nd its not smart to compete again, | Forum

MONACO -- South African Caster Semenya set the fastest time of the year in winning the womens 800 meters in the Herculis Diamond League meet on Friday. Wholesale NFL Jerseys China .Semenya pulled well clear in the home straight to finish in 1 minute, 55.33 seconds, more than one second faster than the time she set in winning a Diamond League meet at Rabat, Morocco, in May. Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi clocked 1:56.24 to take second place.We decided to take it from the start and see what we could come up with, said Semenya, who extended her overall lead in the Diamond League standings. It takes a strong character to be successful.European champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands dominated the womens 100 meters in 10.94 seconds, with Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica placing second in 11.12, and Carina Horn of South Africa third in 11.14.My goal was to win and thats what I did, said Schippers, whose win moved her to the top of the standings. The times not that good, but its OK for now.Alonso Edward of Panama won the mens 200 ahead of four-time European champion Christophe Lemaitre of France, while world champion Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa won the mens 400.But there was a surprise in the mens 1,500 as 20-year-old Kenyan Ronald Kwemoi won in 3:30.49 seconds, while countryman Asbel Kiprop finished sixth in 3:32.03, just behind Britains Mo Farah.Last year, Kiprop posted the third fastest time ever in 3:26.69, but could not find the right rhythm on the same Stade Louis II track.I wanted a quick pace (and) I didnt really want them to slow down so much, Kiprop said. The last 200 meters before the 1k (mark), thats where it slowed down a lot and the pack caught up.Kenyan Alfred Kipketer pulled away in the home straight to win the 800 meters in 1:44.47, narrowly holding off a late surge from Polands Adam Kszczot.Spaniard Orlando Ortega won the 110 hurdles with a season best of 13.04 seconds, finishing ahead of Frenchmen Dimitri Bascou and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde.But pre-race favorite Omar McLeod of Jamaica fell. He was off balance approaching the penultimate hurdle and his right leg clipped it, throwing him forward.I totally lost control, said McLeod, who also lost one of his running shoes. The hurdle came up real quick.Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto maintained his unbeaten Diamond League record this year in the 3,000 steeplechase, winning in 8:08.11, but had to hold on near the end as countryman Paul Kipsiele Koech pressured strongly. Barnabas Kipyego was third to complete a Kenyan 1-2-3.I could have done a faster time but I did not want to push myself to the limit, Kipruto said. I preferred to save some energy for (the Olympic Games in) Rio.In other mens events, Italian Gianmarco Tamberi won the high jump but his victory was soured when he fell heavily attempting to clear 2.41 meters.Please, no! Please, no! Tamberi shouted in anguish, with his hands over his face as his left shoe was taken off. He then lay down on the ground with his hands on his face, still crying loudly.Jamaican Damar Forbes won the long jump with a season best of 8.23 meters, narrowly beating Fabrice Lapierre of Australia.Polands Piotr Malachowski won the discus.Also, Kenyas women completed a 1-2-3 in the womens 3,000 with Hellen Obiri winning ahead of Mercy Cherono and Janet Kisa.Britains Eilidh Doyle comfortably won the 400 meter hurdles in a personal best of 54.09, finishing .54 seconds clear of American Cassandra Tate.In other womens events, Valerie Adams of New Zealand won the shot put with a season best 20.05 meters; Tatsiana Khaladovich of Belarus won the javelin; Katerina Stefanidi won the pole vault, and two-time world champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia won the triple jump.A minute of silence was observed to honor the victims of the attack in the nearby city of Nice, where at least 84 people were killed when a man drove a truck through a crowd on a seaside promenade on Thursday.The meet was given the go-ahead after consultation between the Monegasque Athletics Federation and Prince Albert of Monaco.All festivities were cancelled at the stadium and there was no music played. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. Nike NFL Jerseys China . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. https://www.chinajerseysnfl.us/ . