much better, as he so good at picking out a pass. Suarez's arrival came at the same time that Maxi Rodriguez began to score so many goals for Liverpool and this isn't just a coincidence.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said about his Uruguayan striker, "I don't think in our wildest dreams he could've settled in as quickly as he has done and taken to English football the way that he has done. He's graced the pitch every time he's played on it.'' Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said about Suarez, "He is a midfielder's dream. As soon as you look up he makes great movements and he gives you options all the time. But what is impressing me even more is when he hasn't got the ball, his tenacity and desire to win it back. Suarez's movement, his touch, his vision, the way he took his goal is sensational. He is a joy to play with. It is natural you will compare him to Tevez because of his build, his shape, the way he plays but for me and what I've seen so far, I'm slightly biased because he is in my team, I think he can go on to be better." Fulham manager Mark Hughes added, "They [Liverpool] can certainly improve and they've got a talented guy [Suarez] at the top of their team that's going to work and harry and make positive movements in that final third and is going to create goals and chances for himself and his team."

Shows the creativity of Suarez.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is optimistic that Liverpool is heading in the right direction. He said, "I am looking forward to next season. I have always said [that] of course there was a bit of doubt back in December and January because we were not even close to where we are now. We are heading in the right direction and we are optimistic. I think by making the right steps and taking them, we can all see the difference between now and then. That's why we are now optimistic about the future and are looking forward. We are all looking forward to next season." Even Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is very impressed with Liverpool. He wrote on his twitter after Liverpool smashed their rivals Fulham 5-2, "Liverpool look good. Going to be serious contenders for the title next year!" 

NHL Playoffs Conference Finals Predictions

Eastern Conference Finals:
5. Tampa Bay Lightning over 3. Boston Bruins in 6 games

Western Conference Finals:
1. Vancouver Canucks over 2. San Jose Sharks in 7 games