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VATICAN CITY -- IOC President Thomas Bach isnt getting involved in the politics surrounding Romes rejection of its 2024 Olympics bid.Speaking on the sidelines of a Vatican convention on faith and sports Wednesday, Bach said he had been informed of the Rome situation by Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago.This is not up to me. I got this information about politics in Italy and Im here to listen, Bach said. You can imagine that this was a very interesting conversation, because politics in Italy is a very interesting topic. So I learned a lot yesterday.Romes city council voted last week to withdraw the bid, backing the decision of Mayor Virginia Raggi. However, the bid is still supported by Italian Premier Matteo Renzi amid discussion it could be revived if Raggis administration falls.Raggi, who represents the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, said that taking on the costs of an Olympic bid is irresponsible for a city struggling to emerge from years of corruption and poor public services.Raggi also attended the Vatican conference but did not cross paths with Bach.I dont know her, Bach said.Romes rejection leaves only Los Angeles, Paris, and Budapest, Hungary, in the running for the 2024 Games. The International Olympic Committee will decide on the host city in September 2017.Bach would not even weigh in on whether Romes bid can move forward without the citys support.I will not, he said. This is a political discussion here in Italy and the IOC is politically neutral, so we will not interfere in internal Italian politics.However, Bach did seem to acknowledge that the IOCs new Agenda 2020, which is designed to make the games less costly and more flexible, had not been fully taken into consideration by the city.Quite frankly I do not think that this discussion has a lot to do with the Olympic Games, Bach said. Thats the impression I get, that this is about internal Italian politics.International Paralympics Committee Philip Craven spoke as if the bid was dead.Its very disappointing, Craven told The Associated Press. I feel its a great loss to the race.Malago said he will hold a news conference on the bids status next week.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf Cheap Curry Shoes . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. 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NEW YORK -- Gael Monfils knew he probably couldnt match Novak Djokovics game, so he tried to get into his brain.The result was a bizarre semifinal Grand Slam match that had most pundits and commentators up in arms and fuming, while Monfils argued that his only crime was daring to depart from convention and doing everything in his power to reverse his dismal 0-12 record against Djokovic.Even Monfils borderline outrageous tactics were insufficient to bamboozle Djokovic, who survived some anxious moments to win in 2? hours, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.The match began predictably, and depressingly, enough for Monfils. Djokovic leaped to a 5-love lead. Then Monfils adopted a rope-a-dope suite of tactics. He stood flat-footed and seemingly disinterested to receive serve, then looped back short moon balls, daring Djokovic to attack. Sometimes he took reckless swipes at serves or foolishly charged the net at inexplicable times.Commentators, spectators, pundits all were baffled, unsure if Monfils was tanking or pursuing some silly strategy. ESPNs John McEnroe called it the Dont Try strategy. Others used words like bizarre and absurd.The odd thing? It worked. Djokovic was clearly rattled and his game ran off the rails for a while. From 0-5, Monfils bunted and slashed and rope-a-doped his way back to 3-5, 15-40, with Djokovic serving. Monfils bought himself some much-needed breathing room. The process wasnt pretty, but it was effective.The iconoclastic Frenchman later said his strategy was valuable but that critics dont want to see it because theyre too hung up on convention.Everyone is like, Play tennis like this. Do this, he said. But when the guy is too good, you change. I am not academic; I try to be better.Many witnesses to the match had trouble understanding -- or perhaps it was sympathizing -- with the way Monfils chose to play. Clubbing 52 unforced errors, as Monfils did in this match, is not a very good way to win friends and influence people. Its also undeniable that Monfils dramatic shift of tactics turned a potentiallly ghastly blowout into a strange, sharp-edged and fairly competitive match.ddddddddddddMonfils was similarly slapdash in the second set, by the end of which the crowd was getting restless and demanding better tennis. Spectators periodically booed Monfils. When he fell behind 0-30 in the first game of the third set, someone cried out, Play tennis! When he lost the next score to make it 15-40, Monfils was roundly booed.Given that a large number of spectators were listening to McEnroe and his fellow commentators on earpieces, theres a good chance they were egged on by the dismay of the experts.If at the end I had the mic, I would say to the audience, Stop saying that Im unprofessional, Monfils said. The guy is killing me, you know. Im just embracing the fact the guy is too good for me and trying to switch strategy.Monfils did begin playing a more familiar brand of tennis soon after that early break and a Djokovic hold. Monfils won four games in a row with the kind of electric shot-making that makes him such a popular figure. He won the set, but his own analysis was confirmed. Djokovic was just too good for him if the both played straight up, conventional tennis.I could have expected it in a way, Djokovic said of the odd match, without a trace of anger. I was caught off guard. But thats Gael. He loves defense, impossible shots, long rallies.Shortly after the match, McEnroe summed up his disappointment in Monfils performance. He predicted that the players in the locker room would have nothing but contempt for it. He called it the ultimate backdoor effort.Monfils offered a responseIm very sad to learn that such a legend criticize me, Monfils said, because at the end, what I can say to John is, You know, John, I want to be the best. Its tough, you know. And I try my best.Monfils might have added that when the front door is always locked, theres no choice but to try going around the back. ' ' '