scored 32 runs in winning the first two games of the series

MELBOURNE, Australia - It wasnt until Serena Williams forced herself to relax, and not focus too intently on a milestone Grand Slam title, that she rediscovered the art of winning the biggest events in tennis. Adidas Marcel Dionne Jersey .Now shes on the verge of a 19th major championship after beating 19-year-old Madison Keys 7-6 (5), 6-2 on Thursday and setting up an Australian Open final against long-time rival Maria Sharapova.Williams has won all five Australian Open finals she has contested and won her last 15 matches against No. 2-ranked Sharapova, a five-time major winner who will be playing her fourth final at Melbourne Park.While the 33-year-old Williams is peerless among active players, there was a period last year when she wanted so desperately to win her 18th major that it proved too distracting. After winning the U.S. Open in 2013, she lost in the fourth round at the Australian Open, the second round at the French and the third round at Wimbledon.I was so hyped on getting to 18 and I lost every Grand Slam early. I didnt make it to any quarterfinals, Williams said. Then after Wimbledon I decided to just — not necessarily not care — but just relax. It all kind of came back for me after that ... and I think its been working.That approach helped her win the U.S. Open and, if it works again on Saturday against 2008 champion Sharapova, it will help Williams move above Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the list of major winners. She would be behind only Steffi Graf, with 22 titles, among champions in the Open era.The statistics point to another win for Williams, but shes not getting ahead of herself.Again. I have to win. Everyones expecting me to win. But well see, Williams said. Shes playing unbelievable. She was almost out of the tournament and has been playing better every single match. Its impressive.Williams, who has struggled with a cold for a week, said shed benefit from a tough workout in the all-American semifinal against Keys, who pounded her with heavy groundstrokes and a big serve for the first set.Keys, playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, saved seven match points on serve in a penultimate game that lasted more than 11 minutes. Williams closed with an ace in the next game to reach her 23rd major final.She pushed me really hard the first set ... and I had to really dig deep mentally to get through that, Williams said. It was a little frustrating. I had like nine or 10 match points and couldnt close it out. That doesnt happen so much. She played like she didnt have anything to lose.Sharapova, who beat No. 10-seeded Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 in an all-Russian semifinal, has won only two of her 18 career meetings with Williams — both in 2004. She started 2015 with a title at the Brisbane International and, ever since saving two match points in her second-round match against Russian qualifier Alexandra Panova, has been growing in confidence.I think my confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who Im facing and whether Ive had a terrible record, to say the least, against someone, Sharapova said. It doesnt matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot. I will do everything I can to get the title.In mens play, Andy Murray reached the Australian Open final for the fourth time, and is desperate to end a title drought Down Under.The sixth-seeded Murray beat No. 7 Tomas Berdych 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 in a semifinal laced with heavy hitting, flashes of anger and profanities.Murray lost finals here to Roger Federer in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in 11 and 13. Since then, he has won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon to end long title droughts for British men. Hell get another chance to claim the Australian title on Sunday, against the winner of Fridays semifinal between Djokovic and defending champion Stan Wawrinka.Tension was high before the match because Murrays former coach, Dani Vallverdu, is now working for Berdych.You wanted there to be tension, Murray said. A lot was made of Dani, my ex-coach, working with him. I felt it was a little unfair and unnecessary. This is sport, theres more to life than sport. It was a little unfair and created extra tension.An aggravated Murray bristled when Berdych spoke a few words to him after the first-set tiebreaker, and yelled profanities throughout the match. TV cameras appeared to show his fiancee, Kim Sears, uttering expletives in support.Murray said the emotional reactions were understandable given the hype leading into the match. Adidas Kelly Hrudey Jersey .Y. - Geno Smith shouted a couple of mighty expensive expletives. Adidas Jeff Carter Jersey . With nothing tangible at stake, the Raptors turned in their most impressive outing of the fall in their seventh and second to last exhibition tilt against their stiffest competition yet, but they lost a couple starters in the