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Rafael Nadal vs John Isner After Marsel Ilhan Win: 2015 Rome Masters Open

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May 13, 2015

Rafael Nadal vs John Isner After Marsel Ilhan Win: 2015 Rome Masters Open

Rafael Nadal was very candid with the media Tuesday about his slide out of the top 5 tennis rankings, and rather than let that eat away at him, he just went back out on the clay and took out Marsel Ilhan in just a little over an hour in two sets 6-2, 6-0 at the 2015 Rome Open Masters.

marsel ilhan loses to rafael nadal 2015 rome masters open

Nadal, seeded down in fourth, was never really tested against the 87th-ranked Ilhan from Turkey, who he faced for the first time.

After dropping out of the top five in the rankings this week for the first time in 10 years, Nadal will next meet 16th-seeded John Isner.

rafael rafi nadal returns to and beats off marsel ilhan 2015 rome masters open

The Spaniard, currently ranked No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, dismantled top Turkish player Marsel Ilhan 6-2, 6-0 in 74 minutes on Wednesday to advance to the third round in Rome. The fourth seed won 92 per cent of his first serve points and saved both break points he faced in the match.

Coming off his first clay-court loss to Andy Murray last week in Madrid, Nadal is attempting to reach the final at this event for the 10th time in 11 straight appearances. The Mallorca native’s 15-4 record on clay in 2015 marks the first time he has lost more than three matches on the surface in a single season since his rookie campaign in 2003.

He will next face John Isner, whom he recently defeated in Monte-Carlo. Though Isner has yet to defeat Nadal in their five FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, the American has taken him to a deciding set three times.

Nadal is 5-0 against Isner but needed three sets to beat the 6-foot-10 American in Monte Carlo last month, and had to come back from two sets down against him during the first round of the 2011 French Open.

“He’s difficult to play against,” Nadal said. “You dont have a lot of control on the things that are going to happen. If he serves well then you are in trouble. I have to play with no mistakes when I’m serving.”

Top Austrian Dominic Thiem was leading No. 12 seed Gilles Simon 7-6(5), 2-0 when the Frenchman was forced to retire.

The 21 year old will face eighth-seeded Stan Wawrinka in the third round as he attempts to reach the quarter-finals at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the second time this year (Indian Wells). Thiem, who is competing in Rome for the first time, defeated the Swiss last year on clay in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open.

Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori won his opening test four days after falling in a Madrid semi-final to Nadal, with Asia’s top player defeating Czech Jiri Vesely 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.

Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez accounted for Ukrainian qualifier Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4 6-3.

Roger Federer takes on Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay later tonight.

Andy Murray Ousts Jeremy Chardy For 3rd Round: 2015 Rome Masters Open

Jackie Warner

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May 13, 2015

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Andy Murray Ousts Jeremy Chardy For 3rd Round: 2015 Rome Masters Open

British Andy has set off another Murraycane after defeating Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in two sets 6-4, 6-3 putting him into the third round at the 2015 Rome Masters Open. Murray has been very no nonsense with his game and is looking to get a third consecutive title. Playing on clay was new to him and he had actually considered skipping the Rome Open to take a breather and prepare for the 2015 French Open as Novak Djokovic did when he pulled out of the Madrid Open.

Chardy has that memory along with being trapped in the elevator of his hotel for an hour to remember this year.

Murray seems to love running on fumes as he took the 2015 Munich Title and was on the court again within 24 hours playing back to back in Madrid and taking that crown away from long time winner Rafael Nadal.

He goes on to face French 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Belgian David Goffin in the last 16.

Fellow Briton Heather Watson plays Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round later on Wednesday.

Murray, 27, beat Rafael Nadal on clay for the first time on Sunday to claim his second clay-court title in a week.

He chose to play in Rome to get match time at sea level, as opposed to the altitude of Munich and Madrid, and he appeared at ease in the new conditions.

“My legs were a bit tired at the start but they started to feel better after a few games,” said the Scot. “I played a good match.

“He has a big serve, it was tough for me. But I hung in, moved well and didn’t give him loads of opportunities. I served well throughout the match.

“I’m happy with how I adjusted to conditions, I made it difficult for him to win free points.

“I don’t know how my body will feel over the next days, but I’ll try to spend as much time recovering and resting as possible.”

Chardy, ranked 38th, created the first opportunity with two break points at 3-2, but a spectacular backhand winner from Murray saved the first and set the tone for what was to follow.

Murray saved the second and then got the break himself with some wonderful backhands before closing out the set comfortably.

Another winner off that side gave him the breakthrough early in the second set and a limp backhand into the net from Chardy offered up a third and final break after one hour and 25 minutes.

Fourth seed Nadal responded to Sunday’s defeat by Murray with a 6-2 6-0 win over Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan, while second seed Roger Federertakes on Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas later on Wednesday.

Roger Federer, Andy Murray & Rafael Nadal Take On 2015 Rome Masters Open

Jackie Warner

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May 13, 2015

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Roger Federer, Andy Murray & Rafael Nadal Take On 2015 Rome Masters Open

Novak Djokovic made his grand entrance and win at the 2015 Rome Masters Open on Tuesday, and the rest of the Big Four hit the clay today. Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal will be crowd pleasers as they take on Pablo Cuevas, Jeemy Chardy and Marsel Ilhan. Federer had a rather quick exit at the 2015 Madrid Open so he’s sure to make his stay last longer this time around, and Nadal made it to the finals with Murray, but fell short at the end dropping his tennis ranking from 4 to 7. Nadal is striving to get his eighth Rome Open title with this round.

Murray’s been on quite the roll similar to Djokovic so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the two of them wind up hitting it out in the finals.

NADAL EYEING EIGHTH TITLE: This is Nadal’s 11th straight appearance in Rome. He has reached the final here nine times in 10 visits, winning the title a record seven times (2005-07, ‘09-10, ‘12-13). The only time he didn’t reach the final was in 2008 (l. to Ferrero in 2R). With a 15-4 record on clay this season, this is the first time he has lost more than three matches on the surface in a single season since his rookie campaign in 2003.

• FEDERER CHASING ELUSIVE CROWN: Rome is one of two ATP Masters 1000 titles still missing from Federer’s collection (along with Monte-Carlo). The Swiss is set to make his 15th appearance in the Italian capital (27-14) – at no other tournament has he appeared more without winning the title. He has reached the final here three times: 2003 (l. to Mantilla), 2006 (l. to Nadal) and 2013 (l. to Nadal), and last year he fell to Jeremy Chardy in his opening match.

