Öffentlicher Bereich » much-needed versatility, particularly for the leag

Mason, OH (Sports Network) - Nicolas Almagro and Jerzy Janowicz were among a Mondays first-round upset victims at the $3 million Western & Southern Open. Rising Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov sent the 13th-seeded Almagro packing in 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 fashion on the hardcourts at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Janowicz, seeded 16th, was handled in straight sets by James Blake, with the 33-year-old American and 2007 Cincinnati Masters runner-up coming through with an impressive 6-1, 7-5 victory. Another upset came when 34-year-old Czech veteran Radek Stepanek doused 14th- seeded Italian Fabio Fognini, 6-2, 6-4. Fognini is a two-time ATP titlist this season. Meanwhile, German Philipp Kohlschreiber took care of on-the-mend American Mardy Fish, 7-5, 6-2. Fish, who recently returned to the tour after battling injuries and a heart condition, is a two-time Cincy Masters runner-up (2003, 2010). Kohlschreiber will meet reigning champion Roger Federer in the round of 32. Oft-injured American Brian Baker, a wild card playing his first tennis since the Australian Open in January, returned a winner by tackling Uzbekistans Denis Istomin, 7-5, 6-3, while former top-10 Serb Janko Tipsarevic came back to bounce American Sam Querrey, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4. Also on Day 1, Jeremy Chardy beat qualifier fellow Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-3, Spaniard Marcel Granollers overcame Czech Lukas Rosol 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, Russian qualifier Dmitry Tursunov overcame Slovak Martin Klizan, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, Argentine Juan Monaco whipped Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2 and Belgian David Goffin posted a 6-1, 6-1 decision over fellow qualifier Mackenzie McDonald. Monaco is rewarded with a second-round match against world No. 1 superstar Novak Djokovic. Last year, Federer defeated the four-time runner-up Djokovic in the finale to become the first player in the Open Era to win five Cincinnati titles. The only other multiple Cincinnati titlist in this years field is two-time winner Andy Murray. The 2013 Cincinnati champ will collect $583,800. This is the last Masters 1000 event before the U.S. Open, which will commence August 26 in New York. Marc-Edouard Vlasic Sharks Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Evander Kane Sharks Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. http://www.officialsharksnhlshop.com/barclay-goodrow-jersey/ .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. Tomas Hertl Sharks Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. Barclay Goodrow Sharks Jersey . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!New Orleans PelicansOverall: 66 Title track: 107 Ownership: 86 Coaching: 91 Players: 101 Fan relations: 66 Affordability: 11 Stadium experience: 85 Bang for the buck: 41 Change from last year: -30It was all good just a year ago. The Pelicans jumped 41 spots in these rankings after their first winning season in the Anthony Davis era, and that 45-win season seemed to foretell great things for the team and its leading man. Alas, an encore with more starting lineups (42) than wins (30) pushed the Pels back to the bottom half.Whats goodEven after a 30-win season, the Pelicans rank in the top third of teams in bang for the buck, thanks to the leagues cheapest tickets. At just $30.20 on average, Pelicans tickets are $25 below the NBA average and a full $99 cheaper than the leagues most expensive ticket (the Knicks). Once youre in the door, you get to watch a superstar in the prime of his career. Although doubts have emerged after his left knee debridement in March made it four straight seasons with fewer than 70 regular-season games played, Davis is still only 23 years old and boasts a statistical profile befitting some of the very best in history.Whats badA season ravaged by injuries -- the Pelicans lost 351 games to injury or illness, second-most in tthe past decade -- forced the front office to undergo a major facelift this past summer.dddddddddddd While the likes of Solomon Hill and ETwaun Moore will provide much-needed versatility, particularly for the leagues 28th-ranked defense, the losses of Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon leave the supporting cast a bit light on star power and scoring punch. As a result, the Pels take a big hit here in players (down 52 spots to 101st) and title track (down 30 to 107, New Orleans worst showing).Whats newThe Benson familys courtroom drama, in which owner Tom Benson is trying to move control of a family trust to his wife, not his daughter, put a 32-point drag on the teams ownership score, which is now down to 86th overall and 23rd in the NBA. But if New Orleans can live up to its reputation as the countrys best party host with the 2017 All-Star Game -- relocated to New Orleans after the league moved it from Charlotte -- the Pelicans could bump that back up. Another fan favorite: The Pelicans are putting courtside seats normally reserved for media on sale to the public, offering fans the unique experience of hearing coach Alvin Gentrys colorful in-game monologues loud and clear.Next: Orlando Magic?| Full rankings ' ' '