process. http://www.kingshockeypro.com/adidas+tyler+toffoli+kings+jersey . The judge sternly instructed the prosecutor to restrain himself and he apologized -- then went right back to trying to pick holes in the testimony of the double-amputee runner. It was a harsh day of cross-examination for Pistorius, challenged relentlessly about his account of the moments just before he killed Reeva Steenkamp, as well as circumstances related to several firearms charges against him, including the firing of a gun in a crowded restaurant.MINNEAPOLIS -- With Miguel Cabrera on the bench and Max Scherzer struggling, the Detroit Tigers still found a way to win big. Victor Martinez homered and had four RBIs, to lead Detroit to a 13-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Rajai Davis also connected for the Tigers, who have won two straight to earn a split of this four-game series. "We were having better at-bats, we werent chasing as many pitches," said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus. "Weve been kind of waiting for this for a while. ... It was nice to have those guys pick Miggy up." Detroit trials Kansas City by two games in the AL Central and is one back of Seattle for the second AL wild card. Minnesota scored 32 runs in winning the first two games of the series and Detroit had 21 in taking the last two. The Tigers 60 hits in the four games is their most in a four-game series since having 60 at Chicago from July 6-8, 1956. Minnesota set a franchise record for most hits allowed in a four-game series, surpassing the 59 yielded at Texas July 25-28, 2011. Cabrera didnt play after aggravating a sore right ankle Saturday. With the Tigers off Monday, Ausmus thought giving the slugger two days to rest was not a bad thing, adding hed be "shocked" if Cabrera does not play Tuesday. Martinez homered off Brian Duensing in the sixth for a 7-3 lead. His 25th home run of the season ties his career high set in 2007 with Cleveland. Davis hit his two-run homer in the seventh to make it 9-3. A bases-loaded triple by Hunter made it 13-4 in the eighth. "Just to bounce back from losing 20-whatever and 12-whatever, to bounce back shows the fight we have," Hunter said. Kennys Vargas had three hits for Minnesota. "The last two ballgames, their big boys threw and there you have it, it does make a difference," said manager Ron Gardenhire. After Justin Verlander won Saturday night, Scherzer (15-4) lasted just five innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs, but the Detroit bullpen allowed just one earned run on five hits the rest of the way. "They fouled off pitches, worked counts, did anything they could to grind me out,"; Scherzer said. Adidas Alec Martinez Jersey. The Twins loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Brian Dozier flew out to short left against Al Alburquerque and Phil Coke struck out Joe Mauer. Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson (11-10) only pitched 4 2-3 innings on a hot and humid afternoon, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. He also walked four, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. This was the third time in four stars the right-hander allowed five runs. "Its one of those starts where six innings, seven innings, three runs wouldve been good for the lack of fastball command I had," Gibson said. "I think the more I pitch, thats the consistency Im looking for." The game took 4 hours, 10 minutes, the longest nine-inning game in Minnesota history, surpassing the 4:05 against Toronto on July 25, 1987. TRAINERS ROOM Tigers: Starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez, on the 15-day DL since Aug. 9 with a right pectoral strain, has not been ruled out to pitch during next Saturdays doubleheader in Chicago. The right-hander is scheduled to throw Monday and, if that goes well, off a mound two days later. "Just because he gets off the mound Wednesday, he may not quite feel right," Ausmus said. ... Reliever Joakim Soria was scheduled to throw again Sunday. Hes been on the 15-day DL since Aug. 10 with a left oblique strain. "In the last three days hes trended upward quite a bit," Ausmus said. Twins: Starting pitcher Yohan Pino will be unable to throw for two to four weeks after an MRI showed a minor elbow strain. Pino was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to start the first game of Saturdays doubleheader and was optioned back after the start. He will be placed on the Triple-A disabled list. UP NEXT Tigers: Rick Porcello (14-8, 3.10) is to get the ball when the Tigers start a three-game home series with the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Brandon McCarthy (8-12, 4.01) is scheduled to pitch for New York. Twins: Off Monday before beginning a three-game series in Kansas City. Ricky Nolasco (5-9, 5.96) is scheduled to pitch for Minnesota in Tuesdays opener against Danny Duffy (8-11, 2.53) NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Cheap Jerseys From China Discount NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Black Jerseys ' ' '