• MURRAY ON A ROLL: Murray is off to a career-best 9-0 start on clay, capturing his first ATP World Tour clay title in Munich (d. Kohlschreiber) and his 10th ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid at the weekend (d. Nadal). In fact, 13% of his career wins on clay have come in the last two weeks. The Brit is making his 10th straight appearance in Rome (8-9 record) with his best results a SF in 2011 (l. to Djokovic in 3rd set TB) and a QF last year (l. to Nadal in 3 sets).

• LANDMARK WATCH: The top ranked Italian Fabio Fognini will bid for his 200th career win when he takes on Grigor Dimitrov today (199-199). The Italian’s first ever tour-level win came over Juan-Pablo Guzman in Amersfoort in 2006. This will be the third time Fognini and Dimitrov have met in the past month with Dimitrov winning both their contests in Monte-Carlo and Madrid.

DAY 4 FEDEX ATP HEAD2HEADS

CENTRALE

[3] Andy Murray (GBR) vs Jeremy Chardy (FRA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: Murray leads 5-1
2009    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada   Hard   R32   Andy Murray   6-4 6-2
2010    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati   Hard   R32   Andy Murray   6-3 6-7(3) 6-2
2010    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai   Hard   R16   Andy Murray   6-3 6-4
2011    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris   Hard   R32   Andy Murray   6-2 6-4
2012    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati   Hard   R16   Jeremy Chardy   6-4 6-4
2013    Australian Open (Australia)       Hard   QF   Andy Murray   6-4 6-1 6-2

•   Murray is contesting the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the 10th time. His best showing here was a SF appearance in 2011 (l. to Djokovic in a 3rd set TB). Last season, he fell to Nadal in the QF.
•   Murray arrives in Rome with a 9-0 record on clay this season, having won the titles in Munich (d. Kohlschreiber) and Madrid (d. No. 6 Raonic, No. 5 Nishikori, No. 4 Nadal). They were his first ever tournament wins on clay.
•   Murray’s victory in Madrid was his 10th at ATP Masters 1000 level and his first in more than two years. It also marked his 33rd title overall, which saw him break into the Top 20 Open Era title leaders, joining Arthur Ashe andMats Wilander in 19th place.
•   In March, Murray advanced to the SF at Indian Wells and the final in Miami, losing to Djokovic each time. With his 4R win over Anderson in Miami, Murray became the first British player to hit 500 wins. He defeated 185 different opponents from 50 different countries en route to the milestone.
•   Murray opened his season by reaching the Australian Open final for the fourth time (l. to Djokovic).
•   Murray has reached at least the QF in 16 of his last 17 tournaments (94%), which is the highest percentage on tour over the last 10 months.
•   In 2014, Murray finished in the Top 6 for the seventh year in a row, winning three titles.
•   Chardy got his tournament under way with a 7-6(0), 6-4 defeat of Lukas Rosol, saving the lone BP he faced while converting on just one of his own 12 BP chances.
•   Chardy is returning to Rome for the fifth time. After falling in the 1R on his debut in 2009 (l. to Gonzalez), he reached the 2R in 2010 (l. to Djokovic), the 3R in 2013 (l. to Granollers) and the QF in 2014 (d. No. 4 Federer in 2R; l. to Raonic).
•   Chardy came into the tournament on a three-match losing streak having lost to Federer in the 2R in Monte-Carlo before back-to-back 1R exits in Estoril (l. to Coric) and Madrid (l. to Bellucci).
•   Chardy’s best results of the season were QF outings in Houston (l. to Anderson in a 3rd set TB) and Marseille (l. to Simon).
•   Chardy has an 8-35 record vs. Top 10 opponents with his most recent win coming against Federer at this tournament last year.
•   In 2014, Chardy finished in the Top 30 for the first time, reaching the QF or better seven times.

[Q] Marsel Ilhan (TUR) vs [4] Rafael Nadal (ESP)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Ilhan, who is making his Rome debut, overcame Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-1 in his opening match.
•   Ilhan’s best showing of the season came in Dubai, where he qualified before reaching the QF (l. to Djokovic).
•   Ilhan finished 2014 outside the Top 100 but has since found his way back inside, reaching a career-high World No. 77 on March 2.
•   Ilhan has never beaten a Top 10 opponent (0-3).
•   Nadal has reached the Rome final in nine of his ten appearances, winning seven titles: 2005 (d. Coria), 2006 (d. Federer), 2007 (d. Gonzalez), 2009 (d. Djokovic), 2010 (d. Ferrer), 2012 (d. Djokovic) and 2013 (d. Federer). He has lost just three matches here.
•   Nadal suffered his first defeat to Murray on clay in the Madrid final on Sunday. It was his fourth clay court defeat of the season. The last time he lost at least four matches on the surface in a single season was in his rookie campaign in 2003.
•   Nadal dropped to No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday, putting him outside the Top 5 for the first time in a decade (No. 7 – May 2, 2005). That week the Top 10 were: 1) Federer, 2) Hewitt, 3) Roddick, 4) Safin, 5) Gaudio, 6) Henman, 7) Nadal, 8) Moya, 9) Agassi, 10) Nalbandian.
•   Nadal has a 15-4 record on clay this season with his four losses coming against Djokovic (Monte-Carlo SF), Fognini twice (Rio de Janeiro SF and Barcelona 3R) and Murray.
•   In February, Nadal won the 46th clay court title of his career in Buenos Aires (d. Monaco), and is now just three short of Guillermo Vilas’ record clay court title haul of 49. His victory in Argentina ended a nine-month trophy drought dating back to Roland Garros 2014 (d. Djokovic).
•   In March, Nadal fell in the QF at Indian Wells (l. to Raonic after holding three MPs) and the 3R in Miami (l. to Verdasco).
•   Nadal lost his opening match of the season, 1R in Doha (l. to Michael Berrer), before reaching the QF of the Australian Open (l. to Berdych).
•   In 2014, Nadal finished in the Top 3 for the ninth time in the past 10 years (except 2012), capturing four titles in seven finals. The Spaniard extended his streak of winning at least one Grand Slam title per year to a record 10th year in a row with his ninth victory at Roland Garros. His 14 Slam titles are tied second all-time with Pete Sampras, behind Roger Federer(17).

