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In his 52nd NHL playoff game, the same amount that vaulted Doug Gilmour to the Maple Leafs’ franchise lead with 77 playoff points, it was high time for Auston Matthews to step up this spring.
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No.20 seed Karolina Muchova handed former World No.1 Venus Williams her first-ever opening round loss at the US Open in 22 appearances, defeating the American in straight sets.
By David Kane
NEW YORK, NY, USA – No.20 seed Karolina Muchova won the last four games of an entertaining clash with two-time US Open champion Venus Williams to win, 6-3, 7-5, to reach the second round.
Despite trailing 3-5 in the second set, Muchova handed Venus her first first round loss at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center after one hour and 48 minutes under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I didn’t even know that, but I just tried to stay focused and keep my serve,” she explained during the on-court interview. “I lost my serve early in the second set, but I knew I would have chances, so I kept trying and it worked, so I’m very happy.”
The Czech, who took a set from former World No.1 Naomi Osaka at the Western & Southern Open last week, made her first major breakthrough at the 2018 US Open, where she shocked two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza en route to the third round. Last year, she defeated Karolina Pliskova in a 13-11 final set to make her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon.
“From the start, I wanted to be more relaxed and get into my game, but it was difficult because there were very short rallies. It was a very tough match, so I’m happy I turned it around in the end.”
Taking on Venus for the first time, the 24-year-old, who is currently working with David Kotyza – former coach of Pliskova and Petra Kvitova – opened up a 0-40 lead in the opening serve game to draw first blood and rallied from a 0-40 deficit in her own opening serve game to consolidate.
Venus, who played sister Serena for three thrilling sets at the Top Seed Open presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics, was playing her 22nd US Open, having won it in back-to-back years in 2000 and 2001 and returned to the semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade back in 2017. Battling through multiple marathon games, she clawed back from 5-1 down in the opening set, but was still struggling to find her range with 17 unforced errors, netting a forehand to hand Muchova the first set.
Muchova’s 11 winners to eight unforced errors made for a tidier stat sheet to start, and began the second set with another hard-fought hold of serve. Errors began to creep into her game soon after, however, as Venus turned around a 40-30 game to move ahead by a break.
“To be honest, I’m really happy with my game,” Venus said after the match. “I don’t think I played badly tonight. I just needed to start faster than what I did. I’m pretty happy with how I played. She just played a little better.
“I love this game. I’m good at what I do. It’s easy to stay motivated and excited about doing something so amazing. Not many people get to do this. I’m really fortunate and blessed to be someone who has gotten a chance to do it.”
With Venus serving to force a deciding set, Muchova came back to life with a scintillating passing shot to set up two break points, converting her second as she won a third straight game.
Returning for the match, she continued to pressure the Venus serve, yielding a double fault to put her over the finish line.
“I didn’t feel my game at the start of the year,” Muchova said. “I was struggling a bit, but now I’m starting to gain confidence and feel my shots again. I’m trying to work on that and keep improving, match by match.”
In all, Muchova maintained a positive differential, hitting 27 winners to 22 unforced errors, while Williams ended the match with 33 errors to 18 winners. Muchova earned a whopping 14 break points throughout the encounter, converting four while serving eight aces and saving six of eight break points on her own serve.
Up next for the rising Czech star, who greeted friend and Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson via online chat after the match, is Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya, who defeated Nina Stojanovic of Serbia earlier in the day.
Source:- WTA Tennis
Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Canucks today announced that Rogers Arena doors will open at 5:30 p.m. PT, for Tuesday’s Stanley Cup Playoff Game #2, 30 minutes earlier than normal. The enthusiasm and passion of fans wanting to arrive early and not miss the Toyota Party on the Plaza as well as the in-arena pre-game show experience, encouraged the team to ensure the bowl is loud and proud when the pre-show begins at 7:00 p.m.
“Our players could not have been clearer after Game #1 that the fans played a huge part of the victory on Sunday night,” said Michael Doyle, President, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Business Operations. “Our players are feeding off this energy and we want them to feel it from the second they step out of the dressing room.”
“I know the players and there was a lot of ‘wow’ with how loud the crowd was,” said Rick Tocchet, Head Coach. “Some guys told me they got emotional during it. I’m sure the crowd is going to be just as loud (for Game 2).”
The Toyota Party of the Plaza will open at 4:30 p.m. with a wide range of activities for fans of all ages. From face-painting and ball hockey to the Michelob Ultra beer garden and live music on the Air Canada Stage with The Anthony LaRosa Band, the North Plaza will be the place to be to get ready for Game #2.
The Canucks also announced that a number of tickets and suites have been released and are available to the public at canucks.com/tickets.
We remind our fans to be cautious of fraudulent ticket sites and activities. Only authentic and verified Ticketmaster resale seats are protected. We encourage fans to avoid off-platform sites and purchasing through social media platforms as we cannot validate the legitimacy of tickets purchased outside of our organization or through Ticketmaster directly.
Rogers Arena will host an official ‘Away Game Viewing Party’ for Game #3 of the first round of NHL Playoffs. Presented by Rogers, the Viewing Party will be a ticketed event, costing $15, with proceeds benefiting the Canucks for Kids Fund. Watch the game on one of the biggest and brightest videoboards in the NHL, be entertained throughout the experience, and receive special Rogers Value Menu food and beverage offerings thanks to Rogers. Visit canucks.com/watch to secure your tickets.
