ERST LESEN! » eyresourde. Quintanas M

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka were both still awake at 5 a.m., a mere nine hours before they would play for the Olympic bronze medal.Hlavackova had spent all night at the hospital, undergoing a CT scan after a volley to her face fractured an orbital bone. Yet she was more distraught the next day about her teammates plight: Their womens doubles match was scheduled less than 13 hours after Hradeckas mixed doubles quarterfinal ended past 1 a.m.Their bodies betraying them both Saturday afternoon, Hlavackova and Hradecka went from being so close to a guaranteed medal to leaving Rio de Janeiro without one.In Fridays semifinals, the Czechs were one point from victory when Switzerlands Martina Hingis crushed a swinging volley into Hlavackovas face. Hlavackova crumpled to the court in tears, and she and Hradecka went on to lose to Hingis and Timea Bacsinszky 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-2.Hlavackova spent five hours at the hospital, and as of Saturday morning, she was 90 percent sure she couldnt play. But an hour before the matchs scheduled 2 p.m. start, Hlavackova warmed up and felt OK, and she went on court with three blue and white strips of medical tape radiating from her swollen left eye.Her compromised vision was a bigger problem than the pain. Still, the fear of straining her facial muscles too much meant she couldnt put the normal oomph into her strokes.I couldnt serve hard; I couldnt hit the balls hard, Hlavackova said. I was really worried I would damage my eye.Yet she and Hradecka were up a break in the first set, in position to serve it out. Thats when Hradeckas ailments became the greatest impediment.Her mixed doubles match with Radek Stepanek didnt start against Romanias Irina-Camelia Begu and Horia Tecau until nearly 11:30 p.m., because Tecau had played in the mens doubles final earlier in the night. Hradecka got to bed around 3:15 a.m. but couldnt fall asleep until about 6.Asked how she felt on court Saturday, she replied with a pained laugh: Totally dead.And it caught up to her when she tried to serve out the first set.I felt like my legs are so heavy, Hradecka said. From this moment, I couldnt move.They went on to lose 7-5, 6-1 to Czech teammates Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova.Hlavackova was incensed that tournament officials didnt schedule the bronze-medal match later in the day considering the timing of Hradeckas mixed doubles -- and she said she let them know.Theres no chance you can be ready for a match like that, she said. Its really a failure.Hradecka never considered pulling out of her mixed doubles quarterfinal.Radek is here just for the mixed, she said, so I have to be ready.After Fridays semifinals, Hlavackovas opinion of Hingis volley was: It happens. Hitting the ball into an opponents body is an accepted strategy in doubles.Then she watched a clip of the shot.Shes one of the greatest who knows where to put the ball, Hlavackova said of Hingis, a 12-time major womens doubles champion. When I saw the video and I saw the space which was around me, I have to admit that she could have put it away.Hlavackova, who said she has a good relationship with Hingis, was also troubled by the Swiss stars reaction to the injury.She was more worried about not getting a medical timeout for me than about my eye, Hlavackova said.Hlavackova may need surgery but is hoping she wont. Hradecka still has a chance at a medal in Rio, playing for bronze in mixed doubles Sunday against Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna of India.Hlavackova and Hradecka, who were seeded sixth, do already own a medal together, a silver in 2012 after losing to Venus and Serena Williams in the final. Theyve won two Grand Slam titles as a team.Hingis and Bacsinszky face Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina for gold Sunday.The bronze medalists, Safarova and Strycova, werent even supposed to team up in Rio. When Safarovas original partner, Karolina Pliskova, withdrew, Strycova wasnt sure she would be allowed to replace her.Then we figure it out that we can, Strycova said, and then we have a medal. Its amazing.Strycova and Safarova had been 0-1 as a team, then they went out and stunned the three-time Olympic doubles gold medalist Williams sisters in the first round.Close friends who played together in juniors, Strycova and Safarova tend to finish each others sentences. If only the bronze didnt come at the expense of their teammates.It was awful, Safarova said.We know each other so well, she added. Especially after what happened as well to Andrea yesterday.At any other tournament, Strycova said, you would be kind of like, `Next week, guys, another chance.Not when the Olympics roll around just once every four years.This is the one and only, she said, and you want to get it so much.Cheap Fake Vans . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Fake Vans Online . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. http://www.fakevans.com/ . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Wholesale Fake Vans . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta. Fake Vans Free Shiping . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE, France -- Left alone and with his teammates far behind, Chris Froome held off repeated attacks to retain the Tour de France lead Sunday as the three-week race left the Pyrenees mountains. Dan Martin of Ireland, a 26-year-old Garmin-Sharp rider, won Stage 9 following a two-man sprint against Denmarks Jakob Fuglsang after they escaped Froome and the other pre-race favourites on the last of five tough climbs along the 168.5-kilometre trek from Saint-Girons to Bagneres-de-Bigorre in southwest France. As the race neared its first rest day Monday, Froome was relieved he was able to quash four attacks by Movistars Nairo Quintana on the last climb -- la Hourquette dAncizan -- despite his Sky teammates lagging behind. They were worn out after a strong team effort to help him win the yellow jersey a day earlier. "That was one of the hardest days Ive ever had on a bike," Froome said. "Im really happy with how I came through today ... Its not easy to follow Quintana in the climbs. Hes a light little Colombian who can fly up hills -- so to cover his attacks definitely wasnt easy." "But yeah, I was quite ready for more attacks, and Im quite glad there werent," he said, adding that it was "quite understandable" that his teammates werent with him after Saturdays effort. The Briton ketp an eye on his top rivals to win the title in Paris on July 21, including Spaniard pair Alberto Contador, of the Saxo Bank team, and Alejandro Valverde -- one of five Movistar riders in the front bunch of about two dozen riders. The Briton was content to let Martin and Fuglsang go ahead, and fight for the stage win. After a brief cat-and-mouse game, Martin wheeled around the Dane before the final bend with about 150 metres to go and held on for his first Tour stage win. Martin is the nephew of 1987 Tour champion Stephen Roche and a cousin of fellow cyclist Nicolas Roche. "I was confident in the final stretch because I know I have some speed," Martin said, adding he was lucky to have Astanas Fuglsang with him to share the work of holding off the favourites. "I knew I had to be ahead in the last two corners and, when I saw that I was, I knew I could win." "Luckily I had the legs to finish the job." They crossed 20 seconds ahead of Froome, two-time Tour winner Contador, and 2011 champion Cadel Evans of Australia, among others. Overall, the top standings didnt change much, except that Sky rider Richie Porte of Australia tumbled from 2nd place overall to 33rd after finishing nearly 18 minutes behind Martin. Froomes closest challenger is Valverde, who is 1:25 behind. Contador is sixth overall and trails by 1:51. Martin is eighth, 2:28 back. Froome captured the yellow jersey Saturday by launching a devastating attack in the final climb to win Stage 8, thanks in large part to a strong escort from Sky -- including Porte, who was second in that stage.dddddddddddd But the fact there were none of his teammates around to help Froome will encourage the other teams that the seemingly unbeatable Sky team may have weaknesses. Tired from their efforts Saturday, the other Sky riders fell back early on and Froome was left to fend for himself. As is required of the yellow jersey holder after each stage, Froome went straight to anti-doping control after the race. This is the first Tour since Lance Armstrongs fall from grace after he was stripped of his seven Tour titles from 1999-2005 for serial doping. Froome vouched after his win Saturday that he was "100 per cent" clean and was asked on French television after Sundays stage if he has ever taken a performance-enhancing product. "No," Froome said. "I trained for many months to arrive here in this form." With temperatures once again well into the 30s C, Froome found himself isolated on the days first category 1 ascent up to Col de Mente, where Evans fell 40 seconds behind the yellow jersey group. Then, a breakaway group featuring Canadas Ryder Hesjedal, Tom Danielson and Pierre Rolland forged ahead. Hesjedal finished the stage 59th to drop into 41st overall. David Veilleux of Cap-Rouge, Que., and Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., are 132nd and 173rd respectively. Froomes chasing group included Contador, flanked by his Saxo-Tinkoff teammates, while Quintana sat behind Froome. Once they got over Col de Mente, Valverde attacked on the descent and chased after the breakaway group, prompting Froome to go after him. The second tough climb was the days longest -- about 13 kilometres up the famed Col de Peyresourde -- and a new breakaway took the initiative. Hesjedal, last years Giro dItalia winner, and climbing specialist Rolland were still there, joined by Romain Bardet of France and Belgian trio Bart De Clercq, Thomas De Gendt and Jan Bakelants. They were about 40 seconds ahead of Froomes group at the top of Peyresourde. Quintanas Movistar teammates drove hard at the front of the 20-man yellow jersey group as they chugged toward the third climb in the blazing sun. Australias Simon Clarke joined the leaders as the seven-man breakaway started to up the tempo and then broke away on his own up the Col de Val Louron-Azet -- a 7.4-kilometre ascent. Clarke was 1:10 ahead of Froomes group before he sped down a sharp descent to La Hourquette dAncizan -- 10 kilometres at 7.5 per cent gradient. Froome, meanwhile, tucked in behind four Movistar riders -- with Quintana riding his wheel -- for the last few kilometres until the last climb, where the breakaway riders were caught. French President Francois Hollande was among the spectators, protected from the heat in Tour director Christian Prudhommes car. Tuesday is a flat stage for sprinters. Froome will be among the favourites to win Wednesdays time trial on Stage 11. ' ' '