King is an 87th-ranked wildcard who succumbed to Serena in their only previous meeting, 6-1, 6-0 in 56 minutes in the 2014 US Open, you suspect Williams opponent, as always, has very litt

NEW YORK -- It was on a US Open practice court where, if you were especially intuitive, there were signs last year that Serena Williams was headed for an unhappy ending to her quest of completing the seventh calendar-year Grand Slam in the history of the game.It wasnt necessarily what she did that day, tossing and serving for well over an hour -- first from the deuce court, then from the ad and over to a different court for more of the same.It was more of what drove her there and the purposefulness with which she marched over directly after her match. Williams would later admit to being nervous during her eventual second-round victory against the 110th-ranked player in the world, a match in which she would squeak out a first-set tiebreaker 7-5, after committing eight double faults and 26 unforced errors in the opening set.She would close the match out 6-3 in the second; the match point was not accompanied by anything close to the shrieks heard that afternoon but rather utter silence, a disgusted look and an eye roll. She later characterized it as not one of my happiest moments.At that point, Williams was already tired of the questions and seemingly tired of the grind. Tired of being tired. She even all but demanded that any inquiries with the words Grand Slam in them cease. And when she lost in a semifinal shocker to Roberta Vinci, the 43rd-ranked player in the world playing her first career Slam semi, Serena blew through a four-minute news conference and left the grounds.You could hardly blame her. But back in the second round here Thursday against 27-year-old American Vania King, Williams mood was decidedly different.I think Im more relaxed, for sure, Williams said this earlier this week.While not exactly operating under the proverbial radar, Serena is trying to win just her second Slam in a row after prevailing at Wimbledon and only trying to surpass Steffi Grafs record of 22 career majors.And while King is an 87th-ranked wildcard who succumbed to Serena in their only previous meeting, 6-1, 6-0 in 56 minutes in the 2014 US Open, you suspect Williams opponent, as always, has very little to do with the outcome.While Serena is still dealing with a shoulder issue that had her going for placement rather than speed on her serves in her 6-3, 6-3 first-round win over Ekaterina Makarova, there is considerably less emotional weight on both shoulders this year.In 2015, Williams played 17 three-setters going into the Open in 10 tournaments, plus two rounds of Fed Cup; she won 16 of those three-set matches. This year, there have been five three-setters in seven tournaments, including the Olympics. She lost that third-round encounter to 20th-ranked Elina Svitolina in straight sets on Aug. 9, her last match before New York.Even with the shoulder concerns, Williams was asked, is this US Open already a more pleasant experience?I was going for something that no one has done in a really long time, she said of last year. Yeah, it didnt end wonderful for me or the way I wanted it to end. But it was all I could do. Thats all I could do.While the three-set victories were a testament to her competitive toughness, the off-court battle turned out to be a considerably tougher one. After the 2015 Open, she cited a broken heart from her loss to Vinci in addition to other injuries and subsequently announced she was withdrawing from three tournaments, including the WTA Finals.Williams coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said the motivation just wasnt there, and it was the only sensible decision. And this year, while Serena, who is weeks short of her 35th birthday, said she would have preferred to play more coming into the final Grand Slam of the year, she is trying to be optimistic.There is nothing we can do about it, she said. You just have to make the best of every single opportunity. Thats all I can do now.Usually, thats more than enough. NBA Jerseys From China . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Discount Nike Basketball Jerseys . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. http://www.cheapnbajerseysbywholesale.com/ . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Cheap NBA Jerseys Free Shipping .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. Cheap NBA Jerseys China . