The Original Game » r Mascherno was handed a suspended one-year sen

NEW YORK -- American qualifier Taylor Townsend nearly inaugurated the new Grandstand Stadium with an upset. Custom Marquise Brown Jersey .The 20-year-old Townsend split the first two sets with two-time U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki in front of a near-capacity crowd of 8,000 in the new digs at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.With fans huddled in the shade of the west side awning on a 91-degree day and chanting her name, the 146th-ranked Townsend took a 4-3 lead in the third set with her solid lefty groundstrokes and slice backhands. But Wozniacki won the next three games, breaking Townsend for a 5-4 lead before serving out the 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 match.I could taste it, I was so close, said Townsend, who trains in the heat in Atlanta.Townsend turned around a 3-1 deficit in the first set to the delight of the crowd. Wozniacki took control early in the second set for a 3-0 lead. In the third, Townsend had several ill-advised drop shots, but she won a 29-shot rally for 30-30 and the game when Wozniacki stopped play to challenge a shot she thought was out.But the replay showed Townsends ball was in, and she took a 4-3 lead.It was a confidence-builder, because I know that for someone like her, she just thrives on rallies like that, Townsend said of Wozniacki, who ran the 2014 New York City Marathon. It proves something to me, that I can hang in rallies like that.The heat advisory was in effect, but neither player used the allowed break. Wozniacki went to the ice towel a few times just to stay cool.Wozniacki has slipped to No. 74 in the rankings after missing two months because of an injured ankle. She recently entered the Connecticut Open as a wild card and lost in the first round of a tournament shes won four times.At this point, Im just happy when Im healthy, she said. Thats been my focus this year, to try and get back to healthy and 100 percent body-wise. Its been a struggle, but I feel like Im there now.Wozniacki lives in New York part-time and has the comforts of home during the final major of the year.It just feels so good to be able to stay at home and cook and have chilled nights, she said.Townsend, who has a 34-16 singles record, won her qualifying matches last week to get into the main field at the U.S. Open. She was really happy to play the first match on the new court.I didnt realize how big it was until people started to come in and it started to get a little more packed, Townsend said. People started cheering. I was in awe. Its such a beautiful stadium.While Townsend reached the third round of the French Open in 2014 -- her best finish at a major -- shes content to learn from this experience on a big stage.I cant really beat myself up too much, Townsend said. Moments like these where I have played and left my heart out there -- and I know I could have done things better -- it just drives me more to want to get out on the court and fix it, just try and do better. Cheap Custom Ravens Jersey . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Cheap Ravens Jerseys . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. http://www.customravensjersey.com/ . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona has drawn widespread criticism for its campaign to support Lionel Messi after a court found the Argentine forward and his father guilty of tax fraud.Barcelona launched its social media campaign following last weeks court verdict that found Messi and his father guilty of defrauding the Spanish state of 4.1 million euros ($4.6 million). Neither man is expected to go to jail despite being sentenced to 21 months in prison because courts in Spain often suspend sentences under two years for first-time offenders.The slogan We Are All Leo Messi is a play on the public awareness campaign by Spains tax authorities We Are All The Tax Office. That is meant to encourage people to pay their due in a country still struggling to recover from an economic recession that has left unemployment at more than 20 percent.The campaign invites all of Barcelonas fans to show the best player in the world their unconditional support, Barcelona said. We want to transmit to Leo that he isnt alone.The club also posted a video of several dozen of its employees gathered together with hands raised in a show of support for Messi.Widely panned in Spanish newspapers and online, Barcelonas campaign has earned a rebuke from Spains government.I am not Leo Messi. I havent committed a fiscal crime, acting Justice Minister Rafael Catala said Thursday.The president of Spains Higher Sports Council, the countrys leading sports authority, has also blasted the league champions for their rally call.If the campaign intends to make a complaint of some type against the judicial ruling, then it is completely incorrect, council president Miguel Cardenal said. We have to respect and honor the (courts) decision. You cant have campaigns of this type in order to disagree with a court ruling.A workers union that represents Spanish tax inspectors has asked Barcelona to end the campaign, calling it irresponsible.The best thing for the club and the player would have been to accept the ruling and move on, said Carlos Cruzado, the president of the union Gestha. But this campaign . is destroyying the educational work that must be carried out to make citizens conscientious (of their fiscal responsibilities. Marquise Brown Jersey Large. )Messi and his father deny any wrongdoing and have said they will appeal the verdict to a higher court in Madrid.While his club has launched its campaign to back him, photos of Messi spending his vacation on a yacht have appeared this week in Spanish newspapers. Those photos of Messi soaking up the sun in a bathing suit have spawned several jokes on social media about how he must be suffering.The spokesman for Barcelonas board of directors, Josep Vives, has defended both Messi and the clubs campaign.In similar cases, we havent seen attacks like those Leo Messi is receiving, Vives said. Its obvious that we cant tolerate this derision of our player.We have found ourselves in a controversy because it appears that FC Barcelona is defending tax fraud. What we are defending is a person that is being treated unjustly.Besides his club, the Spanish leagues president has also said he believes Messi is innocent.I hope that the Supreme Court revokes the ruling because Messi is not a delinquent and shouldnt be found guilty, league president Javier Tebas said. I have interpreted the campaign as meaning that Messi shouldnt worry, and so he knows that his club is with him.Messi is not the only player to have gotten into trouble over taxes.Also this year, Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherno was handed a suspended one-year sentence for tax fraud; teammate Adriano is being investigated for allegedly not paying all he owes; and former Real Madrid player Xabi Alonso has been accused of tax fraud. Alonso and Adriano deny any wrongdoing.In June, Barcelona paid a fine of 5.5 million euros ($6.21 million) to settle a case brought against the club by Spains tax authorities regarding the signing of Brazil striker Neymar. In that agreement, the club acknowledged it had made an error in the fiscal planning of the players transfer. ' ' '