Vancouver Canucks playoff merchandise is now available on vanbase.ca. From locker room exclusive items and jerseys, to car flags, player fanchains and Viper sunglasses, we recommend you order quickly or drop by the Canucks Store at Rogers Arena to get playoff ready.
Follow us on social media, download the Canucks App, and stay connected as unique content, contests and more announcements are made.
Media are reminded that any content-gathering on the plaza requires approval from the Vancouver Canucks Communications Team at [email protected]
Go Canucks Go!
In his 52nd NHL playoff game, the same amount that vaulted Doug Gilmour to the Maple Leafs’ franchise lead with 77 playoff points, it was high time for Auston Matthews to step up this spring.
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Toronto’s season likely would be toast if it came home trailing 2-0 to playoff nemesis Boston, with faith already shaken outside the room after a Game 1 clunker. Matthews, highest paid of the Core Four forwards at $13.25 million US a season, needed to have a huge presence in a Game 2 that looked at times as it, too, would be fumbled away.
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He embraced his inner Killer and like Gilmour, had significant shifts throughout the 200-foot stage, capped by the 3-2 winner on a full steam breakaway. Matthews’ three-point night tied a career single-game high and though still trailing Gilmour 77-47 in post-season production, Matthews earned himself and his club and extended runway in this series, tied 1-1 heading home.
“Auston’s all over the stat sheet tonight,” head coach Sheldon Keefe praised to media in Boston. “A goal, two assists, but to me it’s the way he worked — hard, physical, winning puck battles all over the ice.”
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Game 3 is Wednesday in Toronto, where the Leafs could get William Nylander back and now have a very confident Ilya Samsonov in net after Boston chose to take Leaf nemesis Jereny Swayman out Monday for Linus Ullmark.
In the teeth of the Bruins’ TD Garden den, Matthews played a team-high 23 minutes and 24 seconds, had eight shots on Ullmark and delivered six hits. After labouring in vain to reach his 70th goal in the last three regular season games, he finally nailed it in style, one-handing a long aerial bomb from Max Domi at the Boston line away from the flailing stick of Charlie McAvoy, settling the disc and deking Ullmark.
“It’s all about just trying to get to the net,” Matthews said. “It’s a battle at the net fronts out there, and I guess on the goal, just a flip out of the zone and just try to anticipate and time it well.”
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With less than eight minutes to go, it was Toronto’s first lead on Boston in six games all season. Matthews then helped kill the final seconds with Ullmark on the bench, after Tyler Bertuzzi served a potentially devasting penalty.
“There is just a lot of belief and trust in that room in one another,” captain John Tavares told Sportsnet. “A lot of guys have been in different situations over the years. We just continued to stay with it and got rewarded.
“Good for the power play to come through (1-for-16 against Boston this season coming in) and anytime you give No, 34 a look like that, he’s obviously a special player who made a good play.
“The way the guys were blocking shots, closing time and space, Sammy being big and seeing pucks and guys battling hard for him, it was a hard-fought win.’
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The Leafs had lost the previous eight to Boston going back to last year and in their previous eight playoff game versus Tampa, Florida and Boston, had not scored more than two.
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At times Keefe flipped Domi and Mitch Marner on Matthews’ right side to put Marner with his long-time centre. It’s just as important to give Marner some jump, too, especially with William Nylander missing a second game with an undisclosed injury … Tavares’s goal when Matthews found him alone in the slot was preceded by two power play video reviews that went against the Leafs, which Keefe cited in saying he “loved the resolve” of the Leafs. Calle Jarnkrok’s shot that Ullmark gloved was inconclusively not over the goal line, and a Bertuzzi’s mid-air bat looked low enough until the cameras zoomed in … As in Game 1, a good Leaf start came undone trying to show Boston they wouldn’t be intimidated on Causeway Street. Jake McCabe cross-checked Jakub Lauko after a whistle and Boston capitalized, Jake DeBrusk adding to his productive Game 1 setting up Morgan Geekie after David Kampf and Timothy Liljegren got confused on who should make an easy clear.
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Kudos to the Leafs for coming right back 14 seconds later, Matthews corralling a high puck, firing it off of the crossbar, with Domi following up, which made Max and Tie Domi the first Leaf father and son with Toronto playoff goals … The fourth line of Ryan Reaves, Kampf and Connor Dewar once more out-played Boston’s group, though the Leafs cratered in the last 20 seconds of the first period. Samsonov whiffed on a hand-off to Liljegren, giving Charlie Coyle an extra shot that broke Samsonov’s mask. In the time it took the goalie to get his broken strap fixed, Boston had time to double check a faceoff drill, Pavel Zacha winning it, defenceman Simon Benoit unable to tie up David Pastrnak, who then eluded Marner for his first of the series … Starting Ullmark left Boston cosch Jim Montgomery open to criticism, messing with Jeremy Swayman’s 4-0 record against the Leafs this season with only three goals against the past three in regular season and playoffs. But Montgomery was not going to break up what has been an effective rotation.
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