Pablo Cuevas (URU) vs [2] Roger Federer (SUI)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: Federer leads 1-0
2015 Istanbul (Turkey) Clay F Roger Federer 6-3 7-6(11)

•   Cuevas had an 0-3 record at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia before securing his first win in the opening round, defeating Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-2 in 78 minutes.
•   Cuevas followed up his runner-up showing in Istanbul (d. Dimitrov in SF; l. to Federer) with a 1R loss to Albert Ramos-Viñolas in Madrid last week.
•   Cuevas impressed during the Golden Swing in February, clinching a third ATP World Tour title in São Paulo (d. Vanni in a 3rd set TB) and reaching the QFs in Rio de Janeiro (l. to Nadal in 3 sets in the second-latest finish on the ATP World Tour – 3:18am) and Buenos Aires (l. to Monaco).
•   Cuevas rose to a career-high World No. 21 on March 23. He is the highest ranked Uruguayan in Emirates ATP Rankings history.
•   Cuevas has a 1-4 record vs. Top 10 opponents with his lone winning coming over No. 8 Andy Roddick in Miami in 2011.
•   In 2014, Cuevas returned from a right knee injury to finish at a year-end high No. 30, climbing 191 places during season. He won his first two ATP World Tour titles within a 3-week span in July, capturing trophies in Båstad (d. Sousa) and Umag (d. Robredo). He was the first Uruguayan winner on tour since Marcelo Filippini in St. Poelten in May 1997.
•   Federer returns to Rome for the 15th time. He is still chasing a first title here, falling in the final three times: 2003 (l. to Felix Mantilla), 2006 (l. to Nadal) and 2013 (l. to Nadal).
•   Last year, Federer stumbled in his opening match at the Foro Italico, losing to Jeremy Chardy.
•   Federer suffered an early exit in Madrid, falling to Nick Kyrgios in his opening match. It was the Swiss’ first loss to a player aged 20 or younger since defeat to Del Potro in the 2009 US Open final.
•   After a 3R loss to Gael Monfils in Monte-Carlo, Federer bounced back by capturing an 85th career title in Istanbul earlier this month (d. Cuevas). Turkey became the 19th different country in which he has won an ATP World Tour title.
•   Only two players in ATP history have won more titles than Federer (85):Jimmy Connors (109) and Ivan Lendl (94).
•   En route to his title in Istanbul, Federer clinched his 200th match win on clay, becoming the seventh active player to do so.
•   In January, Federer recorded his 1000th ATP match win in the Brisbane final (d. Raonic) before a shock 3R exit at the Australian Open (l. to Seppi).
•   In February, Federer claimed his second title of the season in Dubai (d. Djokovic).
•   In March, Federer advanced to the final of Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic).
•   In 2014, Federer finished in the Top 2 for the 10th time, winning five titles including two ATP Masters 1000 crowns. Aged 33, he was the oldest player to finish in the Top 2 of the Emirates ATP Rankings (since 1973), and was the first to finish in the Top 10 for 13 years in a row (2003-2015) since Lendl (1980-1992). He also won a first Davis Cup title for Switzerland.

GRANDSTAND

Jiri Vesely (CZE) vs [5] Kei Nishikori (JPN)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Vesely opened his maiden Rome campaign with a 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3 upset of Ernests Gulbis.
•   Vesely has reached the SF-or-better at three tournaments this year. He clinched his first ATP World Tour title as a qualifier in Auckland in January (d. Mannarino in F) and is now one of seven players born in the 1990s to win a tour-level title: Raonic (6), Dimitrov (4), Goffin (2), Tomic (2), Delbonis (1) and Sock (1). He also finished runner-up in Bucharest (l. to Garcia-Lopez) and reached the SF in Casablanca (l. to Gimeno-Traver).
•   Vesely has fallen in the opening round at nine of the 13 tournaments he has contested in 2015.
•   On April 27, Vesely climbed to a career-high No. 35 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
•   In 2014, Vesely finished in the Top 100 for the second year in a row at a year-end high No. 66, winning a personal best 16 matches.
•   Nishikori is set to make just his second main draw appearance in Rome. He fell to Jeremy Chardy in the 2R in his only previous visit here in 2013.
•   Nishikori’s eight-match winning streak on clay came to an end at the hands of Andy Murray in last week’s Madrid SF.
•   Nishikori successfully defended his title in Barcelona earlier this month (d. Andujar). It was his ninth career crown and his second of 2015, having won in Memphis in February (d. Anderson).
•   Nishikori rose to a career-high No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on March 2. He is the highest-ranked Asian player in ATP history. He has since dropped back down to No. 6.
•   Nishikori is bidding to become the fifth player this season to hit 30 match wins today, joining Djokovic, Berdych, Murray and Ferrer.
•   In 2014, Nishikori ended the season at a year-end best No. 5 after registering a career-high 54 wins. His year was highlighted by four titles and maiden final appearances at Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000 level (US Open and Madrid).

Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs [12] Gilles Simon (FRA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: Simon leads 2-1
2014    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells Hard   R64   Dominic Thiem   7-6(5) 6-2
2014    Nice (France)               Clay   R16   Gilles Simon   6-3 4-6 6-2
2014    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada   Hard   R64   Gilles Simon   3-6 6-4 6-0

•   Thiem is appearing at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the first time. He came through his opening round in straight sets, defeating Italy’s Simone Bolelli 7-6(4), 7-6(5).
•   Thiem’s best showing this season came in Miami where he reached an ATP Masters 1000 QF for the first time (l. to Murray). He also reached the QF in Marseille in February (l. to Bautista Agut) and in Munich two weeks ago (l. to G Melzer).
•   In 2014, Thiem ended a season as the No. 1 Austrian for the first time. He was the youngest player to finish the year in the Top 50 after compiling a breakthrough season, which saw him reach a maiden ATP World Tour final and qualify into a tour-high seven main draws in eight attempts.
•   Simon took two hours and 21 minutes to battle past Jack Sock 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 in the 1R.
•   Simon is back in the Rome main draw for the eighth time. He has reached the 3R here four times but has never gone beyond that stage.
•   Simon is bidding for his 350th career win today (349-241).
•   Simon’s last competitive outing came three weeks ago in Bucharest (l. to Gimeno-Traver in QF).
•   Simon captured a 12th ATP World Tour title in Marseille in February (d. Monfils in a 3rd set TB). The victory put him into second place, behindYannick Noah (23), on the all-time French title leaders list before Gasquet joined him on 12. He also reached the SF in Rotterdam (l. to Berdych), as well as a QF in Montpellier (l. to Janowicz) and Bucharest (l. to Gimeno-Traver).
•   In 2014, Simon finished in the Top 25 for the sixth time in seven years after reaching a second career ATP Masters 1000 final in Shanghai in October. The Frenchman came in ranked No. 29 and defeated No. 4 Wawrinka and No. 7 Berdych en route to the final (l. to Federer in 2 TB sets).

