Brad Keselowski was committed to prove to the naysayers that his first Sprint Cup win at Bristol Motor Speedway last August was no fluke.
Still, with two laps remaining in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race, Keselowski couldn't resist asking his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, if he was nervous despite the No. 2 Miller Dodge holding a six-car lead over Matt Kenseth.
By then, Keselowski was confident that his second Bristol win -- and fifth career Cup victory -- was in the bag.
"Anybody got a flag down there? Hell, yea," Keselowski said as he approached the flag stand after leading a career best 232 laps in one race.
But the immediate message from Wolfe to the team was to stay the course.
Wolfe, who led this Penske Racing squad to fifth place in the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup during his first year as a Cup crew chief on the Blue Deuce, was able to make marked improvements on return trips throughout the season. And this year's effort feels very similar.
Not surprisingly, on Saturday night before the Bristol race, Keselowski tweeted "Cup car for 2morrow is best car i've ever had in cup."
The very humble Wolfe was more confident with the trophy in hand.
"I knew if we kept on like we have been we'd get our win, and I'm proud of everyone coming back strong this year," Wolfe said on the team radio after the race. "I'm more excited about the gains that we've made at other tracks. So, let's go to the next one."
Keselowski led a commanding 232 laps on the way to his first win of the season. He passed former Cup champ and two-time Bristol winner Kenseth on Lap 390 and held the point over the final 111 circuits. Having battled Kenseth last August, he knew the final restart on Lap 484 of the 500, which came following Tony Stewart's wreck, would be the difference between winning and second.
Certainly Keselowski's accomplishment is a testament to talent and acquiring the practice of patience.
"Matt Kenseth is the best long-run racer in Cup," Keselowski said. "I'll go ahead and say that. There's not a question in my mind. I've had a year or two now in Cup to kind of evaluate some of the drivers.
"I was not very comfortable that we were going to be able to win. I didn't feel bad about it, but I was 50/50 that I was going to be able to pull off a win with him behind me with a very, very long run to finish the race.
"So that being said, I knew that when the caution came out, as long as I could beat him on the first lap, that I had a good enough car, and I felt like I was a good enough driver to drive away."
And despite a charge from the Michael Waltrip Racing trio of Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers, who finished third, fourth and fifth respectively, that trio couldn't come close to factoring into the contest in the closing laps.
For Keselowski, racing has always been about the challenge. As a youngster, his father Bob always pushed him to elevate his game to the next level. That's why he would never allow Brad to stay at one track for too long.
"I do enjoy the challenge, for sure," Keselowski said. "That's what I like about racing in general. I tell this all the time. Racing's the one thing -- Paul could probably get a pretty good laugh out of this -- is the one thing that makes me get up in the morning. That's how I know it's special. Maybe not on his timeline, but I still get up earlier than noon. I may get up at 9 a.m. That's because it's special.
"I love the challenge, I love the fight that you have to put up, the man versus machine or man with machine, against other machines and men. It's cool as hell to me.
"When somebody challenges me, whether it's fans, media, other drivers, I think that I have the desire beforehand, but it helps me focus in for sure. Of course, it means nothing if you don't have a great team that you're surrounded by. I feel very fortunate to have that as well."
Numbers game 2: Top-10 finishes for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Jamie McMurray (seventh) and Juan Pablo Montoya (eighth) -- their best combined finish of the year.
4: Different manufacturers have won the first four races.
8: Positions gained in points standings by Bristol winner Brad Keselowski (13th) and lost by Carl Edwards (14th), who was involved in the seven-car wreck on Lap 24 and finished 39th -- a career worst finish at Bristol.
12: Points separating Roush Fenway Racing teammates Greg Biffle, who leads the standings and finished 13th on Sunday, and third-place Matt Kenseth, who finished second at Bristol.
54: Laps led by AJ Allmendinger at Bristol -- more than he led in 2011. Despite a loose wheel, Allmendinger salvaged a 17th-place finish and moved up four positions to 26th in the standings.
Say what? Perhaps the only benefit to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s altercation with Jeff Gordon is that it will likely quiet ciritics who felt a rivalry was brewing between NASCAR's Most Popular Driver and Mark Martin.
"Well, at least we won't have to hear about me and Mark Martin anymore," Earnhardt said over the radio.
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Friday, March 23, 2012
Wisconsin's Bielema continues to aim high
MADISON, Wis. The captivating, record-setting quarterback is gone now. So are three of the NFL-ready offensive linemen that protected him.
