ATLANTA -- Top-seeded John Isner overpowered Dudi Sela on Sunday to successfully defend his Atlanta Open title, blowing serve after serve past the 1.75-meter Israeli player in a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Serving for the match, the 2.08-meter Isner fell behind 30-0 before Sela sent a backhand into the net, and then watched almost helplessly as the American ripped three straight aces for the win. Isner finished with 15 aces to Selas two. Ranked 12th, Isner has won two of his nine career titles in Atlanta, where he also lost to Mardy Fish in the 2010 and 2011 finals and to eventual champion Andy Roddick in the 2012 semifinals. In running his Atlanta record to 16-3, the former University of Georgia star had the crowd on his side on a hot afternoon under bright sun. Isner served beyond 225 kph on several occasions, while Sela was in the 185 kph range. Isner also crushed Selas second serves, which often travelled at around 130 mph, to win 61 per cent of Selas second serves. Sela was playing in just his second ATP final after losing to Roddick in Beijing in 2008. Isner earned $103,100, and Sela made $54,300. American Jack Sock and Canadian Vasek Pospisil won the doubles title. Sock and Pospisil, the Wimbledon doubles winners three weeks ago in their first tournament together, beat Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey 6-3, 5-7, 10-5. . The three Calgary natives will compete after the sport was skipped by the Vancouver Games in 2010 but later included on the program for Sochi, Russia. The fight to include womens ski jumping prior to Vancouver went to the courts only to have the Supreme Court of Canada rule against the athletes appeal in 2009. .The league also seems to have a fairly active Twitter account
www.twitter.com/bikinihockey that features the description “We provide a positive alternative to the hockey community and a venue for adult female hockey athletes to continue in their sport.
http://www.officialcanadiensfanstore.co ... ns-jersey/. Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. . Toronto has lost six of its last eight games but is coming off Thursdays 7-3 victory at Kansas City. Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus both went deep for the Blue Jays, who are second in the American League with 34 home runs on the season. . Canada wasnt in the game from the outset. Head coach Dan Church left Calgary in the morning without addressing the players. He told The Canadian Press he felt the organization lacked confidence in his ability to defend the Olympic gold medal in February.Lionel Messi almost single-handedly restored peace at Barcelona by scoring once and setting up two more goals in a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday, before speaking out about the chaotic week for the Catalan club.Messi passed for goals by Neymar and Luis Suarez before he scored his 25th goal in as many games this season.He then denied media reports by saying he never called for coach Luis Enrique to be replaced. He also shot down speculation that his father had spoken to Premier League powerhouses Chelsea and Manchester City.I never demanded anything in order that I stay because I dont have any intention of leaving, Messi said.While Messi helped Barcelona remain in the Spanish league title hunt, Southampton stunned Manchester United 1-0 in England.____SPAINMessi shredded Atleticos vaunted defence and passed for Neymar to score in the 12th minute and for Suarez to double the lead at Camp Nou in the 35th.He then made up for committing a penalty that led to Mario Mandzukic scoring from the spot in the 57th by scoring himself three minutes from time.After giving Barcelona control of second place, one point behind Real Madrid, Messi put to bed an entire set of rumours following a tumultuous week for the Catalan club that included the firing of its sports director and its president calling for early elections this summer.I have never asked that they replace a coach, and I never would, said Messi. This hurts. And it comes from people who want to hurt the club.Sevilla moved into fourth, two points behind Atletico, with a 2-0 win at Almeria.____ENGLANDA Southampton shirt had to be scrambled from the dressing room before the forgetful Dusan Tadic could enter the Old Trafford pitch.Within minutes, it was being ripped off again as the second-half substitute celebrated scoring the goal that gave Southampton its first win at Manchester United in 27 years.When I wanted to come on, the shirt and shin pads were not there (in the dugout), but I dont know what happened, Tadic said after clinching the victory. This isnt important. Its important we won.Ronald Koemans Southamptton side ended Uniteds 10-game unbeaten run in the Premier League and dislodged the hosts — managed by fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal — from third place.dddddddddddd.Arsenal is only a point behind fourth-place United after Alexis Sanchez scored two and created one in a 3-0 victory over Stoke.____FRANCELyon moved to the top of the French league after striker Alexandre Lacazette, one of eight homegrown players in its starting lineup, scored twice in a 3-0 win against Toulouse to take his seasons tally to 19 in 20 games.The win moved Lyon one point clear of second-place Marseille, and an impressive four clear of two-time defending champion Paris Saint-Germain, which continues to struggle despite having five players in its squad costing more than €40 million ($47 million), while the nucleus of Lyons side costs nothing.Lacazette scored twice inside the first 30 minutes and 21-year-old midfielder Nabil Fekir added the other goal just after the break to make it eight league goals in 16 games.Also, fifth-place Monaco is five points behind PSG after drawing 0-0 at home to sixth-place Bordeaux, and seventh-place Nantes drew 0-0 at home to Metz.A minutes silence was held before all matches this weekend in memory of the 17 people killed in a terrorist rampage in Paris this week.____ITALYSerie A leader Juventus won 3-1 at Napoli to move three points clear of Roma, which fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Lazio in the capital derby.Miguel Britos levelled for Napoli, cancelling out a stunning Paul Pogba volley, but Juventus restored its advantage five minutes later through Martin Caceres, who was making his first appearance in more than three months.Napoli had a late equalizer ruled out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon before Arturo Vidal sealed the match in stoppage time.Napoli remained fourth, a point behind Lazio after the latters derby disappointment.Francesco Totti scored both of Romas goals in the second period. Romas talismanic captain celebrated his second in unusual fashion by taking a selfie of himself on the pitch. ' ' '
