carried that aggression with unfailing dignity and class. H

PARIS -- Novak Djokovic heads into the Paris Masters with his No. 1 ranking under serious threat from Andy Murray, and in the rare position of being second favorite.Djokovic is looking to win the tournament for the fourth straight year and fifth time overall. But he has been in erratic form over the past few months and is not playing with the confidence he showed here last year, when he crushed Murray 6-2, 6-4 in the final.On current form Murray has the edge, and the second-ranked Scot can overtake Djokovic if he wins and the Serb doesnt reach the final.Youve got to give him (Murray) credit for what hes done in the last three or four months, the second part of the year is quite incredible, Djokovic told reporters Sunday on the eve of the tournament. Hes playing maybe the best tennis hes ever played, very consistent, very strong. He definitely deserves to be in the position of being No. 1 at the end of the year. But that doesnt just depend on him.Djokovic guarantees to keep No. 1 if he reaches the final, and Murray is not overly optimistic of knocking him off his perch.Obviously he could win the event and, if I lose in the first round, then I am a long way from being No. 1, said Murray, who trails Djokovic 10-24 in career matches. Ive never won (the Paris Masters) before, so to just expect that youre going to win the tournament would be silly.Murray won the Erste Bank Open in Vienna on Sunday for his third straight tournament win and career-high seventh of the year.In some other years, a year like this would easily (have) been enough to be No. 1 in the world, Murray said. But I am obviously getting closer.Murray, who has a first-round bye, will start his tournament against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco or Dutchman Robin HaaseLike Murray, Djokovic also has seven titles this year, matching his tally from 2013 and 2014, but will fall short of the 11 he won in an utterly dominant 2015.The 29-year-old Djokovic owns a record 30 Masters titles. He is a 12-time Grand Slam champion and has won all four majors.But after winning the elusive French Open for the first time in June, his form evaporated.Winning the French Open brought a lot of joy to me, but on the other hand has taken away a lot from me, he said. I felt a little bit exhausted, I must say, and maybe less motivated. So I had to rediscover that feeling of being on the court and pushing myself.He lost in the third round at Wimbledon to American Sam Querrey and in the first round to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina at the Olympic Games.Although Djokovic won the first set in the U.S. Open final, Stan Wawrinka rallied to beat him.At the Shanghai Masters two weeks ago, Djokovic lost 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, an opponent he had beaten in five previous meetings.The last couple of months were not easy, Djokovic said. Mentally I just had to redefine my goals, things that are happening on and off the court.Djokovic clearly needed to gather his thoughts.Its important to take time, he said. Really understand what the next step is going to be, professionally, privately.He feels much better now.I feel great and rejuvenated, very happy to be back in the city where I have wonderful memories, he said. It gives me a lot of emotions and butterflies in my stomach when I think about the last time I was here.Djokovic, who also won here in 2009, faces either Nicolas Almagro of Spain or Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the second round.Milos Raonic, who also has a first-round bye, is still feeling the effects of ankle injury that forced him to withdraw ahead of his China Open semifinal three weeks ago.Its a partial tear, said the big-serving Canadian. Its still a little bit of an issue ... I tape it up to limit how much my ankle can move.---Associated Press writer Eric Willemsen in Vienna contributed to this report. Arizona Diamondbacks Gear . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Fake Diamondbacks Jerseys . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. https://www.cheapdiamondbacksjerseys.us/ . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Diamondbacks Jerseys 2019 . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Arizona Diamondbacks Pro Shop . JOHNS, N. If the all-time XI is any indication, this is the golden age of Indian cricket. Four players in the list - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni - are currently in the national side and two others, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, retired fairly recently. The trouble with golden ages is that they are seldom recognised as such by those living through them. In sport especially, greatness is usually bestowed retrospectively. Perhaps it is no coincidence that India are currently the No. 1 side in the world.That six of the XI made their debuts after November 1989, when Tendulkar first announced himself to the world, is a tribute to the Mumbai mans impact. Golden Ages must have their iconic figure and Tendulkar is clearly the one here, both for what he has accomplished himself and for his qualities that inspired the others.The XI, so heavily tipped in favour of the modern players, has only two cricketers who appeared before independence. Vijay Hazare and Vinoo Mankad both made their debuts at Lords in 1946. Mankad was 29 and opened the batting with Vijay Merchant; Hazare was 31 and opened the bowling with Lala Amarnath, although each was to become better known for his other skill.Erapalli Prasanna alone of the spin quartet of the 60s and 70s makes the