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Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Maria Sharapova survived, and in more ways than one on Thursday at the Australian Open. Sharapova, the 2008 champion and this years third seed, outlasted Italys Karin Knapp 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 in a 3 1/2-hour marathon second-round match that was played in sweltering heat before the roof was closed at Rod Laver Arena. "Im really happy to get through," said Sharapova. "I really am. I worked really hard in the last few months and I wanted this match. I didnt play my best tennis. I didnt do many things well. I got through it, and sometimes thats whats important." Also getting through to the third round were Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska, but in much easier fashion. Azarenka, the two-time defending champion and second seed, claimed a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, while the fifth-seeded Radwanska notched a 6-0, 7-5 win over Olga Govortsova. Sharapova and Knapp opened play Thursday at Laver Arena and the decision to close the roof and halt action on the outer courts because of oppressive heat was made during the match. Rules, therefore, stipulated that the match conclude before the roof could be closed. The two gutted it out through a 108-degree temperature with high humidity. Knapp had Sharapova on the ropes in the third set, holding an 8-7 lead, but the Russians experience came through down the stretch. After holding serve for 8-8, Sharapova broke Knapp to go on top before the four-time Grand Slam champ closed out the contest on her serve. It wasnt easy, however, as Sharapova gave Knapp three points with double-faults in the 18th game before finally prevailing on her fourth match point when Knapp missed on a backhand. "I was up a set and a break and I had many opportunities to finish the match faster," noted Sharapova. "So I would have loved for it to finish faster, but thats what I got and I have to deal with the circumstances. Im all right with that. Im a competitor here, and I worked hard to get through that match. I will have to work just as hard to get through the next ones." Next up for Sharapova, who was an Aussie Open runner-up in 2007 and 2012, will be 25th-seeded Alize Cornet of France after she earned a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 decision over Italys Camila Giorgi. Azarenka, who beat Sharapova for the 2012 title, opened the night session and played under the roof at Laver Arena. She had little trouble in a 34-minute first set, but struggled to polish off Zahlavova Strycova, needing nearly an hour to win the second set. "There was just a moment when I just felt I dropped my intensity a little bit and was watching her a little bit too much," said Azarenka about the second set. "Im glad I could just turn it around in the end and really get back into it and play the way I was playing in the first set." Azarenka will encounter Austrian Yvonne Meusburger in the round of 32. Radwanska had a similar match on Thursday, winning 25 of the 34 points played in a 24-minute first set. Govortsova made the four-time Aussie Open quarterfinalist work in the second set before ultimately falling. "I started really well today," said Radwanska, who also was able to play indoors at Hisense Arena. "I think then she tried to play more aggressive in the second set and I think I did step backwards, unfortunately. Suddenly I was a break down. But just very happy that I could manage to win that second set and finish the match." Next for Radwanska will be Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Luxembourgs Mandy Minella. Former world No. 1s Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki also advanced, as did American Sloane Stephens. The eighth-seeded Jankovic thumped Japans Ayumi Morita 6-2, 6-0, while the 10th-seeded Wozniacki went the distance in a 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 triumph over American Christina McHale. Stephens, seeded 13th this year after her surprising semifinal run last year, rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Croatias Ajla Tomljanovic. Up next for Jankovic will be Japans Kurumi Nara, who took out 32nd-seeded Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 6-3, while Wozniacki will next play Spains Garbine Muguruza, a 6-3, 6-3 victor over Slovakias Anna Schmiedlova, and Stephens will next face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Australias Olivia Rogowska. The hot Muguruza is fresh off her first-ever WTA title in Hobart last week. Eleventh-seeded Romanian Simona Halep bounced back from a slow start against American Varvara Lepchenko to claim a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 win, setting up a third- round matchup with Kazakhstans Zarina Diyas, who downed New Zealands Marina Erakovic by a 6-4, 6-0 margin. Carla Suarez Navarro needed a late rally to fend off Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan, as the 16th-seeded Spaniard secured her place in the next round with a 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 8-6 victory. Slovakias Dominika Cibulkova, the 20th seed, awaits Suarez Navarro in the third round after cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Swiss Stefanie Voegele, and the aforementioned Meusburger dismissed 33rd-seeded Serb Bojana Jovanovski 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The excessive heat forced play on the outer courts to be suspended for a few hours and rain also delayed play. The third round will commence Friday, including matches for five-time champion Serena Williams and two-time Aussie Open runner-up Li Na. The world No. 1 and reigning U.S. and French Open champion Williams will face 31st-seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova, while the fourth-seeded