[11] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs Viktor Troicki (SRB)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Lopez fended off rising star Nick Kyrgios 6-4, 7-6(4) in the opening round, posting his 100th career win on clay.
•   Lopez is making his 12th appearance in Rome. He reached the QF here once, in 2010 (l. to Gulbis). He has fallen in his opening match here eight times, including the last three years in a row.
•   In February, Lopez advanced to a 12th career final in Quito (l. to Estrella Burgos in 3rd set TB).
•   Lopez’s other stand out result came at Indian Wells, where he reached the QF at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the 12th time in his career (d. No. 5 Nishikori in 4R; l. to Murray).
•   On March 2, the 33-year-old Spaniard rose to a career-high No. 12 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
•   Lopez has failed to record back-to-back wins at his last five events.
•   In 2014, Lopez finished in the Top 15 for the first time at a year-end high No. 14, winning a personal-best 39 matches and a fourth career ATP World Tour title.
•   Troicki halted his four-match losing streak in the opening round, edging past Bernard Tomic 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 7-6(4) in two hours and 47 minutes.
•   Troicki is contesting this tournament for the fifth time. He has fallen in the 2R every year so far.
•   Troicki opened his season in Sydney, where he came through qualifying before capturing his second career title (d. Kukushkin). It was the first all-qualifier final in ATP World Tour history.
•   Troicki also reached a pair of QFs in February: Zagreb (l. to Garcia-Lopez) and Acapulco (l. to Anderson).
•   Troicki has a 4-50 record vs. Top 10 opponents with his most recent win coming against then world No. 5 David Ferrer in Shenzhen last September.
•   In 2014, Troicki finished just outside the Top 100 at No. 102 after climbing more than 700 places during the season. He reached his first ATP World Tour SF in three years as a qualifier in Vienna in October (l. to Murray).

La Liga Game Week 36 Review: Barcelona Just A Hair Away From Title

Luka Alario

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May 13, 2015

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La Liga Game Week 36 Review: Barcelona Just A Hair Away From Title

Real Madrid’s 2 – 2 draw against Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu has allowed Barcelona to go four points clear at the top of the La Liga table. The Catalan giants are now on their way to yet another historic treble.

In the Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final 2^nd leg, Luis Enrique’s Barca defeated Bayern Munich on aggregate to reach the final in Berlin. They are now in prime condition to lift the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the La Liga title. Barcelona won 2 – 0 against David Moyes’ Real Sociedad, the team which defeated them in the reverse fixture. Neymar broke the deadlock in the 52^nd minute and Pedro finished the game with his 85^th minute strike.

In the post match conference Luis Enrique praised his team. In his debut season, Enrique has done a commendable job. He said, “We showed our superiority in all aspects of the game. We have a plan and we know how to execute it to perfection. And to do this we need everyone’s help.

“We knew the difficulty of the game. We played a very good first half and we created chances. The second half was intense, we wore them down a bit and increased our chances of winning. We played well in a game in which our rivals defended well. It was a complete game and we earned it.”

“I don’t think the game was ever in jeopardy. We were good physically.”

One more win and Barcelona will be crowned the champions of Spain. Three wins in total in all competitions would equate to three major trophies for the Spanish giants.

Although Barcelona can still falter and end up without winning any silverware this season. Their first major test will be at the weekend as they travel to Vicente Calderon to face the reigning Spanish champions Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid would need a big favor from their hated city rivals on Sunday. But if Los Blancos drop points any further, Barcelona’s result in the remaining two games won’t matter. There is still a glimmer of hope for the ten-time European champions.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid aren’t enjoying the form they were in last year. They drew 2 – 2 at Levante, thereby dropping 13 points behind the league leaders. Fernando Torres saved a point for his side by equalizing in the 80^th minute.

Cordoba are already relegated but four teams are in the mix for the other two positions. Deportivo, Granada and Eibar are placed in that order on the La Liga table and they all have the same points tally after 36 games. Almeria are 16^th in the league with 32 points, only a point ahead of their three closest rivals. Getafe and Levante have amassed 36 points, but they are still not completely out of danger. Among these teams at the bottom of the table, Almeria, Granada and Deportivo have some very testing fixtures remaining.

Lightning vs Capitals or Rangers After Ousting Canadiens: 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Shane Lambert

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May 13, 2015

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Lightning vs Capitals or Rangers After Ousting Canadiens: 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Montreal Canadiens, following a valiant effort to get back into their second round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, finally fell out of the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs on Tuesday night. The Lightning, behind a convincing 4-1 victory, ended Montreal’s season and simultaneously advanced to the Stanley Cup semifinals.

The Canadiens had made the conference finals last season however in that series they lost Carey Price to injury. During the course of the 2014/15 regular season, Montreal appeared to be a force to be reckoned with. The Canadiens won 50 games on the year and claimed 110 points, good enough for second in the eastern conference standings. Furthermore, Montreal enjoyed a first round series win over Ottawa, one that saw them enter the second round with as good a shot as anyone to claim the 2015 Stanley Cup.

But what held Montreal back (besides the game one botched call) was a bad patch of hockey following game three of their first round series. The Canadiens lost two of their last three to Ottawa and then proceeded to lose the first three to Tampa Bay. Had Montreal closed out Ottawa sooner, maybe the Habs would have been in much better shape heading into the series against the Lightning.

In game six of the Lightning series in particular the Canadiens were never really a factor. Tampa Bay took a first period lead behind Nikita Kucherov‘s fifth goal of the post-season. Steven Stamkos, who didn’t score at all in the first round against Detroit, scored what would be the series winner against the Habs in the second period. Ondrej Palat also scored late in the same frame and Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead into the final period. Max Pacioretty, a player who had a respectable post-season, scored Montreal’s only goal late in the third before Kucherov scored again on an empty-netter.

