Spam & Fun » e green clay to win the 2012 World Team Tennis title

TORONTO – The Maple Leafs intend to fill what remaining holes they have on their roster through internal competition. That was the pledge, at least, of team president Brendan Shanahan from the clubs annual prospect camp. “We want our young players to have job opportunities,” Shanahan said. “We want to have competition. We want to create that internal pressure, that there are jobs to be had here.” Unraveling toward another playoff miss last year, Toronto did some roster restructuring this offseason through trade and a prudent first week of free agency. And although much of the lineup can be jotted down in pen for returning head coach Randy Carlyle, there are gaps that will be left in pencil, to be decided in competition at training camp. “Youve got to have a few holes with the big club so that not only these guys,” said Shanahan, referring to the 29 prospects on hand for the week-long camp, “but our Marlie guys who are in the gym in the mornings know that theres a reason to be working out this summer, that theres an opportunity and a job to be won possibly.” A glut of departing free agents left most of the openings at forward. At centre, the third and fourth-line positions are there to be had for a combination of Mike Santorelli, Petri Kontiola, Peter Holland and perhaps even Sam Carrick and Greg McKegg. Further jostling on the wing will come down to who shows best amongst a group that includes Matt Frattin, Carter Ashton, Josh Leivo, Troy Bodie and William Nylander, the eighth overall pick in the draft this past June. At least one spot – and maybe two, depending on Cody Fransons future – will be up for grabs on defence, there for Petter Granberg, Stuart Percy, Korbinian Holzer or Andrew MacWilliam to snatch. Carlyle, who received a two-year extension in early May after a trio of his assistant coaches were fired, had been reluctant to lean in that younger direction in the past, preferring the veterans at his disposal. But at the urging of management it appears hell no longer have much of a choice. The club had no talks, for instance, with Jay McClement, the coachs most trusted crutch, opting to let him walk via free agency this summer. Tragically collapsing for the second time in three seasons, Toronto did however, look to inject some leadership and veteran know-how in their roster remake this summer; Roman Polak, a feisty sort long of St. Louis, was added in a trade for Carl Gunnarsson; 37-year-old Stephane Robidas and returning Leaf Leo Komarov were signed to multiyear deals on July 1st. Upside bids like Santorelli and Kontiola were added from the free agent market in the days that followed. “These were not plan Bs,” Shanahan said. “These were guys that we had targeted. “With all due respect to the players that were signed for big dollars and big term, we looked at July 1st this year and decided that we didnt want to be too involved with some of those big signings … Its a bad habit to try and build your team on July 1st year after year after year.” Instead, it appears the Leafs will start the prudent trend of building internally, improved draft and development key in the still-to-be-sorted Shanahan platform. Steven Matz Jersey . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list. Cheap Mets Jerseys China . -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres. http://www.cheapmetsjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-jose-reyes-jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the deal will pay Schenn $2.25 million in the first year and $2.75 million in the second year. In 82 games with the Flyers in 2013-14, Schenn scored 20 goals and added 21 assists. Lenny Dykstra Jersey .A. Happs hold on a spot in the Blue Jays starting rotation is in question. Cheap Mets Jerseys Authentic . According to a report from ESPN, the veteran safety has signed another one-year deal with the team Raiders, the team that drafted him, and who he returned to last year after a long stint with the Green Bay Packers. CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Venus Williams couldnt dig herself out of a hole this time and lost to Montreals Eugenie Bouchard 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-4 at the Family Circle Cup on Thursday. The 33-year-old Williams had fought back in each of her first two matches to advance. She seemed to follow the same game-plan in this one, rallying from a set down to win the second set and lead 2-1 in the third. Thats when the 20-year-old Canadian, took over, breaking Williams serve twice down the stretch including the final game. "I think Ive shown to myself how mentally strong I can be," said Bouchard, seeded sixth at the Family Circle. "Today was really a mental battle. It was a bit ugly at times and tough on the court, but I fought through it." Bouchard finished things off by reaching Williams drop shot and pushing it into the open court for her first victory over the seven-time Grand Slam champion. "She played a lot more consistently than I did," Williams said. "I think my errors really hurt me a lot today. Just a lot of up and down, a lot of errors." Especially in two key stretches when it looked as if the 33-year-old Williams was ready to take control. Bouchard was ahead 5-3 in the opening set when Williams rallied and held two set points in the tiebreaker. But Bouchard won the next four points, including a crisp backhand for a winner to secure the set. When Williams moved on top in the third set, Bouchard did not panic but dug in to move on to her third quarter-final round this year. "Ive just kind of raised my game a little bit and was extra solid on those important points," Bouchard said. Bouchard will next face second-seed Jelena Jankovic, the 2007 Family Circle champion who at No. 8 in world is the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament. Jankovic defeated Croatias Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-1. Jankovic has reached the Family Circle quarter-finals in six of the past seven seasons. Shes been beaten by a Williams sister each of the last two years, falling to Venus in 2012 and to Serena in last years championship finals. Jankovic struggled early as the 20-year-old Tomljanovic fought ooff a set point to tie the opening set at 5-all.dddddddddddd Jankovic then won eight of the next nine games to move forward. "I missed that overhead on my set point, which was kind of frustrating, and we levelled it at 5 5," Jankovic said. "But I was able to stay calm and regroup and finish that set. So that was very important." Williams defeat was part of a difficult day for past champions of the clay-court event. Along with 2004 winner Williams, two other previous Family Circle champs in Sabine Lisicki (2009) and Samantha Stosur (2010) lost third-round matches. Lisicki, the fourth seed, fell to German countrywoman Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 6-0. Stosur, seeded seventh, was beaten by No. 9 seed Lucie Safarova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The loss ends a run of success for the Williams family on the courts here. Sister Serena was the two-time defending tournament champion before losing Tuesday night. Venus played with the Washington Kastles on the green clay to win the 2012 World Team Tennis title. Venus Williams had been bothered by an illness that she said limited her endurance this week. She had to come from behind in her first two matches here to face Bouchard and did not have enough stamina to wait out her opponents solid, flat ground strokes. "That kind of made it more challenging. I mean I think normally I would probably be able to challenge the points a little bit longer and just make her play more shots and just be more willing to play longer points," Williams said. Williams was the 2004 Family Circle champion. She reached the semifinals here last year where she lost to sister Serena, the eventual champion. Others advancing to the round of eight included third-seed Sara Errani, who outlasted Peng Shuai, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5); unseeded Jana Cepelova, who defeated 13th-seed Elena Visnina 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3; and 12th-seed Daniela Hantuchova, who beat Teliana Pereira 6-2, 6-3. Errani rallied in each of her sets to eliminate Peng, the worlds top-ranked doubles player. For Cepelova, it was her second big victory of this event after knocking off world No. 1 Serena Williams in a stunner Tuesday night. ' ' '