command. "I knew we were going to win -- it was juust one of

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With an impressive showing as a member of Canadas Fed Cup team over the weekend, Blainville, Quebecs Aleksandra Wozniak reflects on her play and her preparation for Roland Garros in her personal blog on RDS.ca and TSN.ca. --- We took advantage of the opportunity to advance to World Group I at the Fed Cup for the first time in history by beating Slovakia last weekend, so were off to play next season as one of eight finalists in February! Playing at PEPS Stadium at Laval University, the facility was expanded to accommodate 3,500 people. While the stands werent completely filled as they were in Montreal last February, that didnt hold back the great atmosphere. People were encouraging us, shouting out our names and having fun on each point (though I had a very long match where I had to battle until the very end). My family and my friends were also among the crowd and it was really fun to learn as much as I did there. It wasnt just about me as I was playing - it was about playing for my country and all of those watching. The viewing public is important and I dont want to disappoint them, but I wasnt really dwelling on that kind of pressure at the time. I tried to stay in the present moment and simply enjoy the energy to try to give a good show and play a good game. Its always very important to do my best to win. People were just happy to be there and support us and it made for a crazy weekend! Just before the tournament, we spent several days training together in Quebec City and we had our official team dinner on Thursday night. We also took the time to work with Iris Setlakwe, as the fashion designer helped dress us for this special event (as was the case a couple of months ago in Montreal). We also got acquainted with other players and sponsors - a tradition followed by every delegation during the Fed Cup. It was also at this time that we did our traditional gift exchange. Our gift for the Slovaks - maple syrup! Never Give Up It was a bit hard early on in my opening match when I lost the first set. Jana Cepelova, ranked 52nd in the world, was very tough and had lots of confidence after a strong performance in Charleston. This is a player who went to the net a lot and never hit the same ball. Shes already beaten good players like Serena Williams and has the ability to change speeds during a point. She can make three rhythm changes by alternating her slice, or cushioning her forehand before suddenly attacking with lots of force and precision in the corners. Its not easy to guage a .................................... like this, as she was very gifted. That being said, it was necessary for me to raise my game up a notch and find my pace to reverse the trend. As this was the first time I was facing Cepelova, I was trying to get a read on her game at the start. It took me a little while, because it was not easy adjusting to the ball. I was hooked as I tried to avoid my earlier mistakes while trying to force errors. In short, it was a physical and mental challenge, coming back twice - in the second and third sets - as she was serving for the match. And that first victory on Day 1 was very important to set the tone for the competition. And all this time, captain Sylvain Bruneau was at my side to motivate me, telling me to remember what I should do and to always be alert. Its good to have the opportunity to rely on a coach and his advice during a match. In other tournaments, you cant ask for that much help so frequently. Finally, my next next Grand Slam stop is at Roland Garros. The challenge will be to adapt to the change from hard surface to clay. Ill be in full preparation this week in Montreal, playing on the clay courts of Uniprix Stadium at Jarry Park. Ill then fly off to Cagnes-sur-Mer in France, for the qualifications next week and then make a stop in Prague before the qualifications for the Internationaux de France - which begins on May 21. https://www.facebook.com/WozAlekshttp:/ ... om/Twitter @alekswoz http://www.francenationalshop.com/Benoit-Tremoulinas-France-Jersey/ . - Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot an 8-under 64 on Friday in modified alternate-shot play to increase their lead to three strokes in the Franklin Templeton Shootout. http://www.francenationalshop.com/Moussa-Sissoko-France-Jersey/ . "I only want to go through this one more time," Crosby said Friday. The 24-year-old captain hasnt played since the symptoms resurfaced following a loss to Boston on Dec. 5. Doctors allowed him to return to full practice on Tuesday and while Crosby is pleased with the way his ....... is responding he refuses to put on his return. http://www.francenationalshop.com/Adil- ... ce-Jersey/. Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. "It wasnt as easy as the scoreline indicates," said Djokovic, who has won in Dubai on four occasions. http://www.francenationalshop.com/Kingsley-Coman-France-Jersey/ . J.J. Hardy drove in a run for the Orioles, who bounced back from an 8-4 loss in the series opener on Friday. Fresh off the 15-day disabled list, Derrek Lee went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Jake Arrieta (7-3) gave up three runs on five hits over six innings to pick up the win. http://www.francenationalshop.com/Karim-Benzema-France-Jersey/ . