Bewerbungen » Lani became only the second horse based in Japan

WUHAN, China -- Former French Open finalist Simona Halep took less than 70 minutes to reach the third round of the Wuhan Open, advancing Monday when fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu retired in the second set of their second-round match.The No. 4-seeded Halep was leading 6-3, 2-0 when Begu retired with a back injury amid warm and humid conditions. Halep, who skipped the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last week because of a hamstring strain, had a first-round bye at Wuhan.In first-round matches, 2014 champion Petra Kvitova opened with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Jelena Ostapenko and set up a meeting with Elina Svitolina, who rallied from a break down in the third set to beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.This was the fourth time weve played this season and Im glad now its 2-2, Kvitova said. I know how difficult it can be to play her and how dangerous she is.No. 10-seeded Dominika Cibulkova had a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over Alize Cornet and Yulia Putintseva was leading 6-1, 4-1 when Anastasija Sevastova retired from their match.Johanna Konta, the 11th seed, had a 6-1, 6-2 win over Annika Beck, and Madison Brengle advanced after leading 6-3, 2-1 when British qualifier Heather Watson retired because of a stomach complaint.Top-seeded Angelique Kerber is in action on Tuesday against Kristina Mladenovic, who had a 7-6 (5), 6-3 first-round win over CoCo Vandeweghe.Serena Williams, who was replaced by Kerber at No. 1 in the rankings with her run to the U.S. Open title, has withdrawn from the tournaments in Wuhan and Beijing because of an injured right shoulder. Kyle Walker Jersey . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. Jordan Henderson Jersey . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. http://www.englandsoccerpro.com/Jamie-Vardy-England-Jersey/ . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. John Stones Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. England Soccer Jerseys . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Churchill Downs will award a Japanese horse an automatic berth in next years Kentucky Derby under a new program assigning points to participants in two Japanese stakes races, the track announced on Monday.The two one-mile dirt races at Tokyo Racecourse will be the Cattleya Sho for 2-year-olds on Nov. 26 and the Hyacinth for 3-year-olds, expected to be run early in 2017, according to a release from Churchill and the Japan Racing Association.The two-race series is structured along the lines of a points system Churchill implemented in 2013 to designate starters in the Kentucky Derby, which is the most prestigious race in North America. Under Churchills system, the top 20 points earners in a series of 2-year-old and 3-year-old stakes races are allowed to start in the Derby, provided the horses were nominated to the Triple Crown.The new Japanese series has the potential to reduce to 19 the number of Derby starting berths open to horses participating in the larger series. In a release, Churchill said the horse earning the most points in the two-race Japanese series will be offered an invitation to compete in the Derby, and if the invitation is accepted, one slot will be reserved for thhe Japanese horse.ddddddddddddThis year, Lani became only the second horse based in Japan to run in the Derby. Lani, who was bred in Kentucky, earned his spot in the Derby by winning the United Arab Emirates Derby, a Dubai race that is part of the points-based system established by Churchill for Derby qualifiers. Lani finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby under jockey Yutaka Take, who is enormously popular in Japan.The Kentucky Derby simulcast is not available in Japan, which strictly limits the number of foreign races that can be offered in the country for betting. Japans betting market is one of the largest in the world, however, and Churchill, like other U.S. companies, is eager to make inroads into the market.Also on Monday, Churchill said that the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs would replace the Grey Stakes at Woodbine in the 2016-17 points series for the 2017 Derby. The Sam F. Davis is a dirt race for 3-year-olds usually held in February, while the Grey Stakes is a race for 2-year-olds conducted over Woodbines artificial surface. ' ' '