Gildenberreich » an early onslaught in the scrum.

SINGAPORE - Caroline Wozniacki credited her training for next months New York Marathon as a key factor in her victory over Maria Sharapova in a grueling three-set match in the WTA Finals on Tuesday.Wozniacki won 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-2 to beat Sharapova for the second-straight time, having also won in the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Tuesdays result in the round-robin match dealt a major blow to Sharapovas hopes of claiming the year-end No. 1 ranking.Wozniacki, who has always been regarded as one of the fittest players on tour, said her additional running work in preparation for the marathon had taken her stamina to a new level and also given her added belief in Tuesdays 3 hour, 15-minute match.I just feel like right now with all the training and running Ive been doing I can keep being out there and keep running, Wozniacki said. I kept thinking to myself out there in the third set, If youre going to get tired now, how are you going to get through this marathon? You better keep going.As much as she believed the training had helped her aerobic fitness, she said the marathon will be a one-time-only affair and not one that she would recommend to other players.To do it year in and year out, I dont think its possible, Wozniacki said. Our bodies get a beating already. I dont think its necessary to do this again while Im on tour.No such stamina was required in Tuesdays other match as Agnieszka Radwanska had a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.It was an impressive performance by the Pole, who had been beaten in straight sets the past two times she had played Kvitova. It was the fourth successive year in which the pair had faced each other in their opening matches at the WTA Finals.Sharapova had 15 double-faults, including two while serving for the first set, and 76 unforced errors. Wozniacki finished the match, which had 12 breaks of serve, with 35 unforced errors.The defeat in her opening round-robin match means Sharapova now needs to at least reach the final in Singapore and hope Serena Williams loses her two remaining group matches if she is to overtake the American and finish the season with the top ranking for the first time.Having staved off a set point against her in the 10th game, Wozniacki took the first set by winning the final five points of the tiebreaker.Wozniacki went up a break early in the second, but relinquished the advantage in the sixth game as she complained to the chair umpire about swirling lights which suddenly came on during the middle of a point and remained on for the rest of the game.The Dane recovered quickly after dropping the set, breaking Sharapova early in the third and then twice more to end it.Sharapova was frustrated by her error-strewn performance, blaming her mistakes rather than Wozniackis play for her two consecutive losses to the Dane.Its happened the last couple of times I played against her, Sharapova said. The chances that you have when youre serving for a set, its in your hands to finish that off.When you give those chances back, a player thats top 10 in the world and has the experience as Caroline does, youre not just going to run away with the match.The losses by Sharapova and Kvitova have thrown the White Group wide open, with Radwanskas convincing victory highlighting her title credentials.The Pole has not performed at her best in past appearances at the season-ending event, having been eliminated at the group stage in three out of four years.I feel much better than last year at the championships, Radwanska said. I havent played many matches in the past two weeks, which has helped.Ive learnt my lessons from past years about how to play at my best.The match started after 11 p.m. local time, when Kvitova said normally I am sleeping, and began as an even contest. But Radwanska managed breaks in the Czechs last two service games of the opening set, and then won the final three games of the second set to record a convincing victory.Kvitova, who won only two points on her second serve during the second set, said Radwanska did not produce anything really special but she struggled to read the pace of the court.Sometimes was so fast and so slow, so was really difficult for me to find the timing, Kvitova said. My serve was OK, but she returned a lot of balls back, which is always difficult for me, to then play rally with her.In Wednesdays matches, Williams will face Simona Halep while the other Red Group match will be Ana Ivanovic against Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que. Paul Coffey Jersey . -- Among the 31 players at the Montreal Canadiens rookie camp, none feels closer to cracking the NHL roster than right winger Aaron Palushaj. Tom Barrasso Jersey . 1. CAVALIERS: At 19-20, theyre a mess. 