NEWS » as a debridement to remove loose particles, Pelicans trai

WIMBLEDON -- So close, yet so far. Its the least appropriate expression to apply to the career of Serena Williams. Its also the most accurate description of her present state as she reboots her drive to equal Steffi Grafs record 22 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open era.With her No. 1 ranking on the line at this tournament for the first time in a long while, Williams subdued Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic on Centre Court in swirling winds in an hour and 14 minutes 6-2, 6-4.These are strange times for Williams. She is living multiple dilemmas. They are mostly of her own making.Its partly because Williams walked away from the 2015 season after absorbing that historic loss to Roberta Vinci at the US Open and has only played five tournaments so far this year.Williams has more Grand Slam match-wins over the past three Grand Slam events than any other WTA player (17). Yet the titles went to Flavia Pennetta, who celebrated her triumph at the 2015 US Open by calling it a career, Angelique Kerber, who reacted to winning this years Australian Open by slumping badly, and, most recently, French Open champ Garbine Muguruza.So close, yet so far. Its unfair, but Williams failures in finals are magnified by their historic significance. If she had just 15 majors, losing a final at age 34 would earn her plaudits. But shes on Graf like a backpack, so the shortfalls are epic.I think more or less about winning Australia, Williams said after the match. I think about winning the French Open. Didnt happen. I think about winning Wimbledon. I dont necessarily think about winning 22.Mentally Ive been further down than anyone can be. Well, maybe not anyone, but Ive been pretty low. Theres nothing thats not mentally too hard for me.The losses have created a narrative propelled by the concept of pressure. Some blame Williams failures since the Vinci match on that component. They have their reasons, even if they tend to go light on the age-related factors or the quality of some of Williams opponents.Its a glass half-empty, half-full kind of thing, Tracy Austin, Tennis Channel commentator and former US Open champion told ESPN.com after Williams won Tuesday. People are asking, Whats wrong with Serena? Well, nothing. Shes still getting to finals. And she still has many opportunities.The most important thing is how she looks at it. What shes feeling, and I dont think any athlete is ever going to be 100 percent open about that.If Williams felt any pressure, she didnt show it in her opening match. On the other hand, her opponent was one of the two players in the singles (the other is British ATP sensation Marcus Willis) who was, until recently, feeding balls to kids as a teaching pro at a tennis club.Sadikovic, 27, tried the pro game but grew frustrated and disillusioned two years ago. She took a long break and only returned when she saw how well a similar program worked out for fellow countrywoman Timea Bacsinszky. Sadikovic is an athletic 6-foot-1 with good mobility, some tricky slices and spins and a big serve -- but not as big a Williams.While Williams hit more double faults than aces (5-4), she lost just seven points when she put her first serve in. Her returns was far superior to Sadikovics, accounting for four breaks.She plays an old-school grass-court game, Williams said. I knew that going in. Once I knew that, Im really ready. I was ready for it.So Williams has hit the reset button once again. Repeated failures tend to raise repeated questions. Is she obsessed with the singles record and feeling the pressure to equal Graf? What does she need to do to accomplish that?According to Austin, its simply a matter of relaxing and playing her game on the surface on which she feels most comfortable.I would be lying if I said I feel fresh, but I dont feel fatigue, Williams said. I dont think I feel fresh, but I feel real hungry, super-motivated, extremely ready to do the best.Maybe shes not so far after all.Air Vapormax Rebajas .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Vapormax Flyknit 3 Hombre . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. http://www.vapormaxbaratas.com/ . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Vapormax Mujer Baratas . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Vapormax España . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick.New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans is not expected to be available at the beginning of the 2016-17 regular season after having three right knee procedures in the span of nine months.Hes not going to be ready for the start of the season, Alvin Gentry said on The Lowe Post podcast. So thats hard. He wont be ready for the start of the season. Hes in a rehab situation. So, I think for us, weve just got to move forward with our season. And then if he comes back and hes able to help us, I think that just adds icing to the cake.After playing in a career-high 79 games in 2014-15, Evans underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in May. The procedure was a debridement to remove loose particles, Pelicans trainer Duane Brooks told ESPN in April.Evans then bumped knees with Kendrick Perkins in preseason practice, causing a chhip in his right knee that required surgery in October.dddddddddddd.He returned Dec. 1, but persistent knee swelling -- despite the draining of fluid several times, per Brooks -- led to an osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS) procedure in February to replace cartilage in three areas of his knee, according to Brooks.Brooks said Evans has a history of bilateral knee cartilage wear and trace of fusion on both knees that dates back to before the 2013 sign-and-trade that brought him to New Orleans.The 26-year-old finished last season with averages of 15.2 points, 7.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 25 games. He has one year remaining on the four-year contract he signed with the Pelicans in 2013. ' ' '