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., who trains out of San Diego, will fight bantamweight champion (Rowdy) Ronda Rousey on July 5 in the co-main event of UFC 175 in Las Vegas.WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Mike Krzyzewski may have poured too much emotion into No. 4 Dukes trip to Wake Forest. The rest of the Blue Devils didnt seem to have enough. The Demon Deacons upset Duke 82-72 on Wednesday night after Coach K experienced enough dizziness and light-headedness to force him to kneel during a late timeout and skip his postgame news conference. Associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski -- who filled in for him -- says Krzyzewski has not been sick, is in good shape and expects to make a full recovery. "There was a great emotional investment in the game," Wojciechowski said, "and I think maybe the emotion got the better of him." The rest of the team might not have had that problem. Duke (23-7, 12-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) was playing for the first time in over a week -- after going 4-1 in an 11-day span before that -- and Wojciechowski says the Blue Devils simply werent prepared emotionally. After taking a late seven-point lead, Duke went without a field goal for 5 critical minutes while allowing the Demon Deacons (16-14, 6-11) to reel off 17 straight points and go up by double figures. "Im not sure that ... we were as prepared from an emotional standpoint," Wojciechowski said. "I dont know if our guys had the needed edge to compete against a Wake Forest team that played their hearts out." Tyler Cavanaugh scored a career-high 20 points, Travis McKie added 19 in his final scheduled home game and Codi Miller-McIntyre had 13 for the Demon Deacons. They followed one of their worst performances of the season -- a home loss to sub-.500 Boston College -- with one of their best. Their first win over Duke since 2009 also marked their biggest upset since they knocked off No. 2 Miami last February. "I couldnt picture a better ending," McKie said. "Everything was just perfect tonight. The fans were perfect. Me, being my last (home) game, everything we did was great." Jabari Parker scored 19 points and Rodney Hood added 16 for the Blue Devils, who missed six straight shots down the stretch and were just 6 of 27 from 3-point range while falling to 4-5 in ACC road games. Parkers dunk with just under 6 minutes left gave the Blue Devils their largest lead, 66-59, and by then, they appeared on their way to their ninth straight win in the series. Instead, thats when Wake Forest took command. "I knew we were going to win -- it was juust one of those feelings that you get down the stretch," Miller-McIntyre said.dddddddddddd "You could see it in all of my teammates eyes, that they werent ready to fall over." They didnt. After Devin Thomas and McKie hit two free throws each, Cavanaugh -- a sophomore backup forward -- became unstoppable. His left-handed jumper over Hood, who had four fouls, with 3 1/2 minutes left gave the Demon Deacons the lead for good at 67-66. After Miller-McIntyre hit a pretty crossover layup, Cavanaugh followed by sticking back Thomas miss to make it 71-66 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Coron Williams ended the run with a layup that was goaltended by Parker and made it 76-66 with 1:08 left. At the other end, Duke couldnt do anything right. A key 3-point attempt by Rasheed Sulaimon went halfway down before rimming out -- one of five 3-point attempts the Blue Devils missed during that untimely cold spell. And point guard Quinn Cook had a layup slammed hard off the backboard by Thomas. "All five guys were on the same page today," Thomas said. "We didnt let them get the 3s, because we know they live and die with the 3-ball." Sulaimon finished with 14 points for Duke, which had plenty of built-in excuses for perhaps taking the Demon Deacons lightly. Maybe they were rusty after not playing since a Feb. 25 rout of Virginia Tech. Maybe they were looking ahead to exacting revenge from North Carolina on Saturday night. Maybe they were overconfident after beating Wake Forest by 20 points last month at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Or maybe the Demon Deacons simply arent as bad as their record might indicate. "Heart. We played with heart," Cavanaugh said. "We know we can play with anyone." Williams and Arnaud William Adala Moto finished with 12 points each for Wake Forest, which led for all but about 3 minutes of the first half after holding Duke to one field goal in the first 7 1/2 minutes. They went up by eight points and responded to their only deficit of the half by reeling off the final seven points. Miller-McIntyres steal and layup just before the buzzer put the Demon Deacons up 36-33 -- just Dukes second halftime deficit of the season and first since the loss at Syracuse. "I thought they outfought us," Wojciechowski said. "This time of year, if youre not tough and youre not together for 40 minutes, it can be some very hard lessons." China Jerseys ' ' '