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After Mondays comments by Coach Claude Noel that its work first and skill second, and that more “A” games are needed, the Jets responded with a 47-shot effort. If not for terrific goaltending by Braden Holtby the Jets would have had two points in regulation.PARIS -- Looking to bounce back from the humiliation of last years wooden spoon, France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made the risky move of choosing an untried halves pairing for Saturdays opening Six Nations match against England. Announcing his team Thursday, Saint-Andre went for scrumhalf Jules Plisson alongside flyhalf Jean-Marc Doussain. Both are 22 years old, and Plisson makes his international debut while Doussain has played only five times for France. He also picked lock Alexandre Flanquart -- who has won only two international caps -- to play alongside Pascal Pape in the second row. "Jules has a lot of variety in his game, he had to start one day," Saint-Andre said. "Jules is fully focused. Everything will be easier for him if his teammates make an impact going forward, if the forwards win their battles. So its up to our pack to make things easier for our halves pairing, which is young and talented." Saint-Andre will give the kicking duties to Doussain, adding that Flanquarts selection is a strategic one because of his understanding with Pape, his Stade Francais teammate, and his ability to counter England in the lineouts. More surprisingly still, is that Saint-Andre has left out flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc from his squad, even though Trinh-Duc was arguably Frances best player in the corresponding fixture last year. France looked good for a win at Twickenham last year, leading 10-9 at the interval before being overpowered and losing 23-13 with Trinh-Duc taken off early into the second half. Wesley Fofana and Mathieu Bastareaud give France a powerful midfield in what is expected to be a physical battle at Stade de France. But the deciding factor is once again likely to be who comes out on top in the forwards. "We know from experience that the English have a powerful scrum. We know what to expect. Every time Ive played against them the scrum has always been a big combat zone," said veteran prop Nicolas Mas, who is set to win his 66th cap. "Last year we took them on well in the forwards, and we even thought we could win at Twickenham because we unsettled them so much." Englands young squad is growing in self-belief and experience under Stuart Lancaster and will want to make amends for a 30-3 defeat to Wales last year that cost the title and a Grand Slam. "We had onne day in Cardiff when it didnt go as we would have wanted, but since then the focus has been on us improving," lock Joe Launchbury said.dddddddddddd "Hopefully we showed where we are in the autumn and well continue to do that." While France has injury problems -- inspirational captain Thierry Dusautoir and flyhalf Remi Tales are both out injured, while prolific winger Vincent Clerc is still lacking full fitness after a long-term knee injury -- England has selection problems. Lancaster pleaded with flyhalf Toby Flood to stay home for club and country, but had to axe him from his squad because Flood, with 60 caps has decided to leave English champion Leicester, which he captains, for Toulouse after the season. The uncapped George Ford replaces him in the squad, while Lancaster handed debuts to outside centre Luther Burrell and wing Jack Nowell for Saturdays game. Burrell has impressed throughout the season for Northampton, and starts ahead of Brad Barritt. Nowell has benefited from injuries to Marland Yarde and Christian Wade to seize the right wing spot from the axed Chris Ashton. France is favourite to win the battle of the forwards, however, with a front five that can mix it with the worlds best on their day, and England are braced to withstand an early onslaught in the scrum. "Id say weve removed any lingering doubt over our physicality, but the question will continue to be asked," Launchbury said. "We went to Argentina and played well there. We had three tough autumn matches and I dont think anyone could say we lacked bite in those matches." -- France: Brice Dulin, Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Wesley Fofana, Maxime Medard, Jules Plisson, Jean-Marc Doussain; Louis Picamoles, Bernard Le Roux, Yannick Nyanga, Pascal Pape, Alexandre Flanquart, Nicolas Mas, Benjamin Kayser, Thomas Domingo.Reserves: Dimitri Szarzewksi, Yannick Forestier, Rabah Slimani, Yoann Maestri, Antoine Burban, Damien Chouly, Maxime Machenaud, Gael Fickou. England: Mike Brown, Jack Nowell, Luther Burrell, Billy Twelvetrees, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Danny Care; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw (captain), Billy Vunipola.Reserves: Tom Youngs, Mako Vunipola, Henry Thomas, Dave Attwood, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson, Brad Barritt, Alex Goode. ' ' '