N.E.W.S » would stop on a regular nigh

MELBOURNE, Australia - At an Australian Open marked by upsets and new story lines, Rafael Nadal will play Sundays final against a man often called the "other" Swiss tennis player. Now, after a stunning run in Melbourne, Stanislas Wawrinka has a new nickname: The Stanimal — a tribute to his gritty, fight-until-the end style of tennis. Fittingly, perhaps, the name was apparently coined by none other than Roger Federer, in a tweet of support for his friend which quickly caught on earlier in the tournament. Now that Federer is out of the running — he lost to Nadal in the semifinals — the 17-time Grand Slam winner and long-time ambassador for Swiss tennis has joined those cheering for Wawrinka to win his first Grand Slam final. It is a match that holds historical significance for all three players. If the No. 1-ranked Nadal wins, as the odds suggest he will, the 27-year-old Spaniard will become the first player to win each of the majors twice in the Open era. It would be his 14th Grand Slam trophy and bring him one step closer to Federers all-time record of 17. If No. 8-ranked Wawrinka beats Nadal to win his first major title, he catapults to a career high of No. 3 in the rankings. Just reaching the final assures Wawrinka of the No. 5 spot, meaning for the first time he will pass Federer, who is now ranked sixth. On the eve of the final, Wawrinka said he was still shocked by his success. "Its insane. Its incredible," the 28-year-old Wawrinka said Saturday, speaking to reporters in English and in his native French. "I never imagined that one day I would be here, playing in the final." After a breakthrough year in 2013, Wawrinka is playing the best tennis of his life in Melbourne. He knocked out three-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and beat No. 7 Tomas Berdych in the semifinals. He knows how tough it will be to beat Nadal — hes tried and failed 12 times. "Ive played him so many times, and lost so many times, but Im going to try again," Wawrinka said. "I know what I have to do. I know that I have to play aggressive, serve really well, and try to always push him." "Im playing my best tennis here," Wawrinka added. "Physically, Im ready.". Nadal says hes ready, too, for a breakthrough at what he calls his unluckiest Grand Slam. Nadal won in Melbourne in 2009 but in subsequent years struggled with injuries during or before the seasons first major. He missed the 2013 Australian Open during a seven-month layoff for illness and a knee injury. He returned to win the French and U.S. Open last year but reaching the final in Melbourne holds special significance. "After missing last year for me its really, really emotional to be back on this court, Rod Laver Arena, and to be able to play another final," said Nadal, who has known Wawrinka since they were teens, playing junior tournaments in Europe. "Hes a good friend, a great guy. Im so happy for him that hes in the final. He deserves it," Nadal said. "I know it will be a very, very tough match." Wawrinkas other longtime friend, Federer, had hoped Sundays story would be about an all-Swiss final. But after losing the latest installment of the Federer-Nadal rivalry, hes cheering for Wawrinka. "I hope he wins, and I hope he gives everything he has," Federer said. "Theres no reason not believe that he can beat Rafa." "Stans in his first Grand Slam final, so that makes Stan also unpredictable. Hes got to use that to his advantage." Wholesale Ecco Shoes . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Cheap Ecco Shoes Outlet . TSN was honoured with several awards, with Rod Smith and James Duthie sharing the win for Best Sports Host for SportsCentre and the NHL: Season On The Brink coverage, respectively. http://www.eccocheap.com/. Crawford hit his slam off Pirates starter Edinson Volquez to give San Francisco a four run lead in the fourth and they never looked back. Brandon Belt had three runs batted in as well. Bumgarner pitched all nine innings and allowed just four hits. Wholesale Ecco Shoes Free Shipping . Bayern led second-place Leverkusen by 10 points with a game in hand, while Dortmund was another four points off the pace. Freiburg midfielder Felix Klaus scored in the last minute as his side twice came from behind to climb provisionally out of the relegation zone. Authentic Ecco Shoes Cheap . The moves were the first punitive steps taken by the Dolphins since a report on the NFLs investigation of the case was released last week. Investigators found that guard Richie Incognito and two teammates engaged in persistent harassment directed at tackle Jonathan Martin, another offensive lineman and an assistant trainer.Every night of the Stanley Cup playoffs, TSN hockey analyst and former NHL goaltender Jamie McLennan breaks down each goalies performance. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh (3) - He made a huge glove save on Ryan Murray with 63 seconds left. He was looking for a response (mentally) after he was down 3-1 and made two big saves - one on Ryan Johansen and one on Mark Letestu. All eyes were on him to see if he could hold up and he passed his first test. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus (2) - Brandon Sutters game-winning goal wasnt great. Also, Matt Niskanens power play goal went through the legs. He was not at the top of his expected game and has more to give. Carey Price, Montreal (3) - Price made three huge saves in overtime (on Alex Killorn, Teddy Purcell and Nikita Kucherov), on a night where he faced few sshots and had a few goals that - by his standards - he would stop on a regular night.dddddddddddd Anders Lindback, Tampa Bay (3) - Lindback gave them a chance to win, as the Habs had most of the shots and chances in Game 1. The goals by Lars Eller and Thomas Vanek goals were not his best work, but he made more than enough stops to keep them in the game. Frederik Andersen, Anaheim (3) - He made two big saves early in the game on Jamie Benn and Alex Chiasson. Not much could be done on two of the three goals he allowed, as Chiasson was a screen. But he was very good in tight on Wednesday night using his feet and post protection. Kari Lehtonen, Dallas (2) - Lehtonen did not get much help or chances on three of the four goals he allowed. He had rebound issues all night, looked unsettled at times on perimeter shots and was deep on screen shots where hes usually more aggressive. ' ' '