As the Montreal Canadiens went, so went the last Canadian-based team in the 2015 post-season. Previously Winnipeg, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Calgary saw their post-seasons end as well. Accordingly, the dominance of American-based franchises will now continue in the NHL: no team in Canada has won the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Habs accomplished the feat.

The Lightning, who last won the Cup in 2004 (thanks in huge part to an uncounted goal that the 2004 Calgary Flames scored), now move on to the eastern conference finals where they await the winner of the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers. Those two teams will meet on Wednesday night from Madison Square Garden in a game that will conclude the second round of the 2015 playoffs.

At present the eastern conference finals appear to be shaping up as a showdown between Tampa Bay and New York. However Alexander Ovechkin, Washington’s best player, has made some confident statements about his team’s chances in Wednesday’s game. In all cases, the final four in the NHL playoffs will be known by Thursday morning.

Rafael Nadal Facing Up To His Tennis Slump

Jackie Warner

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May 12, 2015

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Rafael Nadal Facing Up To His Tennis Slump

What has kept fans rooting for Rafael Nadal through his ups and downs is the simple fact that he doesn’t pretend like nothing’s wrong, and he doesn’t play victim as many others have. During his ankle and wrist issues, he fought back hard letting everyone know that he wasn’t going to let these things stop him and the fans rallied round him.

This time, it’s not his body that seems to be letting him down or getting in the way, it appears to be his mind which can be anyone’s worst enemy causing more damage than a sprained ankle or torn ligament. Rafi has been struggling this year as well coming close to winning the 2015 Madrid Open title, but seeing it disappear after losing to Andy Murray.

Nadal is able to openly admit that’s he not at the top of his game, and this is fans and myself keep rooting him on as he’s not afraid to keep trying in the face of defeat. Coming close to his twenty-ninth birthday, the Spanish tennis star is being a little more reflective and introspective.

“Obviously today I’m not as good as I (was),” Nadal said Tuesday at the Italian Open. “Life has been fantastic with me. Today I’m not winning as much as I did in the past. Life continues.”

On Monday, Nadal dropped out of the top five in the ATP rankings for the first time in 10 years — falling to No. 7. He’s struggling to get back to his best after a wrist injury and an appendectomy last season.

“I’m No. 6 in the race. It’s not a disaster,” he said, referring to the 2015 standings.

Nadal’s loss to Andy Murray in the Madrid Open final Sunday was his fourth defeat on clay this year, only two weeks before starting his quest for a 10th French Open title. It’s the first time he has lost four matches on clay during the same season since 2003.

“You are wrong if you think that the last week was a negative week for me,” the 28-year-old Nadal said. “Last week was a positive week for the confidence and a lot of things. Let’s see if this week I can improve (on) last week.”

“I played bad in Barcelona. In Madrid, I played one bad match, the final. I have not been consistent enough for the first part of the season but don’t forget that I am sixth in the race [to the ATP World Tour Finals]. Without being very consistent, sixth in the race is not bad after coming back from an injury.”

After a first-round bye, Nadal opens Wednesday against Turkish qualifier Marsel Ilhan.

The Spaniard, a seven-time champion at the Foro Italico, strongly rejected suggestions that he should consider removing Toni Nadal, his uncle, as coach.

“If things are not going well it’s because I am not playing well,” he said. “Not because of the coach.”

Nadal added that he would never fire his uncle.

“No. It’s not only my decision,” he said. “That’s a decision of two people, not only one. Don’t forget that Toni is more my uncle than my coach.

“If in any moment of my career I change some member of my team, it will not be because I am losing or winning,” Nadal added. “It will be because there is not enough motivation for one another.”

Nadal has had the same staff his entire career.

“And I don’t think my career is a bad career,” he said. “If I’m not playing that good today, it’s not because they’re not doing the right job.

“I don’t know if I will be with my uncle until I finish my career because I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Nadal added. “I cannot predict what will happen tomorrow. But I’m not thinking about changing my coach today.”

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, might be the best player in the world right now but for more than an hour in mid-match on Court Centrale he felt the steady heat of the midsummer sun and the resurgent power of Nicolás Almagro’s racket before prevailing in three sets.

He had skipped Madrid to save his energy for Paris and a typically robust start in Rome seemed to confirm he had made the right decision. The Spaniard thought otherwise and took him deep into the third set before the world No1 rounded it out 6-1, 6-7 , 6-3 in a tick over two hours.

Djokovic was not shaken but stirred into life at the finish. He revealed he also has some discomfort in his right arm, which appeared to manifest itself towards the end of the first set. “It has been bothering me last couple of days,” he said, adding puzzlingly, “but it’s not worrying me.”

The Serb next plays either the Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci, who beat the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman – who had to retire at 6-4, 4-3 down – or the more accomplished Roberto Bautista Agut, who was brutal beating Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-3.

In that quarter of the draw, fans were robbed of a third-round match between the Australian hotshots, Nick Kyrgios – who beat Roger Federer in Madrid – and Bernard Tomic. Kyrgios fell to Feliciano López in two tight sets, while Viktor Troicki came through three tie-breaks to beat Tomic.

Earlier, Stan Wawrinka had to come from a set and a break down to overcome Juan Mónaco 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and it could be that his personal life continues to intrude on his tennis. His marriage is over and his tennis is as inconsistent as the wind.

Marin Cilic, the reigning US Open champion, left the party early and looks considerably out of sorts. The Croatian saved 11 of 14 break points against Guillermo García-López but the Spanish clay-courter punished his inconsistent serve to win 6-4, 6-3.

As the evening cooled, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – a third-round opponent for Murray if he gets past David Goffin – finished strongly to beat Sam Querrey 7-6, 6-0.

10 Most Inspirational Celebrities Of 2015

The Curvy Girl Diva

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May 12, 2015

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10 Most Inspirational Celebrities Of 2015

In life, there are people who just get it. They have achieved some great things and serve as examples of what it means to work hard. We have dreams, we have goals but what can stop us from getting to those places is determination and a IDGAF attitude.

So here are 10 of the most inspiring people who have shown and continue to show us how to get everything out of life it has to offer and more.

Oprah Winfrey

Was there really any way that her name would not be on this list, let alone the first one? This woman just oozes inspiration. I had the chance to see her on the Life You Want Tour last year and her story is one of great triumph. She places a lot on the spiritual aspect of life and does so in a way that makes you understand that we are truly spiritual beings have a human experience which is a corner stone to understanding where your true strength lies. After seeing her and really taking in her words, I may or may not refer to her as Pastor Oprah.

