French Open - Who's Left on the Men's Side Entering Play Sunday

Men's Top 32 Seeds - Ins and Outs

Headed to the Fourth Round:

(1) Rafael Nadal (Spain)
(2) Novak Djokovic (Croatia)
(3) Roger Federer (Switzerland)
(4) Andy Murray (Great Britain)
(5) Robin Soderling (Sweden)
(7) David Ferrer (Spain)
(9) Gael Monfils (France)
(13) Richard Gasquet (France)
(14) Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzeland)
(15) Viktor Troicki (Serbia)
(18) Gilles Simon (France)

Headed Home:

(6) Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - First Round - Stephane Robert (France) - Unranked
(8) Jurgen Melzer (Austria) - Second Round - Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) - Unranked
(10) Mardy Fish (USA) - Third Round - Gilles Simon (France) - #18
(11) Nicolas Almagro (Spain) - First Round - Lukasz Kubot (Poland) - #99
(12) Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) - Third Round - Albert Montanes (Spain) - #38
(16) Fernando Verdasco (Spain) - Third Round - Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) - #37
(17) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) - Third Round - Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) - #14
(19) Marin Cilic (Croatia) - First Round - Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) -  #100
(20) Florian Mayer (Germany) - Second Round - Alejandro Falla (Colombia) - Unranked
(21) Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine)  - Third Round - Viktor Troicki (Serbia) - #15
(22) Michael Llodra (France) - First Round - Steve Darcis (Belgium) - Unranked
(23) Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) - Third Round - Richard Gasquet (France) - #13
(24) Sam Querrey (USA) - Second Round - Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) -  #37
(25) Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) - Third Round - Novak Djokovic (Croatia) - #2
(26) Milos Raonic (Canada) - First Round - Michael Berrer (Germany) - #95
(27) Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) - Second Round - Leonardo Mayer (Argentina)  - #100
(28) Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) - Second Round - Antonio Veic (Croatia) - Unranked
(29) Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia & Montenegro)  - Third Round - Roger Federer (Switzerland) - #3
(30) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) - Third Round - Fabio Fognini (Italy) -  #49
(31) Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) - Third Round - David Ferrer (Spain) - #7
(32) Kevin Anderson (South Africa) - Second Ronud - Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) - Unranked

Bogus Trivia

So this was one of my trivia questions on my ESPN desk calendar this week. The only problem is that the only Cub to lead the NL in homeruns in the 1980s wasn't Kevin Mitchell like the answer states. While Mitchell did lead the NL in homers in 1989, that was with the Giants. In fact, Kevin Mitchell never even played for the Cubs. So what's the right answer? That would be The Hawk, Andre Dawson. Dawson hit an NL leading 49 homers for the Cubs in 1987 en route to winning the MVP award. Matt 1, Calendar 0.

Photo Courtesy: baseballcardsoutlet.com

NHL Eastern Conference Finals - Game 6

TAMPA BAY 5 BOSTON 4 - Series tied 3-3.

Goals:

TAM- Teddy Purcell 2 (6), Martin St. Louis 2 (10), Steven Stamkos (6)
BOS- Milan Lucic (3), David Krejci 3 (10)

Notes:

Martin St. Louis became the first player to ten goals this postseason when he netted his second goal of the game midway through the third period. David Krejci joined him in double digits three minutes later when he completed his hat trick. Krejci scored only 13 goals in 75 goals during the regular season... Teddy Purcell had a multi-goal game for the second time in the series. 5 of his 6 goals have come in the conference finals... Dwayne Roloson was back in goal for the Lightning after sitting in favor of Mike Smith for Game 5. Roloson saved 16 of 20 shots en route to the win... Of the five Game 7s so far this postseason, the home team has won four of them. The one team to win a Game 7 on the road was Tampa Bay who knocked off Pittsburgh in the first round... Boston defender Zdeno Chara leads the NHL in plus-minus this post season with a +11... Boston winger Milan Lucic is second in the NHL, and first in the Eastern Conference in penalty minutes with 43 in 17 games. Vancouver's Maxim Lapierre leads all players with 54 penalty minutes... Game 7 is tomorrow night in Boston.

French Open - Who's Left on the Women's Side

Women's Top 32 Seeds - Ins and Outs

Headed to the Third Round:

(1) Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark)
(3) Vera Zvonareva (Russia)
(4) Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)
(5) Francesca Schiavone (Italy)
(6) Li Na (China)
(7) Maria Sharapova (Russia)
(8) Samantha Stosur (Australia)
(9) Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic)
(10) Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro)
(11) Marion Bartoli (France)
(12) Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland)
(13) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia)
(14) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia)
(15) Andrea Petkovic (Germany)
(16) Kaia Kanepi (Estonia)
(17) Julia Goerges (Germany)
(21) Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium)
(24) Jarmila Gajdosova (Slovakia)
(25) Maria Kirilenko (Russia)
(28) Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia)
(29) Shuai Peng (China)
(30) Roberta Vinci (Italy)

Headed Home:

(2) Kim Clijsters (Belgium) - Second Round - Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) - #99
(18) Flavia Pennetta (Italy) - First Round - Varvara Lepchenko (Uzbekistan) -  #77
(19) Shahar Peer (Israel) - First Round - Maria Jose Martinez (Spain) - #86
(20) Ana Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) -  - First Round - Johanna Larsson (Sweden) - #64
(22) Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) - First Round - Vania King (USA) - #94
(26) Nadia Petrova (Russia) - First Round - Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) - #74
(27) Alexandra Dulgheru (Romania) - Second Round - Sorana Cirstea (Romania) - #99
(31) Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) - First Round -  Yung-Jan Chan (Taipei) - Unranked
(32) Tzvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) - Second Round - Gisela Dulko (Argentina) - #51

