Offline
HOUSTON -- Jack Sock made short work of former champion Ivo Karlovic, winning 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the U.S. mens Clay Court Championship on Monday at River Oaks Country Club. The 21-year-old American had lost both previous meetings with the 6-foot-10 Karlovic, who won the only U.S. mens tournament played on clay in 2007 at a different Houston venue. In this one Sock broke the Croatians huge serve twice in the first set and wound up spending less than an hour on the court. Socks countryman, Sam Querry, had to battle to get past Alex Bogomolov Jr., of Russia 6-4, 7-6 (6), but it was a satisfying win for the tournaments 2010 runner-up. "Right now Ill take one pretty much however I can get it," said Querrey, whose ranking has plunged from a high of 17 in 2011 to its current 82. He hasnt advanced into the third round this season since the Australian Open in January. "Its the first time Ive been able to grind through a tough match like that all year," he said. "Hopefully it will lead to more wins and better results." German-born Dustin Brown easily moved on, beating American Rhyne Williams 6-1, 6-2. Williams had reached the tournaments semifinals last year. The 29-year-old Brown, who began his pro career playing out of Jamaica, is ranked 101st. Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia rallied to eliminate Marcos Baghdatis of Cypress 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the final match of the night. Baghdatis, the Australian Open runner-up in 2006 who once ranked eighth, had been given a wild card by tournament organizers. His ranking has fallen to 129. Americans Ryan Harrison and Ryan Harrison, Peter Polansky of Canada and Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain won spots in the 28-man field with victories in the qualifying tournament. Defending champion John Isner, ranked a career-high ninth, is the tournaments No. 1 seed. Spaniard Tommy Robredo is seeded second. They play their first matches Wednesday. Nick Chubb Jersey . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night. Cheap Browns Jerseys . The third-ranked Lewis, a three-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour, had a 9-under 135 total at Emirates Golf Course in the Ladies European Tours season-ending tournament. - Playing a road game against a division rival raises the intensity for linebacker Clay Matthews. Baker Mayfield Jersey . As each game passes (each has played close with the exception of last night) it becomes clearer just how evenly matched these two teams are and how one mistake, or one bad inning, is likely to sway the result. Wholesale Browns Jerseys . "This doesnt end anything," he said. "Weve got 10-1 in our last 11 games, and were going home in first place. We just have to keep playing the way we are right now.BEREA, Ohio -- As he discussed the possibility of quarterback Johnny Manziel being picked by Cleveland in the upcoming draft, Browns linebacker Quentin Groves made a small sign of the cross. A prayer that hes coming? A plea that he stays away? Groves intentions with his gesture werent clear. Like just about everything around Johnny Football, theres no definite answer. The most polarizing player to enter the NFL in a while, Manziel, is being closely linked to the Browns, who own the No. 4 overall pick in next weeks draft and have been seeking a franchise quarterback for more than a decade. Clevelands inability to land a QB either in the draft or via free agency or blind luck may be the single biggest reason the Browns have only made the playoffs once since 1999 and seem to change coaches every year. There are those who believe Manziel can save the Browns. Others feel the Texas A&M quarterbacks dazzling skills -- and size -- wont translate to the pro game. Hes dynamic. Hes too small. Hes a game-changer. Hes self-absorbed. Hes a hard worker. Hes a head case. Hes charismatic. Everyone has an opinion on Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner who has been projected as being picked anywhere from the top 5 to the bottom of the first round. "If Johnny Manziel came through, if he beats out the other quarterbacks that are here, its all good," Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden said. "I like Johnny Manziel. I like him a whole lot." Hadens not alone. Sports radio talk shows here are crammed with callers screaming for the Browns to choose Manziel, one of several QBs in this years class expected to go in the early rounds. Cleveland hasnt used a pick higher than No. 22 on a quarterback since taking Tim Couch first overall 15 years ago. The Browns have done their homework on Manziel. The team recently worked him out privately in College Station, Texas, and brought him to Cleveland to visit their training facility and headquarters. As they consider taking him, Browns general manager Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam wanted to get to better know Manziel, who served a suspension last season for violating an NCAA rule involving signing autographs, as a person. Theyve seen him on film. Nothing beats the real thing. "I dont think I have any reservations with who Johnny is," Farmer said. "Hes a good young man. I think the interesting part about Johnny is that, much like a lot of us, you dont get a handbook for how to operate in certain instances.dddddddddddd "When you go from being a kid from Tyler, Texas, to being Johnny Football and winning the Heisman Trophy really quickly, they dont hand you a manual and tell you how to handle the media swarm, how to handle the paparazzi, how to handle people coming up to you at dinners. "He would tell you very candidly that its probably not how he would have written it up now that hes at the end of it or getting towards the end of his college career, but you live and you learn." Manziel would certainly put Cleveland back on the football map and revitalize a flagging franchise. Hed sell tickets and move merchandise. But is that enough? Groves called one of his college coaches now at Texas A&M for a scouting report. "I asked him, How is Johnny? Is he a football guy?" Groves said. "He said, Honestly, hes the most competitive guy youll ever meet. He is a guy that will come in, be the first in, last to leave. thats just him. I know you have the flashy lifestyle (Groves mimics Manziels signature finger rub), (rapper) Drake and all that stuff, and at the end of the day the guy wins ballgames. "He makes plays. He extends drives and wins ballgames." Browns offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan, who coached quarterback Robert Griffin III in Washington, thinks Manziels unorthodox style can win in the pros. "If you can make those plays in college, you can do it in the NFL," he said. "The one thing about the NFL, theres a lot of tape out there. Youve got to be able to do everything. "Whatever you do very good, theyre going to eventually be able to shut that down and youre going to have to do something else. Hes going to be able to make plays in this league. Eventually when they try to contain him, hes going to have to do everything he didnt always have to do in college." The Browns must also consider all that comes along with Manziel. Number 2 brings a three-ring circus. Groves, for one, believes the Browns are suited to add Manziel. "Were a mature enough team to handle it," he said. "Weve had some individual success here and people have handled it well. Josh Gordon and (Alex) Mack going to the Pro Bowl, Joe Thomas going to the Pro Bowl. Joe Haden and Jordan Cameron making their first Pro Bowls, things like that. I think we can handle it." Cheap Nike Buccaneers Jerseys Cheap Nike Packers Jerseys Cheap Nike Vikings Jerseys Cheap Nike Lions Jerseys Cheap Nike Colts Jerseys Cheap Nike Texans Jerseys Cheap Nike Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Nike Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Nike Patriots Jerseys Cheap Nike Jets Jerseys Cheap Nike Browns Jerseys Cheap Nike Broncos Jerseys Cheap Nike Chiefs Jerseys Cheap Nike Bengals Jerseys Cheap Nike Steelers Jerseys Cheap Nike Titans Jerseys ' ' '