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Just minutes after signing with Cleveland, Andrew Bynum proclaimed the Cavaliers to be a playoff team. Whether his ailing knees allow him to be the starting centre remains to be seen. "Getting my career on track is my only goal for the season," Bynum said Friday at his introductory press conference Friday. "The Cavs have given me every opportunity to succeed, and weve put together a plan. I really believe in the doctors here and the training staff. "I want to play a full season, and there is no doubt in my mind I can do that. Im going to be ready for training camp, thats the plan." Bynum signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Cavaliers, officially ending his star-crossed stay with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 7-footer missed all of last season with knee problems after being acquired from the Lakers in a four-team trade. Though Bynum underwent bilateral arthroscopic surgery on both knees in March and has not been medically cleared to run, Cleveland general manager Chris Grant made him the teams top priority in free agency. The 25-year-old also was courted by the Mavericks and Hawks. "Were all aware of what his injuries have been," Grant said. "Hes also well aware of that and has taken ownership of the process. Andrew is in a different place right now and hes excited to move forward. Were going to do everything we possibly can." The Cavaliers only guaranteed Bynum $6 million in the first year of the deal, but he could earn an additional $6 million through performance incentives. Cleveland holds a $12 million team option for the second season. Bynum, who hasnt appeared in an NBA game since May 21, 2012, made $16.9 million last year with Philadelphia. He averaged 18.7 points and 11.7 rebounds for the Lakers two seasons ago -- earning his lone All-Star selection -- while playing under Cavaliers coach Mike Brown. "I was an All-Star in this league, but I feel like I still have a lot of room to grow," said Bynum, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2005 draft. "I had a year off, a year to watch basketball and learn the game from the outside in. I saw what I need to do. "With the time off, Ive been able to get the swelling in my knees out, so Im anxious and ready to start. Ive already moved to Cleveland, and come Monday, Ill be working here every day." The New Jersey native appeared to be in good shape, which he credited to "non-weight bearing exercises Ive been doing to strengthen my legs." Bynum added that he weighed 305 pounds, but planned on being at his playing weight of 285 by the start of the regular season. If Bynum is healthy, he gives the Cavaliers a formidable three-man core with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving and power forward Anderson Vaarejao.dddddddddddd. Cleveland signed point guard Jarrett Jack and small forward Earl Clark earlier in this free agency period, giving it three additions with significant playoff experience. The Cavaliers also drafted UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett with the top overall pick, and has another developing big man in third-year pro Tristan Thompson. "Kyries talent is world renowned," Bynum said. "Not having had the opportunity to play with a great point guard, a great one-five (point guard-centre) combination is always a key in this game that we play. "I also cant wait to play with Anderson, honestly, because he brings a kind of energy and passion for the game that I havent been around before. We have the talent, and we definitely have an opportunity to go far." The 76ers had the same intentions last year, but skidded to a 34-48 campaign after dealing All-Star swingman Andre Iguodala and centre Nikola Vucevic as part of the package for Bynum. His work ethic was called into question when he was unable to play in November, and his reputation suffered more damage after opting for season-ending surgery five months later. "I was completely surprised with the way things turned out in Philly," said Bynum, who has a .566 career field goal percentage. "I showed up and I was in playing shape, and I had every intention of playing. Its just unfortunate it didnt work out. The criticism, I thought, was unfair, but it comes with the territory." Cleveland went 24-58 last season, making it 64-166 in three years since Akron native LeBron James left the franchise to sign with the Miami Heat as a free agent. James is eligible to opt out of his contract next summer, when the Cavaliers will be at least $20 million under the salary cap and hope to add the final piece to their puzzle. Bynum understands that he cant change what occurred in Philadelphia, but he can affect the future in Cleveland. "I want to get this team back into the playoffs and make some noise," he said. "The Cleveland fans deserve that. I will bring leadership and experience to the great young nucleus of guys we have here. We have the talent. Now, all its going to take is hard work, and Im willing to do that." ---- NOTES: The Cavaliers waived PF Kevin Jones and PG Chris Quinn in order to clear the salary cap room to sign Bynum. Both players were on Clevelands summer league roster, but had non-guaranteed contracts. ... The Cavaliers have renounced the rights to PF Luke Walton, but Grant said the door remains open for him to return. ... Russian rookie SF Sergey Karasev will make his first visit to Cleveland next week. The No. 19 pick in the draft has been playing professionally overseas, but will join the Cavaliers this season. 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