In fact, half the starters off last year's Rose Bowl-bound Wisconsin football team won't be putting on a Badgers uniform ever again. Such is the nature of the college football cycle, where change is a necessary, inevitable occurrence.
Despite his team undergoing as much upheaval as any group in the country, Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema won't settle for diminished expectations. That's not how a program rises to prominence and stays there. "We lost a lot of really good players," Bielema said. "But we have guys coming in behind them. That's the part that stood out to me is we really do have the ability to keep replacing guys and moving forward."Wisconsin, the two-time defending Big Ten champion, officially began putting the pieces together on another season with the start of spring practice Thursday evening. The Badgers will practice 14 times leading up to the team's spring game on April 28."I'm not ready to crown us champions yet, but I really am excited about the way they practiced," Bielema said following day one of the spring season. "The communication, the details of lining up and playing football were really good out there today for a first practice. There weren't a lot of mental breaks at any positions."What makes this spring particularly challenging for Bielema and the Badgers are the components missing off last year's team, which lost 45-38 to Oregon in the Rose Bowl and finished 11-3. Quarterback Russell Wilson used up his one year of eligibility after transferring from North Carolina State. He set the single-season school record for passing yards (3,175) and touchdown passes (33), among other marks. Center Peter Konz declared for the NFL draft after his junior season and is a likely first-round selection. Right guard Kevin Zeitler and right tackle Josh Oglesby also could receive NFL opportunities. Adding to the uncertainty of a new season is the addition of six new assistant coaches to Bielema's staff, including offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who previously served in the same role at Northern Illinois. Bielema didn't finish filling out his staff until Feb. 9, one of the biggest reasons for pushing back the start of spring football by nearly two weeks."I knew that we needed as coaches to talk through things more in the meeting room and give us a little bit more time to meet with our players before we hit the field than we normally have in the past," Bielema said. "I think that was good."Though Wisconsin's first practice was closed to the media, Bielema said he focused especially hard on fundamentals and implementing the coaching staff's new system of plays. He began with a ball security drill on offense to emphasize the importance of not committing turnovers. Defensively, players practiced pursuit drills to address angles to the ball carrier.Wisconsin has a long history of developing offensive linemen and molding players to fit schemes at other positions. But perhaps the biggest question mark among many concerning the Badgers focuses on which player will take over for Wilson at quarterback.As spring practice begins, Wisconsin has just two healthy quarterbacks in camp, and neither has much in-game experience.Sophomore Joe Brennan appeared in six games as Wilson's backup and completed 6 of 15 passes for 48 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Redshirt freshman Joel Stave, a first-team all-state quarterback in Wisconsin as a high school senior, did not play in 2011.The other two quarterbacks on the roster have been saddled with injuries. Senior Curt Phillips is coming off three ACL surgeries and will be limited to non-contact passing drills in spring camp. Junior Jon Budmayr, the No. 1 quarterback before Wilson's arrival, continues to experience nerve problems in his throwing elbow and will miss all of spring practice. Given Brennan and Stave's inexperience, there will be plenty to learn over the next month."Joey and Joel both looked extremely quick in their decision making," Bielema said. "There weren't busts in the huddle, there weren't busts in alignments. It was the first practice with coach Canada, just trying to ease the learning curve of getting rid of the football in the throwing game. I think that's helped them quite a bit."The situation at quarterback is dire enough that the Badgers are expecting former Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien to be on campus Saturday for a recruiting visit. O'Brien is scheduled to graduate from Maryland this spring and would have two years of eligibility remaining. Just like Wilson did at Wisconsin, O'Brien's graduation and subsequent enrollment in a graduate program would allow him to play immediately for the Badgers by NCAA rules.Whoever wins the quarterback battle at Wisconsin will be aided by having Montee Ball in the backfield once again.Ball, a Heisman Trophy finalist last year, bypassed the NFL to return for his senior season despite putting together a record-setting campaign. Ball led the country with 1,923 rushing yards and tied Barry Sanders' single-season FBS record by scoring 39 total touchdowns.It will be awfully difficult for Ball to match that spectacular season, but Bielema said that wasn't Ball's focus as spring practice began."He's not trying to produce the same numbers," Bielema said. "He's not trying to do anything other than trying to win football games and play his best football. He's trained extremely hard. He looks extremely fast. He has added about five pounds, so it's going to be fun to see him continue to grow."With a season of unprecedented upheaval looming, at least the Badgers can rely on Ball as the one constant.Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter.