Li will battle 26th-seded Czech Lucie Safarova. Li lost to Azarenka in last years Melbourne finale. Also on Friday, last weeks Sydney runner-up, ninth-seeded German Angelique Kerber, will meet upstart American Alison Riske and 14th-seeded former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic will tangle with 17th-seeded former U.S. Open champ and heavy Aussie crowd favorite Sam Stosur. The former French Open winner Ivanovic was an Aussie Open runner-up to Sharapova in 2008. Anthony Bemboom Angels Jersey . The CFL will help tackle womens cancers by playing four special "CFL PINK" games this weekend. Dick Williams Jersey . Cammalleri scored two goals, Corban Knight netted the winner in a shootout, and the Flames erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Stars 4-3 on Friday night. https://www.cheapangels.com/1503j-luke-b...angels.html.com) - Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B. Stitched Angels Jerseys .com) - One point guard will return, while another will sit when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Lee Smith Angels Jersey . He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart.Quarterback Travis Lulay starts his first game of the season tonight when the B.C. Lions visit the Ottawa Redblacks, almost a full year after injuring his throwing shoulder last September. Watch the game live on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 and on TSN GO tonight at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also listen to the game on TEAM 1040 in Vancouver and TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa. It was hoped Lulay would be healthy in time for training camp after undergoing off-season surgery, but he instead takes charge nine games into a campaign that has seen the Lions wobble to 5-4 record in the CFLs ultra-competitive West Division. "Im excited. This is why you play the game - to have an opportunity to play," Lulay said this week. "I dont take a minute of it for granted. If I learned anything during (the last year), it was that I feel fortunate to be able to do what I do. I just love being out here with the guys." Lulay said going on the six-game injured list at the start of the regular season gave him a chance to refocus, and it was towards the end of that period when he finally started to feel like he was getting back to normal. "I knew it was a process ... I didnt know exactly when that process would come to an end," he said. "I do feel confident in my ability to play well. "There was so much unknown going into (training) camp, knowing there was a chance that I may be ready early (and) knowing there was a chance it might take a while into the season." Lulay has dressed the last three games as a backup -- seeing action late in the last two -- and with the team coming off a bye week, head coach Mike Benevides felt the time was right for the 30-year-old to take over from Kevin Glenn. "Hes as good as Ive seen him in a long, long time ... a long, long time," Benevides said of Lulay. "Hes not going to be as smooth as he wants to be a month from now, but he looks as good as Ive seen in a long time." Lulays return comes at a critical juncture for B.C., which has been consistently inconsistent so far in 2014. The Lions have road victories over the Calgary Stampeders (8-1) and Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-2), but are an uncharacteristic 2-3 at home. Giving the Lions a much-needed boost in a variety of areas is Stefan Logan, who is leading the league with 1,264 combined yards, the only player in the CFL with more than 1,000 yards in that department.dddddddddddd Defensively, the Lions are still paced by Solomon Elimimian who, despite leaving early a couple weeks ago, still paces the league in tackles with 74, 26 more than Ottawas Jasper Simmons who is second on the list. Elimimian practiced on Wednesday and will start tonight. The Redblacks, all alone in last place in the dismal East Division where not one of the four inhabitants has even a .500 record, have just one win in nine tries to this point and that came by only a single point against visiting Toronto back on July 18 (18-17). Since then it has been a downhill run for Ottawa, losing most recently to a woeful Montreal group on the road in Week 10, 20-10. In that game, the Redblacks actually scored the first points of the contest, a 30-yard field goal by Brett Maher, but from there the team was held scoreless until the final frame when Henry Burris hooked up with Wallace Miles on a 28- yard TD pass play. Burris, who recently moved up the CFLs all-time passing list, finished the contest 21-of-34 for 245 yards, shaking off three sacks along the way. The signal caller was one of two players credited with rushing attempts for the Redblacks as he posted eight runs for 29 yards, two less than Chevon Walker who carried the ball seven times. Miles managed to pull down seven passes for a 101 yards, but even that effort was not enough to offset a staggering 16 penalties for a loss of 135 yards in the outing. The Redblacks continue to bring up the rear in terms of scoring this season with only 15.1 ppg, the team generating just 294.6 ypg which is second-lowest in the CFL after 10 weeks of action. On the defensive side of the ball, there is no team as lenient as Ottawa, with the squad giving up a hefty 412.8 ypg, close to 80 ypg more than the closest competitor (Montreal). As far as an all-time series is concerned, British Columbia is on top by a count of 39-18-2, taking into consideration only regular-season meetings dating back to 1961. The most recent matchup between the Lions and a team representing the city of Ottawa was back on Sept. 8, 2005 when BC hammered the opposition, 61-27, on the road. The Lions, who are set to host Ottawa on Oct. 11, have won nine consecutive meetings and 14 of the last 15 overall. ' ' '