DHL » dfielder Oswaldo Minda back from the World

RIO DE JANEIRO - Rafael Nadal showed no problem with his tender back in his second match since returning from the injury, defeating fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the Rio Open on Thursday. The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. A year ago he used the Latin American swing to test his recovery from an injured left knee. Nadal seemed to move freely against Montanes and wore a large, blue elastic bandage on his lower back as a precaution. "The back, well, its bothering me a little," Nadal said. "Right now its not hurting my game, but Im serving a little more gently than Im used to doing." Nadal said he pushed his recovery "a little bit" to play in Rio, after pulling out of the tournament the week before in Buenos Aires. "I am here and very happy being here," he said. "When you get an injury in the final of a Grand Slam, and you stop (playing/practicing) for 2 1/2 weeks, the comeback is not easy." Asked if nagging injuries might force an early retirement, the 27-year-old joked a bit before getting serious. "I cant predict the future, but my intention is to play many years," he said. In the other key mens match, third-seeded Fabio Fognini reached the last eight beating Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-3. Second-seeded David Ferrer advanced on Wednesday. Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine advanced to his second quarterfinals of the year, beating Facundo Bagnis of Argentina 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (4). Dolgopolov said he hadnt considered leaving the tournament to return to his Kyiv birthplace, where more than 100 people have died in anti-government protests this week. Government snipers killed at least 70 on Thursday. "Its sad. I cant do much, but just support," he said. "Whoever is right doesnt matter now when people are dying." Dolgopolov, who lives in the wealthy European enclave of Monte Carlo, said he was lucky to have the chance to make money playing tennis. "Obviously I would like the people in the (Ukraine) to feel better. If I could, I would change that," he said. On the womens side of the combined ATP-WTA event, fifth-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan and Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain set up a quarterfinal matchup after second-round wins. Nara defeated Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 6-0, 7-6 (3), and was in sight of her first WTA semifinals. Dominguez Lino beat Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1. Nara said she likes the hot weather in Rio and is getting used to the clay. "Now I like the clay court," she said. "Last year, I didnt like it." Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania also made the last eight, as did Brazils Teliana Pereira. She is the first Brazilian woman in 23 years to crack the WTAs top 100. The last was Andrea Vieira. Brazils most famous womens player is Maria Bueno, who won seven Grand Slams singles titles, the last at the US Open in 1966. Nikita Zadorov Avalanche Jersey . The Cavs announced the move Saturday, one day after LeBron James said hes returning to Cleveland. A 12-year veteran, Haywood has played in 794 NBA games, averaging 6. Anton Lindholm Avalanche Jersey . The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. http://www.hockeyavalanche.com/authentic...alanche-jersey/. And theyre pointing to the NHLs biggest market: Toronto. With Gretzky paid out for what is believed to be $7 to 8 million, Gretzky may be eager to get back into the NHL and TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that the Maple Leafs are very much interested in The Great Ones services. Joe Sakic Avalanche Jersey . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. Paul Kariya Avalanche Jersey . -- Craig Anderson has quite a record against his former team, the Florida Panthers.After two disappointing performances following the World Cup break, the Whitecaps returned to winning ways at home to Seattle Sounders last Saturday. The Caps now have the opportunity to make it back-to-back victories when they host Chivas USA at BC Place on Saturday night, live on TSN 2. The Form: The Whitecaps failed to score against Montreal Impact and Colorado Rapids but they found the net against Seattle thanks to another wonder-strike from Sebastian Fernandez. The 1-0 win against the Sounders was the Whitecaps 4th clean sheet of the season, and their second in a row at home. Honduran international Johnny Leveron had arguably his best game as a Cap in the centre of defence alongside Carlyle Mitchell, and defensive consistency should now be an aim for a club that has conceded two or more goals in half of its 16 matches. The Whitecaps have only lost once in their last nine matches and havent been beaten at home since early April. They are fifth in the Western Conference standings but with Portland and LA Galaxy close behind in the race for the playoffs. The Big Question: Can the Whitecaps stop Erick Torres? The young Mexican is the reigning MLS Player of the Week, and he is currently one of the leagues hottest strikers. He has scored 12 goals this season, including the winner in the last three matches and is second in scoring in MLS. Torres has been a tormentor for the Caps in the last couple of meetings. He scored against them when the teams drew 1-1 in California in March and got two goals in the 2-2 tie at BC Place last season. "He has super movement and is an excellent finnisher so we will have to be on our game, not just the defenders but as a team," said Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson.dddddddddddd The Opposition: Chivas USA are in excellent form as they arrive at BC Place. Having spent most of the season adrift at the bottom of the Western Conference, they have won their last three matches in a row and are now five points behind the Whitecaps. It hasnt just been about the excellent form of Torres. Chivas resurgence has been led by a new-found defensive solidity. They have kept three consecutive clean sheets, winning all of their last three matches by a score of 1-0. Chivas have strengthened their squad with the arrivals of some experienced MLS talent such as Marvin Chavez and Nathan Sturgis. They have also recently welcomed defensive midfielder Oswaldo Minda back from the World Cup where he appeared in two matches for Ecuador. The Lineup: With three matches in the space of a week, including two on the road, Carl Robinson will likely need to rely on his squad depth over the next week. Kicking off the week at home to Chivas theres a good chance he will name the same XI that started against Seattle. The Odds: The Whitecaps need to pick up points against the teams below them in the Western Conference standings, and also make home advantage count. Despite the string recent form of Chivas USA, Vancouver will go into this game as favourites, as they look to record consecutive victories for just the second time this season. Where to Watch: Vancouver Whitecaps against Chivas USA is live on TSN 2 on Saturday night at 10pm ET, 7pm PT. ' ' '