In fact, half the starters off last year's Rose Bowl-bound Wisconsin football team won't be putting on a Badgers uniform ever again. Such is the nature of the college football cycle, where change is a necessary, inevitable occurrence.
Despite his team undergoing as much upheaval as any group in the country, Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema won't settle for diminished expectations. That's not how a program rises to prominence and stays there. "We lost a lot of really good players," Bielema said. "But we have guys coming in behind them. That's the part that stood out to me is we really do have the ability to keep replacing guys and moving forward."Wisconsin, the two-time defending Big Ten champion, officially began putting the pieces together on another season with the start of spring practice Thursday evening. The Badgers will practice 14 times leading up to the team's spring game on April 28."I'm not ready to crown us champions yet, but I really am excited about the way they practiced," Bielema said following day one of the spring season. "The communication, the details of lining up and playing football were really good out there today for a first practice. There weren't a lot of mental breaks at any positions."What makes this spring particularly challenging for Bielema and the Badgers are the components missing off last year's team, which lost 45-38 to Oregon in the Rose Bowl and finished 11-3. Quarterback Russell Wilson used up his one year of eligibility after transferring from North Carolina State. He set the single-season school record for passing yards (3,175) and touchdown passes (33), among other marks. Center Peter Konz declared for the NFL draft after his junior season and is a likely first-round selection. Right guard Kevin Zeitler and right tackle Josh Oglesby also could receive NFL opportunities. Adding to the uncertainty of a new season is the addition of six new assistant coaches to Bielema's staff, including offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who previously served in the same role at Northern Illinois. Bielema didn't finish filling out his staff until Feb. 9, one of the biggest reasons for pushing back the start of spring football by nearly two weeks."I knew that we needed as coaches to talk through things more in the meeting room and give us a little bit more time to meet with our players before we hit the field than we normally have in the past," Bielema said. "I think that was good."Though Wisconsin's first practice was closed to the media, Bielema said he focused especially hard on fundamentals and implementing the coaching staff's new system of plays. He began with a ball security drill on offense to emphasize the importance of not committing turnovers. Defensively, players practiced pursuit drills to address angles to the ball carrier.Wisconsin has a long history of developing offensive linemen and molding players to fit schemes at other positions. But perhaps the biggest question mark among many concerning the Badgers focuses on which player will take over for Wilson at quarterback.As spring practice begins, Wisconsin has just two healthy quarterbacks in camp, and neither has much in-game experience.Sophomore Joe Brennan appeared in six games as Wilson's backup and completed 6 of 15 passes for 48 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Redshirt freshman Joel Stave, a first-team all-state quarterback in Wisconsin as a high school senior, did not play in 2011.The other two quarterbacks on the roster have been saddled with injuries. Senior Curt Phillips is coming off three ACL surgeries and will be limited to non-contact passing drills in spring camp. Junior Jon Budmayr, the No. 1 quarterback before Wilson's arrival, continues to experience nerve problems in his throwing elbow and will miss all of spring practice. Given Brennan and Stave's inexperience, there will be plenty to learn over the next month."Joey and Joel both looked extremely quick in their decision making," Bielema said. "There weren't busts in the huddle, there weren't busts in alignments. It was the first practice with coach Canada, just trying to ease the learning curve of getting rid of the football in the throwing game. I think that's helped them quite a bit."The situation at quarterback is dire enough that the Badgers are expecting former Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien to be on campus Saturday for a recruiting visit. O'Brien is scheduled to graduate from Maryland this spring and would have two years of eligibility remaining. Just like Wilson did at Wisconsin, O'Brien's graduation and subsequent enrollment in a graduate program would allow him to play immediately for the Badgers by NCAA rules.Whoever wins the quarterback battle at Wisconsin will be aided by having Montee Ball in the backfield once again.Ball, a Heisman Trophy finalist last year, bypassed the NFL to return for his senior season despite putting together a record-setting campaign. Ball led the country with 1,923 rushing yards and tied Barry Sanders' single-season FBS record by scoring 39 total touchdowns.It will be awfully difficult for Ball to match that spectacular season, but Bielema said that wasn't Ball's focus as spring practice began."He's not trying to produce the same numbers," Bielema said. "He's not trying to do anything other than trying to win football games and play his best football. He's trained extremely hard. He looks extremely fast. He has added about five pounds, so it's going to be fun to see him continue to grow."With a season of unprecedented upheaval looming, at least the Badgers can rely on Ball as the one constant.Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
TAMU adds SEC logo to their spring practice jerseys
Via @TAMUequipment
Well Texas A&M added some swag to their spring practice jersesys. You?ll notice that there is no longer a Big 12 sidewalk and now there is an SEC logo. Welcome to the SEC boys.