cut. S Venkatraghavan might have been the offspinner of choice towards the end of Prasannas career, but in an all-time XI, Prasannas greater variety and classicism were bound to make the difference. The presence of Mankad with his dual skills kept Bishan Bedi out, while Bhagwath Chandrasekhar had to make way for Anil Kumble with his superior record and aggressive outlook.Four players - Sunil Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Mankad - were unanimous choices, while Sehwag, Dravid and Kumble were nearly so.The bowling attack is well balanced, with three different types of spinners and two fast-medium men. There is no left-hand batsman, and that speaks of a lack of variety in the middle order. Syed Kirmani might have run Dhoni close for the wicketkeepers slot, and with a re-jigging of the batting order it might have been possible to include Zaheer Khan (again, for variety). Perhaps he might have been in the 12.Nine of the 11 have captained India, so who should get the vote here? A case can be made for Hazare. Or Gavaskar. But for the dignity he brought to the job, his commitment to the team and the game itself, and his demonstration through the 14 Tests he led in that you can be aggressive without being boorish, my vote would go to Anil Kumble.Tendulkar might have set up the golden age and been its most obvious representative, but it was Kumble whose bowling secured the victories that made the difference in that period.The XI1 Sunil GavaskarMy view is that Sunny Gavaskar is the greatest batsman I have come across. He has opened the innings against genuine fast bowlers like Michael Holding, Roberts, Croft and Garner. He has made more runs away from India - in the West Indies, Australia and England. Garry Sobers2 Virender SehwagVirender destroys all strategies. He brings the excitement and drama from the first ball. If Test cricket is still alive, it is because of players like him. Matthew Hayden3 Rahul DravidOnce Dravid was set, you needed the bowling equivalent of a dozen cannon firing all at once to blast him down. Shane WarneHe has the technique and his record proves his ability on all surfaces. Ian Botham4 Sachin TendulkarIf I had a son I would have wanted him to play like Sachin. Brian LaraTendullkar is one of that narrow stratum of elite sports stars whom people will clamour and even make great sacrifices to watch, regardless of their national identity.dddddddddddd. If you care for cricket, you must love Sachin. In this regard, his peers are few - and mostly found in other sports, and certainly in other lands. Mike MarquseeHe is No. 1 in my book - the best player I have ever had the privilege of bowling to. Theres Steve Waugh and theres Brian Lara, but Tendulkar is a class above, consistently special. Allan Donald5 Vijay HazareHazare was one of the most graceful batsmen it was my pleasure to see and perhaps the best compliment I can pay him is to say that his batting more closely resembled that of the great West Indian star Sir Frank Worrell, than anyone I can remember. Don Bradman6 Vinoo MankadVinoo was unorthodox - more bent on getting on the offensive than defensive but he also had tremendous powers of concentration. Nari ContractorAlthough called upon to bowl so often on all types of wickets Mankad rarely departed from a perfect length and, even if not carrying all before him on a wet wicket he was rarely mastered. Indeed but for the shortcomings of some of his fieldsmen, his number of wickets [on the 1946 tour of England] might have been increased by as many as 40 to 50. Wisden Cricketers Almanack7 Kapil DevKapil Dev, whether batting, bowling or fielding, is a spectators delight. Fred TruemanHe was a fantastic cricketer and he was a great asset for Indian cricket during his time at the helm. He set the pace for them early on and he came to the fore and did wonderfully well - he played like a true champion and was a brilliant leader. Clive Lloyd8 MS DhoniHe is exceptional. He can play purely as a batsman or as a wicketkeeper. He doesnt jump at the ball while keeping and collects cleanly, moves well. He is a fine leader and has forged the team aggressively. He reads the game well … it helps that he is a wicketkeeper. Wasim BariDhoni is the kind of guy who will create something and win matches. Kiran More9 Anil KumbleAnil Kumble became the best cricketer he could be and to me that is worthy of the highest honour. He redefined spin bowling in India, he was a game changer, and he soared above peoples initial expectations of him to become a giant in the game. He was one of the most aggressive cricketers India has produced and carried that aggression with unfailing dignity and class. Harsha Bhogle10 Javagal SrinathAs one who has been privileged to watch and comment upon his best bowling displays at home, in England in 1996 and in South Africa in 1996-97, I can say that he made me feel proud to be an Indian. Rajan BalaSrinath, by far the quickest Indian bowler of our era, could unsettle the best with the steep bounce he could produce even on unhelpful tracks. Though an underachiever, given the quality of his bowling, he is a perfect foil to Kapil Devs control and incisive swing. Pradeep Magazine11 Erapalli PrasannaHe could drift the ball either way, and then there was the sharp spin coming off the smoothest use of the wrist. Much as Bradman rated Bill OReilly the best bowler he saw, Ian Chappell, who batted in an era rich with spin bowling talent, held a similar opinion of Pras. Its all in the wrist, said Muttiah Muralitharan about his success. Pras had that wonderful wrist that gave him his great range in the air. R Mohan ' ' '