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Men to watch at the Australian Open, which begins Monday at Melbourne Park:NOVAK DJOKOVICSeeded: 1Ranked: 1Age: 27Country: Serbia2014 Match Record: 61-82014 Singles Titles: 7Career Singles Titles: 48Major Titles: 7 — Australian Open (08, 11, 12, 13) Wimbledon (11, 14), U.S. Open (11),Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-QF, 13-Won, 12-Won 11-Won, 10-QFTopspin: Has a game suited to the hard courts at Melbourne Park, where he has won the bulk of his major titles. ... His 25-match win streak at the Australian Open ended in the quarterfinals last year, when he lost 9-7 in the fifth set to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka. ... Finished No. 1 for the third time in four years, winning a tour-high seven titles. ... Extended his run of winning a major every year to four years with his title at Wimbledon and returned to No. 1 ranking. ... Finished 2014 with his third consecutive title at the season-ending championship. ... Started 2015 with a quarterfinal run at Doha. ... Had a big year off the courts, too, marrying his longtime girlfriend, Jelena. Their son, Stefan, was born in October.___ROGER FEDERERSeeded: 2Ranked: 2Age: 33Country: Switzerland2014 Match Record: 72-122014 Singles Titles: 5Career Singles Titles: 83Major Titles: 17 — Australian Open (04, 06, 07, 10), French Open (09), Wimbledon (03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12), U.S. Open (04, 05, 06, 07, 08)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-SF, 13-SF, 12-SF, 11-SF, 10-Won.Topspin: Recorded his 1,000th match win on the professional tour, becoming only third man to reach the milestone, with victory over Milos Raonic in the final of the Brisbane International in his first tournament of the season. ... Had a strong finish to last season, finishing in the year-end top two for the 10th time, and oldest player since rankings system was introduced to finish in top two. ... Led the tour in match wins and matches played in 2014, showing few signs of injuries that had hampered him in the previous couple of years. ... Led Switzerland to its first ever Davis Cup title. ... Has reached the semifinals or better at 11 consecutive Australian Open tournaments, but hasnt returned to the final since winning the last of his four Australian titles in 2010. ... Hasnt won a major since 2012 Wimbledon, and lost the final at Wimbledon last year, the only time hes contested a major final since his last Grand Slam title. ... Will be playing his 61st consecutive major.___RAFAEL NADALSeeded: 3Ranked: 3Age: 28Country: Spain2014 Match Record: 48-112014 Singles Titles: 4Career Singles Titles: 64Major Titles: 14 — Australian Open (2009), French Open (05, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14), Wimbledon (08, 10), U.S. Open (10, 13).Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-F, 13-Did Not Play, 12-F, 11-QF, 10-QF.Topspin: Finished year in top three for the ninth time in 10 years despite limited playing time after losing the No. 1 ranking in July after 39 weeks at the top. ... Spent three months out after Wimbledon with a right wrist injury. After returning briefly in China, he withdrew from the season-ending championship because of appendicitis and underwent surgery Nov. 3. ... Hasnt won the Australian Open since 2009, his longest drought at any of the majors, but has reached two of the last three finals. He went down to Djokovic in the 2012 final, losing 7-5 in the fifth set in a 5-hour, 53-minute match, and lost to Stan Wawrinka in the deciding match last season. ... Has won at least one major in 10 consecutive seasons, a record, and is tied at No. 2 with Pete Sampras on the all-time list with 14 majors. ... Nadal has proven he can win majors on hard courts, and the biggest question over him in 2015 will be how he handles his third comeback from a long-term injury.___STAN WAWRINKASeeded: 4Ranked: 4Age: 29Country: Switzerland2014 Match Record: 39-172014 Singles Titles: 3Career Singles Titles: 7Major Titles: 1 — Australian Open (14)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-W, 13-4th, 12-3rd, 11-QF, 10-3rd.Topspin: Melbourne Park last year was the scene of only Grand Slam title, beating the then three-time defending champion Djokovic and then No. 1-ranked Nadal on the way to claiming his first major title. ... He warmed up for the last Australian Open with a title in Chennai, and was coming off a confidence-boosting run to the semifinals of the 2013 U.S. Open, beating reigning champion Andy Murray along the way. ... His victory cracked the streak of the so-called Big 4 — who had combined to win the previous 16 major titles — and started a year in which there were four different Grand Slam winners — including two first-timers. ... He lost in the first round at the French, but reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and capped the year by helping Switzerland win its first Davis Cup title.