Lebron James

For those that don’t know, I’ve been riding with Lebron James since 2004. Where he goes I go. He could have gone to the Golden State Warriors and I would have been repping my midnight blue and gold. His story is inspiring because yes he is the kid that made it out the “slums” of Akron, Ohio but he is so much more than that. He and his wife Savannah have started several foundations for their home state and support a slew of others as well. Beside his philanthropic endeavors, James is a beast on the court. His drive is an example to live by. We see how it has and continues to pay off.

Tina Fey

Is there really anything this woman cannot do? She is a writer, a host, an actress, an author, a producer, hell I even think I heard she is running for president. She is a powerful woman that gives all aspiring writers looking for that break into the big leagues something to cling to. It’s not easy but damn it, it is worth it. Thank you Ms. Fey for showing us that.

Will Smith

My first love. He is a force to be reckoned with. He has reinvented himself over and over again and has everything from music, to acting, to producing under his belt. Once coined the most bankable actor in the world, he is no stranger to failure (he said After Earth was the biggest upset of his career). But he hasn’t let that stopped him from venturing out into other things. He came from a tough childhood in Philly to become an A list entertainer. “I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked.”

Beyoncé

Another no brainer (especially for me), Beyoncé is in a class all by herself. No she didn’t grow up poor or having to eat hot dogs and ramen noodles for dinner. The inspiration from her story comes from her determination. She knew exactly what she wanted at a young age and tailored her whole life around it. Now she is the baddest at what she does. Her girl power stance encourages women all over the world to go for what they want unapologetically. Plus, her marriage to an equally, bad, bad man is inspiring as well.

6 & 7. Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie

These two are really a force together. Their love for people and their craft many times fuses together in a way that creates beautiful art in the form of films and more. They have shown it us what it means to be selfless and their stance on everything from gay marriage to other pertinent social issues is an example of being a voice for what you believe in. Furthermore, their work with world organizations reminds us that the Hollywood life is more than just the glitz and glam we see on the read carpet.

Michelle Obama

Another of my favorites, she is a prime example of what it means to work for what you want. Her life before the white house was filled with working for top companies, institutions and entities as well as being active in her Chicago community. She is elegance at its best and her poise is both remarkable and contagious. The work she does as the first lady of the United States is another example of what it means to take on a cause and own it. She is Ivy League educated and is one of the most fashionable first ladies we have ever had.

Melissa McCarthy

This chick is on fire. The thing that really inspires me about her is how she doesn’t let stereotypes stop her from doing what she loves. If society had its way, her talents as an actress, director, etc. wouldn’t see the light of day before of her size. But she says to that “eff your beauty standards.” She doesn’t back down and keeps on moving.

Kanye West

Okay before you say anything hear me out on this one. Yes he is full of himself and yes he is annoying (made that list too) but his self -righteousness and self-belief is amazing. The way he feels about himself (and his wife) is the way we should all feel about our abilities and what we want to do. There is no doubt his working and believing got him to where he is and that is something to take note of. Am I saying be an ass and have tunnel vision when it comes to who you are. If that’s what it takes for you to become a world-class artist, then do you boo.

There are so many to look up to and in this life, when it gets a little hard and we think we aren’t good enough to be what we always wanted to be, just remember there are those who have been where you are and have made it. Let there lives (and your life) them push you forward. What you want is within your sight.

Yankees Royals & Astros Three way Tie: American League Week 5

Peter Tebin

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May 12, 2015

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Yankees Royals & Astros Three way Tie: American League Week 5

The baseball action continues to get hot in the American League as three different teams have 20 wins to start the season. Those three teams include the New York Yankees in the East, the Kansas City Royals in the Central and the Houston Astros in the West. Along with those three clubs the Detroit Tigers sit on their heels with a 19-13 record after losing back to back games to the Royals over the weekend.

The question we asked ourselves this week is which of those three teams are the biggest surprise to start the season? Many experts had the Royals taking a step back in the Central while almost no experts had the Yankees and Astros finding themselves at the top of their divisions to this point. Now before anyone fans of those teams run out to get playoff tickets take a step back as both teams have some flaws.

While we have seen some teams get off to a hot start some other teams have struggled to get things going early on this includes the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A’s. Each of these two teams were playoff teams last year with the Orioles capturing their first AL East title since 1997. Of those two teams the Orioles still have the fire power to get back into the mix after dealing with key injuries to JJ Hardy, Matt Wieters and Jonathan Schoop to start the season.

Here is a quick overview of each division in the American League.

East Division: As we start to take a look at the East division all we can do is wonder what is going on. The Yankees were said to be too old to compete while the Rays lacked the hitting to win. Neither of those two teams let the offseason talk get to them as the Yankees sit at 20-12 and in first place in the division. The Rays on the other hand is 17-15 and continue to find their success on the mound.
Last week the Yankees continued to put wins up on the board finishing with a 4-3 record after a dominating series against the Orioles. The Yankees never let anything get in their way including a terrific performance from Michael Pineda on Sunday that featured him striking out 16 batters in the team’s 6-2 win.

The Rays were able to keep up pace taking four of seven including two of three over the Boston Red Sox to start the week before splitting a four game series with the Texas Rangers. In the seven game stretch the Rays pitching staff allowed just 17 runs losing games 2-0 and 2-1 last week.
After the Toronto Blue Jays at third the bottom two teams have been two of the biggest disappointments in all of baseball. The Red Sox posted a 2-4 record last week to continue their fall in the division. The teams struggled forced the team to release the teams pitching coach after the rotation allowed 27 runs in six games. The Orioles are the other team that has struggled going just 1-5 last week losing both contests to the Mets and three of four to the Yankees.

Central Division: While all eyes have been on the Royals and Tigers in the Central the Minnesota Twins have come out of nowhere after a slow start to creep up into third place at 18-14. The Royals still hold a slight lead over the Tigers at 1.5 games and just a 2.5 game lead over the Twins. The Chicago White Sox sit in fourth at 12-16 followed by a team many had winning the division the Cleveland Indians at 11-19 after 30 games.

That being said the Twins might be one of the hottest teams in all of baseball after posting a 5-2 record last week. The week started for the club winning three of four over the Oakland A’s outscoring them 22-13 in the four game series. The Twins finished off the week taking two of three over the Indians.

