07-04-2019, 12:59 AM
BEIJING -- Rafael Nadal will supplant Novak Djokovic atop the rankings after advancing to the final of the China Open on Saturday when Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic retired with a back injury. Terry Bradshaw Jersey . The Spaniard was a break up at 4-2 in the opening set of their semifinal when Berdych retired soon after taking an injury timeout. Nadal could face Djokovic on Sunday, as the Serb played Richard Gasquet of France in the other semifinal later Saturday. Nadal, who improved to 27-0 on hard courts this season, will return to the top ranking for the first time since July 2011. Djokovic has been No. 1 for 101 weeks. "The personal satisfaction is not because I am No. 1 today, its because (of) all the work (I put in) to be where I am today," Nadal said. "I dont feel (like) a better player now than five hours ago, and I wont go to bed tonight feeling that I am the best player in the world--thats something Ive never thought." In the womens draw, top-ranked Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia advanced to the final with contrasting wins. Serena earned a straight-forward 6-2, 6-2 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland while Jankovic rallied for a 6-7 (7), 6-1, 6-1 win over Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Nadal had been assured of reclaiming the top spot if he reached the final in Beijing or Djokovic failed to defend his title. Nadal, the reigning French Open and U.S. Open champion, has had a dominant year since returning in February from a seven-month layoff due to a left knee injury. He has won 10 titles and reached 12 finals overall, compiling an ATP Tour-best record of 65-3 on the season. He hasnt lost a match since falling in the opening round at Wimbledon to 135th-ranked Steve Darcis of Belgium in June, his only blip this year. "(This is) a great year, one of the best years of my career without any doubt," Nadal said. "Sure is special (to) be back to the top position of the rankings after more than a half year without playing tennis." T. J. Watt Jersey . LOUIS -- Russell Martin wanted a better fate for his starting pitcher and helped deliver a happier ending. Sutton Smith Jersey . UEFA said Wednesday that the champions of England and France only have to include five home-trained players in their 21-man squads next season instead of the expected eight. Only one of the five players needs to be trained by the club itself. http://www.cheapsteelersjerseysauthentic...oks-jersey . The 20-year-old overager has appeared in 35 games for the Ontario Hockey Leagues Erie Otters this season, scoring 41 goals and adding 27 assists with a plus-28 rating.Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points off the bench and the Phoenix Suns rallied from 17 down to beat the Charlotte Hornets 111-106 on Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak. The Suns took their first lead since the first quarter on Eric Bledsoes layup with under two minutes remaining in the game after Goran Dragic won the ball on a steal. Later, Thomas free throws made it a three-point game with 19.9 seconds left and P.J. Tucker blocked Kemba Walkers 3-point try at the other end. Walker recovered the ball and passed to Gary Neal, but he missed an off-balance 3. Tuckers foul shots with 5.6 seconds left sealed the win, ending Phoenixs longest losing streak since a 10-game slide from March 20-April 9, 2013. Dragic had 20 points, including 16 in the first half. Gerald Green scored 16 off the bench and Bledsoe added 15 in the victory. Al Jefferson had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead Charlotte and Walker scored 27. Final Score: Atlanta 127, Cleveland 98 Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - A third-quarter onslaught Wednesday night mightve helped the Atlanta Hawks silence some doubters. Shelvin Mack hit six 3-pointers and netted 24 points off the bench as the Hawks routed the Cavaliers 127-98, avenging an ugly loss to Cleveland just over a month ago. A huge second-quarter run lifted the Hawks to a five-point halftime advantage, but they took the game over in the third after shooting 61.9 percent (13-of-21) and assisting on eight of their 13 made field goals. Atlanta outscored Cleveland 30-15 in the frame and cruised to the easy triumph in the fourth, leading by as many as 31. The Hawks, who posted 36 assists, have tallied 20-or-more helpers in all but two games and had assisted on an NBA-best 67.4 percent of shots made coming into the matchup. Cleveland blew out Atlanta 127-94 on Nov. 15. Final Score: Boston 109, Orlando 92 Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Rajon Rondo totaled 13 points and 15 assists as the Boston Celtics overcame a slow start to beat the Orlando Magic 109-92 Wednesday. Jerome Bettis Jersey. The Celtics shot better than 70 percent from the floor in the first quarter, but seven turnovers helped Orlando stay in the game early. Brandon Bass scored 18 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter to help Boston pull away for its second straight win. Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger both chipped in 16 points. Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 18 points and 13 rebounds as they lost for the fourth time in five games. Tobias Harris added 17 points for Orlando. Final Score: Dallas 117, Detroit 106 Auburn Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Dirk Nowitzki scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to help the Dallas Mavericks hold off the lowly Detroit Pistons, 117-106, on Wednesday. Chandler Parsons added 32 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Mavericks, who have won six straight against Detroit. Monta Ellis tallied 25 points and eight assists. Andre Drummond ended with 19 points, 24 rebounds, four steals and three blocks for the Pistons, who have lost two straight. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 14 points and Brandon Jennings and Jonas Jerebko each contributed 13 points. Final Score: Utah 105, Miami 87 Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Gordon Hayward tallied 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds as the Utah Jazz went into AmericanAirlines Arena and topped the short-handed Miami Heat, 105-87, to snap a six-game road losing skid. Enes Kanter scored 18 points and Dante Exum gave 10 off the bench for Utah, which shot 14-for-25 from 3-point range. Exum, the fifth pick in the 2014 draft, was coming off a career-high 12 points in a loss to New Orleans on Tuesday. The Australian rookie has reached double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Despite the loss, Dwyane Wade put on a show and deposited a game- and season-high 42 points for the Heat, who were again without star big man Chris Bosh. Bosh missed his third straight game with a calf strain. Miami, which opened a seven-game homestand, fell to 4-8 at home this season. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale NHL Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '