Getting set to go their separate ways for a short C

The best possible storyline for the fall segment of the WTA was ruined when Serena Williams, citing a sore shoulder, pulled out of two tournaments leading up to the season-ending WTA Tour Championships.However, the plot that developed over the past few weeks in Asia isnt a bad substitute. Its coming to a head this week at the China Open, one of just four elite Premier Mandatory WTA events this year.Angelique Kerber towers at No. 1 with a massive lead in the rankings; shes undoubtedly queen of all she surveys. But palace intrigue is percolating in the halls surrounding her chambers. And the plotters are all gathered around her in Beijing.Petra Kvitova, who came within a whiff of earning the No. 1 ranking (including the year-end No. 1) way back in 2011, is a two-time Wimbledon champion who has a habit of popping up at the least convenient times for her rivals. Garbine Muguruza, the French Open champion, is looking to reprise her 2015 role as an October terror. Agnieszka Radwanska surprised everyone when her sly game kicked in once again last fall and carried her to the best win of her career in the WTA Finals in Singapore. Her victim? Kvitova.All the women mentioned above are seasoned, accomplished pros who have either failed or been denied the prize Kerber holds in the top ranking. Only Kvitova has as many Grand Slam titles, but even she did not earn them with the same degree of fanfare as the 28-year-old German.Kerber didnt leapfrog over her peers to great acclaim because of the things she won, but because of how and when she won them. Kerber had to meet Williams at the summit of two Grand Slam events this year (Australian Open and Wimbledon) in order to be in position to tear the No. 1 ranking from her grip. They split those matches, which was good enough. When Karolina Pliskova upset Williams at the US Open, Kerber took full advantage. She won the tournament and became No. 1.Kerbers three Grand Slam final appearances and her heroics inadvertently dimmed the luster of the other contenders accomplishments. Can you blame any of them for wanting a little payback or at least to bring Kerber down a peg or two? After all, shes doing damage to the theory of WTA parity, and the cozy idea that there really isnt any woman ready to step in and rule anything like Williams did.The most dangerous threat to Kerber might be Kvitova, who bested her in one of the best WTA matches of 2016 less than a week ago in Wuhan, China. Kvitova, who had been a disappointment all year, won that high-quality three-set, 3-hour-and-20-minute clash because she found a precision and consistency she often lacks. The win leveled their head-to-head at five wins apiece.I really didnt think I played the best against Angie, Kvitova said to the press afterward. I did play two matches before and three matches afterwards much better than against Angie.As far as bulletin-board material goes, thats pretty good stuff. But its unlikely Kerber would get distracted by it. She was cool in the aftermath of the loss, telling the press: We played on a really high level for the whole three hours. There are no losers today. Of course, she won the last point, but I think the match was just decided in one, two points, and thats it.Muguruza might also like to get a crack at Kerber, and not only because of the shade the new German hero has thrown on Muguruzas French Open win. Last year at this time, the 22-year-old Spanish power baseliner came off a loss in the Wuhan final and then won Beijing. It capped a fall resurgence that left Muguruza, the Wimbledon finalist, with her status restored. Her ranking shot to No. 3 for the start of 2016.Theres a special urgency to Beijing for Muguruza this week, because she hasnt gotten comparable traction this fall. She won just one match after the US Open before she opened her defense in Beijing over the weekend. A win in Beijing and the final Premier grade event in Moscow could save her fall. But its a big ask.Radwanska bears watching. Shes beaten Kerber six times in 11 matches, but they havent played since Radwanska knocked her out of Beijing in last years quarterfinals. Muguruza stopped Radwanskas run that week, but the 27-year-old Pole, now ranked No. 4, avenged herself in the knockout semifinals in Singapore a few weeks later.Turning the tables, late surges and October surprises -- all of them feature in the fall scenario, especially with Williams out of action. Shes not merely absent now, shes deposed. Kerber, her successor, may soon learn it isnt easy being queen. Fausse Balenciaga Triple s . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Vente Air Max 97 . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. http://www.airmaxpaschervente.fr/destockage-air-max-95-france.html . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Chaussure Nike Air Max Plus Tn Pas Cher . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Vente Yeezy 700 . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked.ESPN is citing multiple reports that say that Cuban slugger Jose Abreu has defected from his country. Abreu, 26, is a former MVP in Cuban baseball. In the 2010-11 season he hit .453 with 33 home runs and 93 RBI in just 66 games. He played for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic back in March and had three home runs and nine RBI. Abreu could follow a path similar to former Cuban stars Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig, and Aroldis Chapman.dddddddddddd. He needs to establish residency in another country and get cleared by the U.S. government before he can apply to Major League Baseball to be declared a free agent. At that point he would be free to sign with any club. ' ' '