The Central division also produced one of the top matchups of the weekend as the Royals and Tigers battled it out in Detroit. The Royals would take two of three including a 2-1 victory in extra innings on Sunday after nearly a two hour rain delay.

West Division: Out West the Astros continue to stick around the top of the division after every team in the division struggled. The only team to show a sign of coming to life was the Mariners who picked up three straight wins over the weekend to improve their record to 14-17. The team that many had as the top team in the division continues to struggle to produce runs being outscored by 20 runs to start the season.

The Mariners finished the week 4-2 despite losing two of three games to the Los Angeles Angels to start the week. The team’s one win to open the season came from Felix Hernandez who moved to 5-0. Hernandez would continue his early season success capping off a 4-3 win on Sunday to move to 6-0 and finish off the teams three game sweep of the A’s.
The Astro’s finished the week with just two wins in seven contests as the team produced just 14 runs in seven games. That included just five runs in a three game series with the Rangers who would sweep their West division rivals. The Angels would go 4-3 over the week, the A’s would go 1-6 and the Rangers would finish with the best record at 5-2.

Now that we have taken a look at each of the divisions around Major League Baseball we can take a look at a few individuals. Here is our list of top individual performers over the fifth week of the season in the American League.

Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins: The Twins outfielder is much of the reason for the team’s success of late. Over the past week, Hunter picked up 11 hits in 27 at bats including three home runs, two doubles and nine runs driven in.

Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners: King Felix continued his early season dominance as he picked up two wins last week. In those two outings, Hernandez allowed just three earned runs in 14 innings while striking out 14. Hernandez would top the 2,000 strikeout mark on Sunday against the Oakland A’s.

Duck Hee Lee: Rising Tennis Star To Watch For

Shane Lambert

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May 12, 2015

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Duck Hee Lee: Rising Tennis Star To Watch For

Don’t look now – and I mean that – but there’s a sixteen-year old tennis sensation crushing the outer ranks of the ATP futures tour. Duckhee Lee of the Republic of Korea isn’t exactly playing in tournaments that are worth watching for most fans. However the sixteen-year old is the youngest player in the Top 500 at the moment and lately he’s been having his way in futures events in Indonesia.

For those that don’t know, futures events are low-level professional tournaments that offer ranking points and prize money that would not normally interest proven players. For example Indonesia F2, a futures tournament that was played in early April, offered its tournament champion just 18 ranking points and $1440 in prize money. Those kinds of numbers won’t interest anyone in the Top 100 but the events still serve as an effective gauntlet to pass through for those who have ambitions of making it on tour.

Countless players fail at the futures hurdle and end up having to get real jobs.

However Lee, who started the year ranked outside of the Top 500, definitely appears to have a future in tour-level events. The 16-year old claimed the Indonesia F2 title in early April and he went on to claim the Indonesia F3 title a week later. Those results helped catapult him into the Top 400 – meaning he’s still got plenty of work to do before he makes it on tour.

However, while Lee also has plenty of time, one factor that could slow down his progress is his country of origin.
Lee is from Korea, a country that’s hardly a common stopover for the ATP. The difference that it makes is simple: if Lee was American or French or British or Chinese then there would be a lot of tournaments that he would receive a wild card entry into as wild cards are commonly awarded to the host country’s nationals that are ranked too low for automatic entry. With no important tournaments taking place in Korea, wild cards may be harder to come by although perhaps he’ll still receive some during the Asian hard court swings of upcoming seasons.

Lee, who will turn seventeen later in May, is a name that most tennis fans will not know of yet. However that is something that will likely change in the years ahead as the Korean continues to make progress. In fact, if Lee ever makes the Top Ten in the years ahead he will definitely make world wide headlines for one surprising reason.

Besides being the highest ranked 16-year old on tour, Lee promises to become the posterboy of anyone who wants to advocate the spirit of perseverance for one reason: he was born deaf.

Don’t look for Lee in any major tournaments any time soon but perhaps a Grand Slam debut in 2017 is reasonable.

No Butts For Zac Efron

MTTG Staff

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May 12, 2015

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Zac Efron isn’t too shy about showing off his body, but there seems to be one part that he’s reluctant to show off…unless it’s covered by the thinnest of material. Yup, for some reason the sexy star just isn’t comfortable letting his butt be shown on the big screen so he’s got a butt double doing the dirty work for him. You can check out the NSFW pictures without the black crack strip by clicking here.

With very few actors being shy about being in the nude now-a-days, it’s a bit of a shock when actor says he won’t bare it all.What’s even more shocking is when an actor who has already bared it all says they won’t do it now. Former Disney star Zac Effron is all grown up and he’s been shedding his clothes in several of his most recent films. He was even filmed running around in his tighy-whities (and they were tight) on the set of his current Dirty Grandpa.

However, it seems like when it came time for him to do a naked motorcycle scene he got a little camera shy and had a butt-double do it for him. Considering what a great butt he has, I’m shocked he’s want to cover any of that goodness up. No, I’ve never been a Zac Efron fan but when baby got back, baby got back you know?

It’s worth noting that in the movie The Awful Truth Effron showed his butt while his crotch was down in a toilet. It is the most unsexy show I’ve ever seen, but you can clearly see his behind. I’m thinking this could be an insurance issue or a contract issue. Maybe the studio didn’t pay enough to get that tight little booty on tape.

Also, it be really hard to cover up the front. Showing your butt is one thing, but anything else can be about nerve wracking. While I don’t get that Effron is the shy type, he just might not be able to let it all hang out yet, although he’s come pretty close in his underwear work in The Paperboy.

At least when the movie comes out you’ll know the nude shots aren’t him. However, the tighty-whitey shots should keep you satisfied as their equally impressive. Back in the day when actresses didn’t want to bare their breasts or butts, the producers would usually bring in someone that was either saggy or droopy, in effect, forcing them to show their self au natural or have audiences think that’s what they really looked like. Of course, they make it different for men. I just wonder if Zac got to sit through the casting call eyeing and searching for his perfect butt…and how extra did it cost?

2015 National League Week 5: Cardinals & Dodgers Killing It

Peter Tebin

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May 12, 2015

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2015 National League Week 5: Cardinals & Dodgers Killing It

The 2015 Major League Baseball season continues to roll along as we finished up our fifth full week of the regular season. The top three teams in each of the National League divisions remain the same as the New York Mets sit atop the East, the St. Louis Cardinals atop the Central and the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the West.