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. ROME -- Novak Djokovic cant seem to find any consistency on clay courts. And with the French Open less than 10 days away, he will enter Roland Garros on the back of two early defeats. The top-ranked Serb wasted a chance to serve out the match and was beaten 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 by sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych in the Italian Open quarterfinals Friday. In the semifinals, Berdych will face six-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal, who defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. While he struggled at times, Nadal appeared sharper than in his three-set win over Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis a day earlier. In the other half of the draw, Roger Federer overcame an early break in the second set to edge rising Polish player Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 7-6 (2) in a night match at the Foro Italico. Attempting to win this tournament for the first time, Federers next opponent will be Benoit Paire. The 36th-ranked Frenchman routed Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-1, 6-0 to reach his first Masters series semifinal. In the womens tournament, top-ranked Serena Williams rolled past Spanish opponent Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 to extend her winning run to a career-best 22 matches. Williams will next face Romanian qualifier Simona Halep, who rallied past two-time Rome champion Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-0, 7-5. Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova withdrew before her quarterfinal against seventh-seeded Sara Errani due to illness. Errani, the first Italian semifinalist in this tournament since Raffaella Reggi won the 1985 event in Taranto, will face third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who held off ninth-seeded Sam Stosur 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Its the second consecutive week that Djokovic has struggled, having also lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Madrid Open after being bothered by a right ankle injury. Djokovic said he had been playing pain free this week. Still, he will need to get his game in shape in a hurry with the French Open, the years second Grand Slam, starting May 26. "I know I can play well on clay and so I shouldnt allow myself to have these drops, and lets hope it wont happen for Roland Garros," Djokovic said of the only major he hasnt won. "Im fine. I just lost my rhythm." Djokovic served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but Berdych ripped a backhand winner that landed on the line on his first break point and won the final four games of the set. "Its a very strange situation," Djokovic said. "I played very well and was two points from winning. Then the entire match changed and I was a different player." Its the first time Berdych has reacheed the semifinals in eight appearances in Rome, having been eliminated four times in the quarters. Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap. The tall Czech took control of the match with his big first serve, and by coming forward to angle shots into the corners to set up easy volleys. Djokovic had trouble returning Berdychs first serve and also complained about the courts surface early on. In the third set, Berdych went ahead with an early break and then shook off some nerves to close the match out on his fourth match point with a big serve out wide that Djokovic could barely get his racket on. As overcast skies gave way to sunshine, the court dried out, favouring Berdychs power game. "I lost the concentration," Djokovic said. "I started playing more defensively. ... He started playing more confidently, stepping into the court and taking advantage of his opportunities." It was only Berdychs second win in 15 career meetings with Djokovic, with his only previous victory coming in the 2010 Wimbledon semifinals. It was also only Berdychs fourth win versus a top-ranked player in 20 attempts, with all three previous wins coming against Federer. "He has been for quite a few years just behind the top four," Djokovic said. "Hes able to play big matches. He has proven that. So (he) is definitely a very dangerous player on any surface with a serve like that." Djokovic was 148-4 when winning the first set since 2011, according to the ATP. Williams had twice won 21 in a row before, although both of those runs came a decade ago, in 2002 and 2003. "Ive been pretty consistent, and pretty healthy -- knock on wood," Williams said. "I feel great -- never felt better." Martina Navratilova established the longest womens win run in the Open Era at 74 matches in 1984. Williams only title here came in 2002, when she beat Justine Henin in the final. That was also the year she won her only French Open title. Last year in Paris, Williams lost in the opening round of a major for the first time, falling to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France. Sharapova said he was struggling with an illness she first contracted last week, when she was runner-up to Williams in Madrid, although she showed no problems Thursday as she beat 16th-seeded Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-1. "I was already a bit off in Madrid and played though it and it came back last night and I got sick again and its not smart to compete again," said Sharapova, adding that she had a fever after beating Stephens. "Obviously with the French Open coming up it is important to make smart decisions." ' ' '