Well Texas A&M added some swag to their spring practice jersesys. You?ll notice that there is no longer a Big 12 sidewalk and now there is an SEC logo. Welcome to the SEC boys.
Ferrari Finally Losing Patience with Felipe Massa?
In what seems to be a desperate move, Ferrari are flying out a new F2012 chassis to Malaysia for Felipe Massa.
Apparently, they just want to eliminate the remote possibility that it wasn’t some imperceptible flaw in his existing chassis that was responsible for his dreadful performance in Melbourne (insert raised eyebrow here).
It comes as no surprise to Formula One fans that Ferrari’s 2012 car is absolute rubbish. Ferrari themselves have been telling anyone who would listen not to expect too much from the car for at least the first half of the year.
After the Australian Grand Prix, there was no longer any doubt that it wasn’t all part of some elaborate rouse to outsmart their competitors.
It turns out that they lulled everyone in to an actual sense of security.
If we accept that the car is as bad as Ferrari have been telling us, then how can we account for the disparity between Fernando Alonso and Massa.
In qualifying, Massa barely made it into the second period of qualifying, whereas Alonso looked on target to get into the top 10—until he parked it in the gravel, that is.
Alonso delivered the car home for a very creditable fifth place. Massa, after playing dodgem cars at the back of the field, damaged his car and didn’t finish the race. At least Lewis Hamilton wasn’t around to take the blame.
Of course, Alonso was a little lucky to secure fifth and had to rely on a bit of attrition. The fact remains, however, that he delivered against the odds—something that Massa no longer seems capable of.
Team boss Stefano Domenicali, and Technical Director Pat Fry returned to Maranello for crisis talks. A major part of those discussion would have revolved around the car, but it’s difficult to believe that Massa’s complete absence of form didn’t come up at some point.
On the car front, there’s only two main issues—speed and traction.
That should be easy to fix!
With Massa, however, it seems that patience is running out. Bringing in a new chassis smacks of desperation, and while they’re keen to be seen standing by their man, you can’t help get the feeling that somewhere a knife is being sharpened.
The Italian press has already anointed former driver Jarno Trulli as the likely successor according to YallaF1.com.
Trulli has two things in his favour. One, he’s Italian, which always helps at Ferrari and, two, he’s available. As an aside, hiring Trulli would also redress the fact that F1 currently doesn’t have an Italian driver on the grid for the first time since 1969.
It’s hard to see how hiring Trulli would be that much of an advantage over Massa. The fact that he currently doesn’t have a drive tells you all you need to know.
The reality is that while Alonso pulled out a creditable performance, it was overly flattering and Ferrari has a long way to go and not all of the blame can be laid at the feet of the drivers.
Massa is a liability to the team on current (and last year’s) form. It’s one thing to have a No. 1 driver, but the other bloke needs to know what he’s doing to help develop the car.
At the moment, Ferrari need all the help they can get.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1114967-ferrari-finally-losing-patience-with-felipe-massa
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
More details from Tiger book leaked
Hank Haney?s tell-all book about Tiger Woods, ?The Big Miss,? is set to hit bookshelves next week, but already this month we?ve been treated to select excerpts, such the one about Tiger wanting to become a Navy SEAL. But just in case the passages that Golf Digest and The New York Times have shared with us were a little boring for your taste, the New York Post is here to save the day.
The Post on Saturday revealed some of the more sordid tidbits of Haney?s memoirs from coaching Tiger, who Haney at one point describes as ?the nerdy kid with glasses and braces. When Tiger first got to Stanford, [golfer] Notah Begay called him Urkel.? Particularly, there was the time when Tiger explained to his coach his lesson from sex rehab.
?There are some girls who are going to be after me even more now, especially the wild ones,? Tiger told Haney. ?But what I learned is that for the rest of my life I can?t have sex with someone unless I genuinely feel something for them. If I do, I?m putting myself in jeopardy.?
The Post also says that Haney writes about how Woods actually enjoyed all the attention ? albeit negative ? he was getting after his sex scandal went public, especially when ?South Park? featured him calling his ex-wife a ?crazy b-tch? and a ?stupid Swedish cow? as she swung at him with a golf club.
