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PARIS —If it seems Roger Federer breaks one record or another every time he
wins a match, thats because he does these days. Nick Perry Youth Jersey . Then again, good as
Federer is, he cant top this: His next opponent at the French Open, Belgiums
David Goffin, is unbeaten in Grand Slam main-draw matches. (OK, so the kids only
3-0, but still.) Yes, before Federer can take on Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal
at Roland Garros this year, hell need to defeat Goffin, the first “lucky loser”
—a player beaten in qualifying who sneaks into the field via someones
withdrawal—to reach the fourth round at any Grand Slam tournament in 17
years, and only the seventh to make it that far. “Now Im playing against Roger,”
the 109th-ranked Goffin said after beating Lukasz Kubot of Poland 7-6 (4), 7-5,
6-1 on Friday, “and I cant believe it.” A fresh-faced 21-year-old whose voice
was barely a whisper and whose hands fidgeted during an extended interview
session with reporters, the slender, 1.80-meter (5-foot-11) Goffin
matter-of-factly discussed displaying photos and posters of 16-time Grand Slam
champion Federer in his bedroom as a child. “Since I was little, Ive watched
Roger play on TV. To me, he plays almost perfect tennis. His technique is
perfect. I also like him at the human level; hes a very good person on and off
the court,” said Goffin, who was able to make his Grand Slam debut because Gael
Monfils pulled out with a knee injury. “I expect a very tough match on Sunday,
of course. I dont really know how Ill prepare for it, but Ill try to have fun.”
Informed that his next opponent is an unabashed fan, Federer grinned and
replied, “Not the first time it happens.” Probably so. After all, the
30-year-old Federer has been winning major titles since 2003, when Goffin was
12. Hes been winning Grand Slam matches since 2000, and Fridays 6-3, 4-6, 6-2,
7-5 victory over Nicolas Mahut was Federers 235th, adding to his Open era
record. Federer happened to catch a bit of Goffins second-round matchup against
Arnaud Clement, the 2001 Australian Open runner-up who said this would be his
final French Open. The condensed scouting report? “Nice game. Smooth
ball-striker. And talented, obviously,” Federer said. “Otherwise, he wouldnt be
coming that far in this tournament.” That match against Clement went five sets,
as did Goffins first-round victory over 23rd-seeded Radek Stepanek—the only
five-setters of his career. Against Kubot at intimate, 1,559-seat Court 7,
Goffin was raucously cheered by flag-waving, chorus-singing supporters who made
the short trip from Belgium. “It gave me wings,” Goffin said. “I felt as if I
was playing at home.” Coincidentally, the last “lucky loser” to make it this far
at a major tournament was also Belgian, Dick Norman, who did it at Wimbledon in
1995. Now comes by far the toughest test of Goffins young career. Or, looked at
another way, a “bonus,” as he put it: the thrill of standing across the net from
his favourite player and seeing how he stacks up. Asked whether he believes he
can defeat Federer, Goffin said, “If I say yes, it might sound pretentious. And
if I say no, it will look like a lack of ambition. Well see. Ill prepare like I
do for other matches. Ill try to go for my shots and have fun on a big court.”
Aaron Rodgers Youth Jersey . JOHNS, N. Aaron Rodgers Elite Jersey .S. Open on
Saturday to advance to his fourth junior Grand Slam boys singles final of the
season. http://www.nflpackersfansshop.com/randall-cobb-womens-jersey/
. “You never know here, but its been great,” Youkilis said of his reception.
“Fans have treated me unbelievable and I cant thank them enough for all the kind
things they keep saying from the stands every day and every inning. Not too many
opponents get to come in here and have that opportunity. Usually its a little
more negative at the opposition.” A little? Youkilis isnt just another former
Red Sox. Randall Cobb Jersey .Y. —The son of two
elite track stars, T. Clay Matthews official Jersey . He hopped up
for each grounder, gloved the ball and chased down Brady as he scampered up the
first-base line at Wrigley Field. MIAMI —LeBron James and Chris Bosh sat out
the game, resting for the post-season. Dwyane Wade played and got hurt. Wade
lasted less than 3 minutes before dislocating his left index finger, and without
their three stars, the Heat lost 86-84 to the woeful Washington Wizards on
Saturday night. A doctor reset Wades finger, which was swollen and in a splint
after the game. X-rays were negative, and with the playoffs starting next
weekend, he was relieved the injury wasnt worse “Im not going to cry about it,”
he said. “When I was sitting on the table before they could put it back in, the
worst-case scenario was surgery, and the best-case scenario was this. Obviously
it will be sore for a couple of days, but Ill be ready to go when the playoffs
start, for sure.” Wade appeared to get his finger caught in another players
jersey and immediately went to the locker room grimacing in pain. He never
returned, even though fans chanted “We want Dwyane!” a couple of times. James
sat out for only the second time this season. He was active and got taped after
Wade departed but never entered the lineup. The game wasnt meaningless: The Heat
fell two games behind the Chicago Bulls in the loss column in the race for the
best record in the Eastern Conference, and only three games remain for Miami.
“Second place is not a bad place to be,” Wade said. Nene took a feed from a
driving John Wall and banked in the winning layup for Washington withh 0. Aaron Rodgers Pink Jersey. 5 seconds left.
Cartier Martin scored 22 points for Washington. Wall had 13 points, 13 assists,
six rebounds and four steals, and Kevin Seraphin scored 17 points for the
Wizards, who outscored Miami 22-3 on fast-break points. The loss snapped a
five-game winning streak for Miami. The Wizards have only 17 victories, but they
have won five of their past seven games, beating both Chicago and Miami down the
stretch. Miamis Mike Miller led a second-half comeback and finished with his
first double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Mario Chalmers also scored 16 points, and Udonis Haslem had a season-high 15
rebounds. The Heat trailed 57-43 with 19 minutes left and took their first lead
of the game on Millers follow shot at the start of the fourth quarter. Miller
scored 10 consecutive Heat points—including back-to-back 3-pointers—to put
them up 70-66. Washington responded with a 9-0 run capped by Maurice Evans
3-pointer. Wall drove and fed Nene for a dunk that put the Wizards ahead 84-82
with 46 seconds left. After a Washington turnover, Haslem dunked on a follow to
make it 84-all with 4.2 seconds to go. Notes: James had led the Heat in scoring
for 12 consecutive games. ... The Heat fell to 8-3 when trailing at home after
the first quarter. ... Washingtons Jordan Crawford was 0 for 8 before he swished
a shot from midcourt to beat the halftime buzzer and give Washington a 45-37
lead. ’ ’ ’