___KEI NISHKORISeeded: 5Ranked: 5Age: 25Country: Japan2014 Match Record: 54-142014 Singles Titles: 4Career Singles Titles: 7Major Titles: 0 — Best-F, U.S. Open (14).Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-4th, 13-4th, 12-QF, 11-3rd, 10-DNPTopspin: Set a series of tennis milestones for men from Asia in 2014. .... Reached his first Grand Slam final, beating Wawrinka and Djokovic before losing to Marin Cilic at the U.S. Open. ... Reached a career-high No. 5 ranking, making him the highest-ranked man from Asia in tour history. ... Was the first man from Asia to qualify for the season-ending championship, where he went 2-1 in round-robin play before losing to Djokovic in the semis. ... Was 11-7 vs. top 10 opponents in 2014. ... Helped Japan reach the Davis Cup quarterfinals. ... Widely considered one of the next generation of major winners, although says the Australian Open might be slightly too soon. ... His run to the 2011 Australian Open quarterfinals was his best run at a major until last years U.S. Open. ... His even temperament on court and consistency are valuable attributes in two-week tournament.___ANDY MURRAYSeeded: 6Ranked: 6Age: 27Country: Britain2014 Match Record: 59-202014 Singles Titles: 3Career Singles Titles: 31Major Titles: 2 — U.S. Open (12), Wimbledon (13)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-QF, 13-F, 12-SF 11-F, 10-FTopspin: A regular contender at Melbourne Park, where he has reached three Australian Open finals without winning the big prize. ... His quarterfinal exit last year was his worst run at the seasons first major since 09. ... Lived under the burden of intense expectations in Britain until he won his first major title at the 2012 U.S. Open. ... He quickly followed that up by ending the long drought for British men at Wimbledon with his triumph there in 2013. ... Went through a long stretch of not reaching finals after his win at Wimbledon and dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 2008, but went on a roll starting in mid-September, winning 20 of his 23 matches in a six-week period to capture three titles. ... Coached by Amelie Mauresmo since last June.____MILOS RAONICSeeded: 8Ranked: 8Age: 24Country: Canada2014 Match Record: 49-202014 Singles Titles: 1Career Singles Titles: 6Major Titles: 0 — Best: SF, Wimbledon (14)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-3rd, 13-4th, 12-3rd, 11-4th, 10-Did Not Play.Topspin: One of the most promising up-and-coming players on the tour. ... Had a big 2014, becoming the first Canadian man to finish in the top 10, the first to surpass $2 million in prize money in a season and the first to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. ... Lost to Federer in the Wimbledon semifinals, after losing to Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the French Open. ... He is tall and agile and has a big, reliable serve — finished No. 2 on the tour in aces (1,107) and first-service points (85 per cent) last season. ... Says the biggest area of improvement in the off-season was on his serve. ... Lost in the final of the season-opening Brisbane International to Federer, when the Swiss great notched his 1,000th career match win.___GRIGOR DIMITROVSeeded: 10Ranked: 11Age: 23Country: Bulgaria2014 Match Record: 50-182014 Singles Titles: 3Career Singles Titles: 4Major Titles: 0 — Best: SF, Wimbledon (14)Last 5 Australian Opens: 14-QF, 13-1st, 12-2nd, 11-2nd, 10-DNP.Topspin: Has been nicknamed Baby Fed for the similarity of his game to Federers, but made a name for himself last year by winning titles on three surfaces and reaching first major semifinal at Wimbledon, where he beat 2013 champion Murray in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Djokovic. ... Reached the quarterfinals at the last Australian Open, losing to Nadal to kick off his first 50-win season. ... Uses a stylish, single-handed backhand to good effect.___Follow John Pye on Twitter at http://twitter.com/byJohnPye Authentic Wholesale Nike Shoes . -- Canadian mens rugby coach Kieran Crowley has made four changes to his starting roster for Saturdays Pacific Nations Cup clash against the United States. Cheap Nike Shoes Wholesale . You can watch the game live on TSN2 and TSN Mobile TV at 9pm et/6pm pt. Jonathan Huberdeau and Quinton Howden are expected to make their debuts for Team Canada. http://www.nikeshoesclearance.com/ .com) - No Sidney Crosby, no problem. Nike Shoes Clearance Sale . -- The Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with reliever Brandon Lyon that includes an invitation to their big league camp for spring training. Cheap Nike Shoes From China . Picard had a goal and two assists to help Canada improve to 2-0 at the tournament. Seven different players scored for the two-time defending champions. "Today all four lines played excellent," said head coach Laura Schuler. