le and fight and compete.Game two in the best of seven series takes

PARIS -- Nothing came easily for Maria Sharapova in the French Open final. Cheap Cardinals Jerseys . Serves hit by her surgically repaired shoulder often missed the mark, resulting in 12 double-faults. Shots that would be winners against most opponents were retrieved by Simona Halep and sent right back. Leads that usually hold up vanished in a blink. On a muggy afternoon, with the temperature in the high 70s (20s Celsius), points were lung-searing struggles. Sharapova was up to the task. In an entertaining and undulating championship match -- the first womens final at Roland Garros in 13 years to go three sets -- Sharapova showed that shes as tough as they come, particularly on the red clay that used to flummox her. She edged Halep 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 Saturday to win a second French Open title in three years. "This is the toughest Grand Slam final Ive ever played," Sharapova said. It is her fifth major trophy in all. Remarkably, Sharapova owns twice as many from Paris as the one each she won at Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006, and the Australian Open in 2008. "If somebody had told me ... at some stage in my career, that Id have more Roland Garros titles than any other Grand Slam, Id probably go get drunk," Sharapova said with a chuckle. "Or tell them to get drunk. One or the other." The 3-hour, 2-minute tangle featured too many momentum swings to count, filled with lengthy baseline exchanges, and terrific defence and shotmaking by both women. Not bad for someone who once famously described herself as feeling like a "cow on ice" when it came to playing on clay, a slow, demanding surface that requires excellent footwork. Now Sharapova knows how to move on clay, and can stretch points when needed. Since the start of 2012, Sharapova is 54-4 with seven titles on clay. Shes also won 20 consecutive clay three-setters, including four in a row this week. "It says that shes very fit. It says that shes very determined," said Sven Groenefeld, Sharapovas coach. "And it says that she never gives up." Sharapova broke into a huge smile while hoisting the trophy overhead, then shaking it with both hands and scanning a stadium that, improbably, has become hers. This was her third final in a row in Paris: She won the 2012 title to complete a career Grand Slam, then lost last year to Serena Williams, who bowed out in the second round this time. Sharapova is 20-1 the last three years at Roland Garros -- which is nothing compared to Rafael Nadals 65-1 career French Open mark heading into Sundays final Sunday against Novak Djokovic, but certainly quite impressive. "Youre not just born being a natural clay-court player. OK, maybe if youre Nadal. But certainly not me," Sharapova said. "I didnt grow up on it; didnt play on it. I just took it upon myself to make myself better on it." Plus, Sharapova had an operation on her right shoulder, the one she uses to swing her racket, in October 2008. That joint troubled the Russian again in 2013, when she played one match from July to December. She now travels with a physiotherapist, Jerome Bianchi, and told him during the post-match ceremony, "Thank you for keeping me healthy." This was the ninth Grand Slam final for the No. 7-seeded Sharapova, and the first for Halep, a 22-year-old Romanian seeded fourth. Supported by a dozen folks in her guest box wearing red T-shirts saying "Allez Simona," and fans that chanted her first name, Halep acquitted herself well, showing off the scrambling baseline style that carried her to six straight-set wins until Saturday. "I will not forget this match," said Halep, who wiped away tears afterward. Each time it appeared Sharapova was ready to pull away, she was forced to do extra work. At 4-3 in the second set, Sharapova held two break points, but Halep saved both with gutsy groundstrokes. In the tiebreaker, Sharapova got within two points of victory at 5-3, but Halep took the next four to claim the set. Thats when Sharapova left for the locker room, taking an 8-minute break during which she changed out of her sweat-soaked outfit -- and let Halep stew for a bit. Sharapova went ahead 4-2, but Halep broke back to 4-all. It turned out that was her last stand, though. Sharapova wouldnt lose another point, gritting her teeth and shaking her fists after breaking at love for 5-4 with a backhand winner, then holding at love by forcing a backhand error from Halep on match point. When it ended, Sharapova dropped to her knees, caking her shins with clay, and folded her body forward, burying her face in her hands. "I had good tactics today. I opened the angles. Also, I was hitting the ball strong," Halep said. But Sharapova, Halep continued, "was moving really well." Cow on ice? More like Queen of Clay. Custom St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. Harrison Bader Jersey . Mueller is the grandson of the late Ron Lancaster, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback and longtime head coach in the CFL. Last season, Mueller was quarterbacks coach of the University of Regina Rams, his alma mater. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/694t-rogers-hornsby-jersey-cardinals.html . Minutes before the final whistle of Sporting Kansas Citys 3-0 victory over a shorthanded Montreal Impact squad on Saturday afternoon, Saputo tweeted: "Our fans deserve better.Russell Westbrook inspired a second-half fightback as Oklahoma City Thunder came from behind to beat Golden State Warriors 108-102 in the opening game of the Western Conference finals on Monday. Westbrook potted 27 points as Thunder overturned a 60-47 half-time deficit to snatch victory in a pulsating clash between two of the most potent attacking units in the NBA. Westbrook also chipped in with 12 assists and six rebounds, while team-mate Kevin Durant finished with 26 points, with the visitors silencing Golden States home crowd at the Oracle Arena.Westbrook said: Its a game of two halves, man. My job was to stay in attack mode and find a way of getting my team-mates going.Were a great team. We didnt play our best game but we came out with a win.Warriors coach Steve Kerr added: I thought when we lost our aggressiveness and our momentum offensively in the second half, a lot of that had to do with [Westbrooks] speed and aggressiveness.Golden State looked to be sprinting away to a one-sided victory with Stephen Curry - who finished with 26 points - leading the charge.But Thunder re-emerged after the half-time interval a different side, with Westbrook compiling 19 points in the third quarter to reduce the deficit to threee points (88-85). Genesis Cabrera Jersey. Oklahoma City opened a 101-93 lead before the reigning NBA champions Warriors clawed their way back to within one point at 101-100.Just when it looked as if Golden State were poised to pull off another Houdini act, Thunder regrouped and edged clear once more.Kerr bemoaned a loss of composure during the final quarter when the Warriors made only one of 10 attempted three-pointers.Kerr pointed out: There were a lot of quick shots, way too many quick shots, which took us out of our rhythm.Five minutes left in the game and were down four points, and we were acting like we had 20 seconds left.Five minutes is an eternity. We know how we have to play. We have to pass and move and create rhythm for ourselves.Meanwhile, Thunders head coach Billy Donovan praised his sides problem-solving abilities: I thought in the second half we did a much better job, took much better care of the basketball which enabled us to get back in transition and play better defence.Its one game and well have to take a look at the film and figure out how we can play better on Wednesday.Were not a perfect team but these guys really battle and fight and compete.Game two in the best of seven series takes place in Oakland on Wednesday. ' ' '