French Open - Who's Left on the Men's Side

Men's Top 32 Seeds - Ins and Outs

Headed to the Third Round:

(1) Rafael Nadal (Spain)
(2) Novak Djokovic (Croatia)
(3) Roger Federer (Switzerland)
(4) Andy Murray (Great Britain)
(5) Robin Soderling (Sweden)
(7) David Ferrer (Spain)
(9) Gael Monfils (France)
(10) Mardy Fish (USA)
(12) Mikhail Youzhny (Russia)
(13) Richard Gasquet (France)
(14) Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzeland)
(15) Viktor Troicki (Russia)
(16) Fernando Verdasco (Spain)
(17) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)
(18) Gilles Simon (France)
(21) Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine)
(23) Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil)
(25) Juan Martin del Potro (Argentia)
(29) Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia & Montenegro)
(30) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain)
(31) Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine)

Headed Home:

(6) Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - First Round - Stephane Robert (France) - Unranked
(8) Jurgen Melzer (Austria) - Second Round - Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) - Unranked
(11) Nicolas Almagro (Spain) - First Round - Lukasz Kubot (Poland) - #99
(19) Marin Cilic (Croatia) - First Round - Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) -  #100
(20) Florian Mayer (Germany) - Second Round - Alejandro Falla (Colombia) - Unranked
(22) Michael Llodra (France) - First Round - Steve Darcis (Belgium) - Unranked
(24) Sam Querrey (USA) - Second Round - Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) -  #37
(26) Milos Raonic (Canada) - First Round - Michael Berrer (Germany) - #95
(27) Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) - Second Round - Leonardo Mayer (Argentina)  - #100
(28) Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) - Second Round - Antonio Veic (Croatia) - Unranked
(32) Kevin Anderson (South Africa) - Second Ronud - Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) - Unranked

French Open Second Round Results

Men's Seeded Players

(16) Fernando Verdasco (Spain) def. Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1
Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) def. (32) Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
(10) Mardy Fish (USA) def. Robin Haase (Netherlands) 7-6, 6-2, 6-1
Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) def. (8) Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 6-7, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
Alejandro Falla (Colombia) def. (20) Florian Mayer (Germany) 4-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-2
Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) def. (27) Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 7-5, 6-4, 7-6
Antonio Veic (Croatia) def. (28) Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1
(21) Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) def. Andreas Haider-Maurer (Austria) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) def. (24) Sam Querrey (USA) 7-6, 6-4, 6-4
(15) Viktor Troicki (Serbia) def. Tobias Kamke (Germany) 6-2, 6-2, 7-6
(4) Andy Murray (Great Britain) def. Simone Bolelli (Italy) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
(18) Gilles Simon (France) def. Jeremy Chardy (France) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4
(5) Robin Soderling (Sweden) def. Albert Ramos (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
(1) Rafael Nadal (Spain) def. Pablo Andujar (Spain) 7-5, 6-3, 7-6

Women's Seeded Players


(9) Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) def. Zheng Jie (China) 6-4, 6-1
(30) Roberta Vinci (Italy) def. Iryna Bremond (France) 6-3, 6-4
Sorana Cirstea (Romania) def. (27) Alexandra Dulgheru (Romania) 6-2, 7-5
(12) Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) def. Sania Mirza (India) 6-2, 6-4
(15) Andrea Petkovic (Germany) def. Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) 7-6, 6-2
(16) Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) def. Heather Watson (Great Britain) 6-1, 6-3
(24) Jarmila Gajdosova (Slovakia) def. Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) 7-6, 6-4
(21) Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) def. Ayumi Morita (Japan) 6-4, 7-5
(25) Maria Kirilenko (Russia) def. Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa) 6-1, 6-4
Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) def. (2) Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
(7) Maria Sharapova (Russia) def. Caroline Garcia (France) 3-6, 6-4, 6-0
(6) Li Na (China) def. Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spain) 6-4, 7-5
(4) Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) def. Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-0, 6-1

For Whom the Bell Towles

Not the biggest story in the world here, but as an Astros fan I feel obligated to write about it. Houston catcher J.R. Towles has been stuck in the middle of just an abysmal slump this month. After starting the season hitting the ball pretty well, he had managed just one hit in the month of May entering play yesterday and was 0 for his last 32 dropping his average from .382 to .197. Towles started his career with a strong showing in 2007 during a September call-up where he batted .325 and even enjoyed an 8 rbi game against the St. Louis Cardinals that year, but has since then been completely overmatched at the plate. He hit .137 in 146 at bats in 2008, .188 in 48 at bats in 2009 and .191 in 47 at bats last season. And now it seemed as though he was headed down that path once again. All that changed yesterday though. Facing crafty lefty Ted Lilly, Towles hit a 2-out double in the second inning, finally snapping the skid with his first hit in 3 weeks. He followed that up with a 1-out single off reliever Mike MacDougal in the 7th notching his first multi-hit game since April 19th. Finally, tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th, with pinch runner Brian Bogusevic on second base, Towles stepped in against Matt Guerrier and lined a single into centerfield for the game winning rbi. Having watched him struggle the past few seasons, not to mention what he's been going through the past month, I really couldn't be happier for J.R. It's always nice to see a guy who's been struggling find some success, and nobody needed that hit yesterday more than he did. Way to go, buddy. Hopefully this gets you going.