That being said only two of those three teams have been hot of late as the Cardinals have put together a 7-3 record over their past 10 while the Dodgers have won eight of ten including three straight over the weekend. The Mets on the other hand have played to just a 5-5 record and have seen their lead over the Washington Nationals shrink to just 3.5 games.

Last week the Nationals were the hottest team not only in the National League but all of baseball led by Bryce Harper. The Nationals got the week started with a win over the Marlins followed by a loss before running off four straight wins. Harper did most of the damage starting Thursday with a three home run performance over the Marlins. The home runs didn’t slow down as Harper connected on a pair on Friday before his two run walk off on Saturday.

Here is a quick overview of each division in the American League.

East Division: The Nationals have been red hot of late winning eight of their past ten games including a 5-1 record last week. That success included winning two of three over the Miami Marlins at home before a three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. Much of the team’s success in that stretch came from the team’s offense that scored 36 runs in six games.

While the Mets have struggled over their past 10 games, the team was able to rebound this week picking up a two game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles before taking two of three against the Philadelphia Phillies. The only concern with this team will be how well the lineup can produce after the pitching staff allowed just 12 runs in five games.

Outside of the top two teams the bottom three including the Marlins, Braves and Phillies continue to struggle. The Marlins played to a 3-4 record last week while the Braves and Phillies both posted a 2-4 record.

Central Division: Moving over to the Central division all eyes have been on the red hot Cardinals but the Chicago Cubs top prospect also made some news this week. The Cubs top prospect Kris Bryant connected on his first career home run coming back to an empty dugout. That has been the only bright spot of late for the Cubs as they have fell to 6.5 games behind the Cardinals in the division.

Despite losing back to back over the weekend the Cardinals still have been one of the hottest teams in baseball this season with a record of 22-9. They also still remain the only team in baseball that has yet to lose double digit games this season after winning four of seven games this week.

The Reds got off to a great start in the beginning of the week picking up back to back wins over the Pirates before going just 1-3 over their final four games. The Pirates after losing two to the Reds picked up the final two games against the Cardinals. The bottom team in the division the Milwaukee Brewers was able to split a four game series against the Dodgers and two of three against the Cubs.

West Division: The final division we will take a look at is the National League West division that is currently led by the Dodgers. That being said this division could turn out to be a three team race between the Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants after all three teams continue to play well.

The Dodgers were able to find a way to salvage their week after splitting with the last place Brewers. Despite only being able to play two games over the weekend in Colorado, the Dodgers picked up a 2-1 win in six innings on Friday before a 9-5 win on Sunday after Saturdays game was postponed.

The Padres finished up the week winning three of seven games losing two of three to the Giants before splitting a four game series with the Diamondbacks. While the Giants posted a 4-3 record winning a series against the Padres and splitting a four game series with the Miami Marlins.

Rounding out the division is the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies who both have struggled despite having multiple All-Stars on both teams. The Rockies have currently allowed the second most runs in the National League at 160 while the offense has produced just 113 runs.

Now that we have taken a look at each of the divisions around Major League Baseball we can take a look at a few individuals. Here is our list of top individual performers over the fifth week of the season in the National League.

Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals: The Nationals young star was red hot this past weekend including a three game stretch that including six home runs and 12 runs batted in. Harper is currently riding a four game hitting streak that includes 10 hits in his last 16 at bats with six home runs, one double, 13 runs batted in and a walk.

Yasmani Grandal, Los Angeles Dodgers: Grandal hasn’t been as hot as Harper but he was able to pick up four this in four at bats on Thursday with two home runs and eight runs batted in. Overall last week, Grandal picked up hits in each of his four games while finishing with .642 batting average.

Edmonton Oilers Coach Todd Nelson Getting Raw Media Deal

Shane Lambert

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May 12, 2015

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Edmonton Oilers Coach Todd Nelson Getting Raw Media Deal

Hockey fans, after finishing their work-day on Monday, were in for a bit of a disappointment when they flicked on the tube at home. However, even if there were no games on Monday, there were still hockey headlines in the May 11th, 2015 edition of the Edmonton Journal. Here’s a look at a topic addressed by Jim Matheson in Monday’s Journal.

Matheson, writing on page B1, wrote an article about Todd Nelson and his situation in Edmonton. Under the headline “Oilers leave Nelson twisting in the wind” Matheson depicts the current Oilers coach as having an uncertain future (ie. “Nelson is in a state of limbo”). As Matheson sees it, the current Oilers coach “probably knows in his heart of hearts that the Oilers are going to replace him,” an opinion that I agree with.

The article, written in the broader context of events that have unfolded in Edmonton over the course of the 2014/15 season, sees Nelson as a bit of a victim.

Nelson, after taking over from the ineffective Dallas Eakins part way through the regular season, navigated the Edmonton Oilers out of the NHL’s basement. In fairness, that should count for something as far as assessing his coaching skills goes. Nelson, if you judge him by a coach’s bottom line, appears to be worthy of continued employment as a head coach, an opinion Matheson appears to agree with:

“Nelson deserves better after he turned the Oilers around in his brief time behind the bench. He’s a bright guy, but has been an NHL head coach for only four months or so.”

For those that don’t know there have been a lot of changes in Edmonton in the last month, changes that make the Oilers a commodity worthy of leadership from a more proven behind-the-bench boss.

In particular the Oilers won the 2015 NHL draft lottery and that promises to land them hotshot Connor McDavid in late June. McDavid, touted as a player comparable to Wayne Gretzky, is someone that a struggling franchise should be able to rebuild around – maybe even quickly.

Herein lies the source of the perceived unfairness: Nelson did a good job, his team improved under his guidance, and yet he’s probably getting the boot due to the bouncing of the balls.

In my view, even if Nelson may get a raw deal in Edmonton it’s nothing to be sorry for him for. He got a chance to prove himself and, even if he’s still underqualified to handpick his job, he should still land an opportunity elsewhere (maybe even somewhere nicer than the Canadian prairies).

The Oilers are no longer a franchise that will merely put a team on the ice with Johnny-on-the-spot as the coach. Rather they are team who will be under the weight of expectation. It’s fair to say that Nelson might be capable of leading the Oilers to a strong season however it’s also fair to say that he can’t outcompete Mike Babcock or even Todd McLellan and that’s the issue at hand.

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No Butts For Zac Efron

2015 National League Week 5: Cardinals & Dodgers Killing It

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