Off Topic » Ekaterina Makarova on a sweltering Monday

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Canadas Eugenie Bouchard is out of the U.S. Open. The Westmount, Que., native lost her fourth-round match 7-6 (2), 6-4 to Ekaterina Makarova on a sweltering Monday afternoon after needing treatment from medical staff midway through the second set. The 17th-seeded Makarova advanced to the quarter-finals, where she will face the winner of a match between Victoria Azarenka and Aleksandra Krunic. The defeat prevented Bouchard from reaching at least the semifinals of a fourth grand slam tournament this year, but her 19 wins was the most by any player in grand slams this year. Play was stopped for about 10 minutes in the second set after Bouchard wasted two break points to fall behind 3-2. The 20-year-old, who appeared to be overheated, looked in distress as medics took her blood pressure and then rubbed her down with ice bags at her courtside chair. Makarova said she also felt the heat, but offered that it may have hit Bouchard harder because she runs more and plays a more physical game. "Actually I thought thanks because I was also tired and it really helped me also," Makarova said of the time out. "I had time to recover and use ice bags too. "It was really tough conditions. So humid. I think, because of that, the game was going up and down." Bouchard was able to resume the match, but immediately lost her serve. Remarkably, she battled back to break Makarovas service and then hold her own to tie the set at 4-4. But 26-year-old Makarova, a lefthander, broke service again to take the match, winning all four points in the final game and punctuating her win with a forehand return down the line. Bouchard, whose fan following has swelled with her grand slam success this season, was given an ovation as she walked onto court at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the events second biggest venue. Her success, which included reaching the Wimbledon final, vaulted her into the top 10 in WTA rankings. She was seeded seventh at the U.S. Open. Both players opened strong, holding service without surrendering a point, but Bouchard was broken on her next service game with two double faults. Bouchard had a break point in the next game, but Makarova dominated three straight points to take a 3-1 lead. Makarova was making shots, particularly with a tricky forehand, and held for 4-2 without allowing Bouchard to return a serve. But Bouchard got on a roll, holding serve with a pair of aces and then winning a challenge en route to a break to tie the set. It was all Makarova in the tiebreak, however. A telling stat: Bouchard converted only two of 10 break point opportunities in the match. Makarova shone at the Rogers Cup in Montreal a month ago, where she lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Agnieska Radwanska. In another match, top-seeded Serena Williams defeated Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, 6-3, 6-3. Air Max 97 Clearance . -- Jerry Rice Jr. Air Max 97 Cheap Sale . The Grizzlies erased most of a 25-point deficit before Durant, the leagues scoring champion, got hot. http://www.cheapairmax97.net/. The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Air Max 97 China Wholesale .C., won gold in the womens 200-metre backstroke, and Dominique Bouchard of North Bay, Ont. Air Max 97 Cheap China . - Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis said Wednesday hes "nodded off" during meetings, but he said its something every player does.HOYLAKE, England -- Even when hes not the favourite, Tiger Woods is still the show at the British Open. Woods earned that attention by piling up majors at a faster rate than anyone in history, and the attention is just as great now because his recent past includes back surgery and his immediate future is more uncertain than ever. ESPN plans to show his entire round online Thursday. Not to be overlooked at golfs oldest championship, however, is a new generation of stars. Rickie Fowler and Harris English will be playing ahead of him. Two groups behind will be Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama. They are among 25 players who share a bond that speaks to the state of golf. Woods has never won a major during their professional careers. Yes, they saw his dominance on TV. They just never experienced it. They were not around for the decade when Woods won majors with regularity, sometimes by a record score, sometimes by a record margin. They missed the days that were so Tiger-centric a player couldnt get through an interview without being asked something about Woods. "Tiger ruined a lot of guys lives," Charles Howell III, a longtime friend of Woods who lived through those times, said earlier in the year. "He caused a lot of people some sleepless Sunday nights. But he also motivated an entire generation behind him." Howells point was that while the next generation might have been in awe of Woods, being outside the arena allowed them to study him without getting scarred. They learned from the way he worked. They were more prepared than the generation before them. The talk at this British Open is that it is more open than ever. But then, thats been the case since Woods won his last major six years ago. Since that 2008 U.S. Open, 19 players have won majors, and no one has won more than two. In the 24 majors leading up to his last major, Woods won six, Phil Mickelson won three and no one else won more than one. "Looking at the different amount of winners in the last five years at the major championships, were seeing so many players win," Henrik Stenson said Wednesday. Its so competitive. At some point there might have been 20 guys battling out for it. And now it feels like anyone in the field can win if they have a great week. So its definitely tighter." Stenson, No. 2 in the world and among the favourites this week, will be playing alongside Woods for the opening two days. "Hes just one of the guys I need to beat if I want to do well tthis week," Stenson said.dddddddddddd "But its a good start if you know you can beat him." Woods is playing his first major of the year because of March 31 back surgery. Returning to Royal Liverpool was always the target -- he won his third claret jug on these links in 2006 when it was brown and fast, not green and slower as it is this year. Woods came back sooner than he expected, missing the cut at Congressional three weeks ago in what had the feeling of a 36-hole rehab assignment. He feels healthy. He feels strong. And he still commands a presence. That much was clear when Woods played only two holes Wednesday as spectators scrambled for a view. He brings energy and excitement to a golf tournament. Does he bring intimidation? The Open is his next opportunity to see if he can regain the mystique that a younger generation has yet to experience. Matt Kuchar, who played a practice round with Woods on Sunday, doesnt think it will take much. Hes not sure Woods ever lost it. "The kids today grew up idolizing him," Kuchar said. "He gets back on form again, I dont think that intimidation factor is gone at all. These are the kids that grew up watching him and wanting to be him." Kuchar said it can be intimidating to play alongside, although Patrick Reed sure wasnt flustered having Woods in the group ahead of him at Doral, and Spieth didnt looked rattled when he shot 63 at Torrey Pines (the North Course) with Woods in his group. Is there a difference between watching dominance on TV and seeing it in person? "Youre saying a different intimidation for the guys who are now just coming up and just watched it on TV as opposed to my generation that were actually losing by 10 to it?" Kuchar said with a laugh. "Im not sure. If I was to go shoot baskets with Michael Jordan right now, I would be pretty intimidated. So its probably similar. The guys that played against him and got scored 40 on probably have a similar feeling to me in the awe that surrounds a guy like that." It all unfolds on Thursday, where the only mystery greater than Woods in the English weather. The final day of practice featured sunshine and rain. Hoylake when its green is there to be attacked -- its the only course on the Open rotation with four par 5s. The greens are not severe. The fairways are relatively flat, which makes them more fair. All eyes will be on Woods, and theres nothing unusual about that. The difference is that no one is sure what they will see. ' ' '