And then there was this fun detail about a prank Tiger pulled on ?devout Christian? Zach Johnson when the two shared a hotel room during the 2006 Ryder Cup:
�
Tiger ?immediately purchased the adult-movie 24-hour package and turned the television on.?
Johnson ignored the porn.
?It was so funny watching him acting like everything was normal,? Woods told Haney. ?I got him pretty good.?
I?m not sure what Haney?s motivation for writing this book was, other than money. He comes off as quite the sleazeball for doing it, in fact. That?s not to say I haven?t enjoyed all the book?s wonderful leaked-out details, but maybe now I look at him more dismissively as I watch him on TV tell Mario Batali how to swing a golf club.
The Post on Saturday revealed some of the more sordid tidbits of Haney?s memoirs from coaching Tiger, who Haney at one point describes as ?the nerdy kid with glasses and braces. When Tiger first got to Stanford, [golfer] Notah Begay called him Urkel.? Particularly, there was the time when Tiger explained to his coach his lesson from sex rehab.
?There are some girls who are going to be after me even more now, especially the wild ones,? Tiger told Haney. ?But what I learned is that for the rest of my life I can?t have sex with someone unless I genuinely feel something for them. If I do, I?m putting myself in jeopardy.?
The Post also says that Haney writes about how Woods actually enjoyed all the attention ? albeit negative ? he was getting after his sex scandal went public, especially when ?South Park? featured him calling his ex-wife a ?crazy b-tch? and a ?stupid Swedish cow? as she swung at him with a golf club.
And then there was this fun detail about a prank Tiger pulled on ?devout Christian? Zach Johnson when the two shared a hotel room during the 2006 Ryder Cup:
�
Tiger ?immediately purchased the adult-movie 24-hour package and turned the television on.?
Johnson ignored the porn.
?It was so funny watching him acting like everything was normal,? Woods told Haney. ?I got him pretty good.?
I?m not sure what Haney?s motivation for writing this book was, other than money. He comes off as quite the sleazeball for doing it, in fact. That?s not to say I haven?t enjoyed all the book?s wonderful leaked-out details, but maybe now I look at him more dismissively as I watch him on TV tell Mario Batali how to swing a golf club.
Bama's Jones brothers spend break on mission trip
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Barrett and Harrison Jones didn't head to the beach for spring break.
The two brothers and Alabama teammates instead spent five days last week in Jinotega, Nicaragua, before returning to the practice fields to resume working on new roles with the defending national champions.
They spent a day playing soccer and baseball and sharing their Christian faith at an orphanage, held nightly revivals and spoke at schools. Sitting poolside wasn't on the agenda.
"People come up to me and say, Man, that's awesome that you gave up your spring break,'" said Barrett Jones, the Crimson Tide's Outland Trophy-winning offensive lineman. "I don't think about it that way. To me it's just so much more rewarding and so much more of an eternal impact to go on these kinds of trips than to go to the beach.
"I always tell people I have been to the beach 50 times and I don't really remember one time going to the beach. I just kind of remember going and sitting in the sand and sitting at the pool and doing it again the next day. But when you do a thing like this, it really makes an impact on your life. And you remember it forever. I think I'll remember every day and a lot of faces and a lot of people that I met."
Barrett Jones had been to Haiti the past two spring breaks. This time he organized the trip for the 31-person group, flying into Managua and then taking a four-hour bus ride to Jinotega in north central Nicaragua.
Harrison Jones, who plays tight end, said it was a rewarding trip but Monday meant time to get back to football and school.
"I think you've just got to take the things you saw down there, not only keep praying for the kids and for the country, but take the lessons you learned as well," he said. "And just be grateful for what you have. And come out here and get to work because, ultimately, that's my job right now."
Such mission trips are one reason why coach Nick Saban praises the Jones brothers, calling them "about as fine a young men as you're ever going to be around."
Pretty good football players, too.
Harrison could see substantially more playing time with the departure of Brad Smelley, but his big brother has an even bigger transition. Even after being named the nation's top interior lineman last season, Barrett Jones is shifting two spots over to replace center William Vlachos for his senior season.
The 6-foot-5 lineman has dropped down to 300 pounds after being listed at 311 last season. Sophomore Cyrus Kouandjio, one of last season's top recruits nationally, is expected to take over at left tackle.
The biggest challenge?
"Just snapping the ball and blocking," Barrett Jones said. "It sounds simple but it takes a while to get into that rhythm. You're not used to that. You're used to the whole time just worrying about what you're doing. It's not quite second nature to me when you have to snap it, but I'll get there."