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Royals had scored just eight runs during a four-game losing streak, and were preparing to face former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and the power-packed Los Angeles Dodgers. Perfect time to end that slump, eh? Jeremy Guthrie pitched into the eighth inning, Jarrod Dyson drove in two runs off Greinke and the Royals held on to beat the Dodgers 5-3 on Monday night in their first meeting in nine years. "Dont ask me why we had success tonight," Royals manager Ned Yost said drily. Dyson, the Royals No. 9 hitter, went 3 for 3 and stole two bases. Salvador Perez hit a solo home run, and Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar -- two of the players acquired by the Royals in the trade that sent Greinke to Milwaukee in December 2010 -- drove in a run apiece. It was an offensive outburst considering the Royals had lost three of their last four games by 2-1 scores, squandering solid pitching performances by their starting rotation. "There was never any panic," said Guthrie, who gave up two runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings to win his third straight start. "We lost a couple of close games. We recognize a couple things go our way we would have won a couple of them." Greg Holland served up a homer to Adrian Gonzalez in the ninth before earning his 22nd save. Hanley Ramirez drove in the other two runs for the Dodgers, who are visiting Kansas City for the first time since they were swept in a three-game set in 2005. In his third start against his former team, Greinke (9-4) was battered for a season-high five runs and 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings. He had allowed two runs over 15 1-3 innings in his previous two starts against the Royals, one with the Brewers and the other with the Los Angeles Angels. "I thought he was OK," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "There were a few balls where you could see where he was trying to go one place and it didnt end up there. I know a couple of those were to Dyson. I think some of the balls were trying to get to a different part of the plate and didnt get there." The Royals pounded Greinke almost from the start, Perez belting the first pitcch of the second inning over the wall in left field for a 1-0 lead.dddddddddddd Then with two outs, Escobar singled and went to second on a wild pitch before heading home when Dyson dumped a single into left field. Dyson made it 3-0 in the fifth when he scored on Cains single to right. The Royals finally knocked Greinke from the game in the fifth, this time after Perez started the inning with a double. Greinke fought back to get two outs, but Escobar hit a triple into the right-field corner and Dyson tacked on another RBI single to make it 5-0. That hit ended Greinkes night. As he departed the mound, fans showered him with a chorus of boos, clearly recalling how the right-hander once demanded to be traded from their team. "I was pretty rude on the way out. They have every right to be mad at me," Greinke said. "Its been awhile. Its been four years, so its been awhile. Theyve moved on by now and so have I. At least team-wise. The fans might be different." Meanwhile, those same fans were waiting to give Guthrie a standing ovation. The right-hander faced the minimum number of hitters through four innings, needing just four pitches in the second and five in the fourth. Gonzalez and Matt Kemp finally hit consecutive singles to start the fifth, but Guthrie calmly wiggled out of that jam. It wasnt until Miguel Rojas and Justin Turner hit singles and Ramirez one-hopped a double over the outfield wall to make it 5-2 in the eighth that Guthrie finally left the game. Wade Davis finished the inning, and Holland cleaned up the ninth to preserve the win. "Its a funny game. You go against a guy like Zack Greinke whos had so much success this year," Yost said. "We strung some hits together along with some outstanding pitching weve had the last five or six starts, its a big win for us tonight." NOTES: LHP Clayton Kershaw was the NL player of the week after his no-hitter against Colorado. He starts for Los Angeles on Tuesday against Royals LHP Danny Duffy. ... Kemp extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ... Guthrie struck out five without a walk. ... The Dodgers had won seven straight interleague ' ' '