He said offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland talked to him about the move after the national championship game in January. Jones said it was a no-brainer despite his success in his first season as Alabama's left tackle.
"It's not really about that," he said. "It's about us winning. If that's the best way for us to win, then I'm going to play center."
The two brothers and Alabama teammates instead spent five days last week in Jinotega, Nicaragua, before returning to the practice fields to resume working on new roles with the defending national champions.
They spent a day playing soccer and baseball and sharing their Christian faith at an orphanage, held nightly revivals and spoke at schools. Sitting poolside wasn't on the agenda.
"People come up to me and say, Man, that's awesome that you gave up your spring break,'" said Barrett Jones, the Crimson Tide's Outland Trophy-winning offensive lineman. "I don't think about it that way. To me it's just so much more rewarding and so much more of an eternal impact to go on these kinds of trips than to go to the beach.
"I always tell people I have been to the beach 50 times and I don't really remember one time going to the beach. I just kind of remember going and sitting in the sand and sitting at the pool and doing it again the next day. But when you do a thing like this, it really makes an impact on your life. And you remember it forever. I think I'll remember every day and a lot of faces and a lot of people that I met."
Barrett Jones had been to Haiti the past two spring breaks. This time he organized the trip for the 31-person group, flying into Managua and then taking a four-hour bus ride to Jinotega in north central Nicaragua.
Harrison Jones, who plays tight end, said it was a rewarding trip but Monday meant time to get back to football and school.
"I think you've just got to take the things you saw down there, not only keep praying for the kids and for the country, but take the lessons you learned as well," he said. "And just be grateful for what you have. And come out here and get to work because, ultimately, that's my job right now."
Such mission trips are one reason why coach Nick Saban praises the Jones brothers, calling them "about as fine a young men as you're ever going to be around."
Pretty good football players, too.
Harrison could see substantially more playing time with the departure of Brad Smelley, but his big brother has an even bigger transition. Even after being named the nation's top interior lineman last season, Barrett Jones is shifting two spots over to replace center William Vlachos for his senior season.
The 6-foot-5 lineman has dropped down to 300 pounds after being listed at 311 last season. Sophomore Cyrus Kouandjio, one of last season's top recruits nationally, is expected to take over at left tackle.
The biggest challenge?
"Just snapping the ball and blocking," Barrett Jones said. "It sounds simple but it takes a while to get into that rhythm. You're not used to that. You're used to the whole time just worrying about what you're doing. It's not quite second nature to me when you have to snap it, but I'll get there."
He said offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland talked to him about the move after the national championship game in January. Jones said it was a no-brainer despite his success in his first season as Alabama's left tackle.
"It's not really about that," he said. "It's about us winning. If that's the best way for us to win, then I'm going to play center."
Sony Ericsson Open ? Draws, Results and Partial Schedules
The Sony Ericsson Open held their draw ceremonies on Monday:
WOMEN?S DRAW: Rising star Angelique Kerber was on hand as the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open women?s field was announced. Joining Kerber on her half of the draw, two-time defending Sony Ericsson Open champion Victoria Azarenka, 13-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams and former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. On the opposite side of the draw three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova attempts her first Sony Ericsson Open title along with 2006 Sony Ericsson Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2008 Sony Ericsson Open finalist Jelena Jankovic.
MEN?S DRAW: Fernando Gonzalez assisted with the men?s draw. Gonzalez, who is set to retire after his quest for his first Sony Ericsson Open title, is seeded on the same side of the draw as World No. 1 and two-time defending Sony Ericsson Open champion Novak Djokovic. 2009 Sony Ericsson Open winner Andy Murray and Argentine Juan Del Potro find themselves on the sam...
WOMEN?S DRAW: Rising star Angelique Kerber was on hand as the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open women?s field was announced. Joining Kerber on her half of the draw, two-time defending Sony Ericsson Open champion Victoria Azarenka, 13-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams and former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. On the opposite side of the draw three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova attempts her first Sony Ericsson Open title along with 2006 Sony Ericsson Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2008 Sony Ericsson Open finalist Jelena Jankovic.
MEN?S DRAW: Fernando Gonzalez assisted with the men?s draw. Gonzalez, who is set to retire after his quest for his first Sony Ericsson Open title, is seeded on the same side of the draw as World No. 1 and two-time defending Sony Ericsson Open champion Novak Djokovic. 2009 Sony Ericsson Open winner Andy Murray and Argentine Juan Del Potro find themselves on the sam...
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