In eigener Sache » from deep in Vancouver territory. Miller ran o

MELBOURNE, Australia - China has begun its search for the next Li Na, and one of the juniors with the talent to replace the countrys two-time Grand Slam champion may speak better English than she does Chinese.Xu Shilin, who just turned 17 and goes by the English name Coco, was the first Chinese girl to be No. 1 in the world junior rankings and won the gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games last year. She has also told the Chinese media that her goal is to win a Grand Slam title before shes 20.It is a goal and a dream. Of course, Im working toward that, she said at the Australian Open, where she was the top seed in the girls singles draw before losing Wednesday in the third round. I think anything is possible.Xus rise has been unique compared with the previous generation of Chinese players because her parents decided to develop her talents outside Chinas state-run sports system, choosing instead to move to Florida where she could train at top private academies.Such freedoms were only made possible due to Li Na and a few other current players, who broke free from the state system years ago and were allowed to manage their own careers and keep their own prize money. This paved the way for the next generation of players to choose their own paths.Xus parents made a big decision when they saw how much talent she had at age 8. Her father, Xu Yang, sold the small tennis club he owned in Guangdong province and moved the family to Florida for nearly six years.Her father rolled the dice, said Xus manager Terry Rhoads, who is managing director of Shanghai-based sports consulting firm Zou Marketing. They didnt live well. They struggled.Because Xu was talented, she was invited to train at several different academies and began to climb the junior rankings in the U.S., attracting the interest of the United States Tennis Association, Rhoads said. Instead of having Xu play for the U.S., however, the family decided it was time to return to China.It wasnt an easy transition at first because Xus Mandarin had become so rusty, she was afraid to speak at times. But shes becoming more comfortable now and has already attracted a number of sponsors.Rhoads compares her career trajectory with that of Japanese star Kei Nishikori, who also lived in and trained in the U.S. for many years.If you ask me this is what China needs to do with a bunch of the boys, he said. Coco got tough. She grew up. She saw how difficult it was for her parents.Other top juniors are taking similar paths, choosing to train at private academies in China where they receive coaching, education, room and board and travel expenses in exchange for a percentage of future prize money earned.After Xus loss in singles at the Australian Open junior tournament, she played a girls doubles match against one of these homegrown players, 16-year-old Zheng Wushuang, who trains at the 1123 Junior Tennis Academy in Beijing and is now Chinas second-ranked junior girl. Xu and her Australian partner Sara Tomic won that match, but lost in straight sets in the semifinals Thursday.Sitting courtside Wednesday, Yi Ping, the founder of the academy, said she has only taken on seven of Chinas most promising players in order to maximize the resources she can provide them. One of Chinas largest insurance companies, Ping An, is the academys main sponsor.With the academy becoming more famous, there are more junior players who want to come in, Yi said. But we want to see the great potential in players and decide if we want to have them. We want to have all the top junior players in our club.Xu, who now has a Belgian coach, believes her father made the right decision for her development.I think its very different than going down the traditional Chinese route, Xu said. I got a lot of good experience from that time, in Florida.Rhoads said Xu is already fielding questions from the media about becoming the next Li Na. But he said its going to take some time before Xu is anywhere close. Li won her first major at the French Open in 2011 at the age of 29.I think if the Chinese fans and the media are patient, theyre going to see something special, he said. Li Na didnt hit her stride until she was 24, 25 years old.And although she admires Lis career, Xu doesnt want to be compared to anyone.I respect her a lot. I like her a lot. But I just want to be myself, obviously. Raiders Jerseys Outlet . The Toronto Maple Leafs were holding a news conference, so they got curious. It didnt take long for them to find out via social media that coach Randy Carlyle was coming back — with a two-year extension — and assistants Greg Cronin, Scott Gordon and Dave Farrish were being let go. Azeem Victor Jersey . The former world No. 1 Djokovic, who is the top seed here despite being ranked No. 2, snuck past 35-year-old Czech showman Radek Stepanek in four high- quality sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), on Centre Court. 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Maurice Hurst Jersey . - Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II says the NFL has told the team it will not be docked a pick in this years draft for coach Mike Tomlins foray onto the field against Baltimore last November. VANCOUVER -- Its early yet, but the Vancouver Whitecaps are showing signs that they will be more of an attacking team this season. Kenny Miller scored two goals as the Whitecaps opened the 2014 Major League Soccer campaign with a 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 21,000 at B.C. Place Stadium. "Were absolutely delighted with the way weve played," said Miller. "A lot of the things that we worked on in the pre-season really came into fruition today." The Whitecaps had been concerned with how their offence would shape up after losing 2013 MLS scoring leader Camilo Sanvezzo to a Mexican League team this off-season. Miller scored on a penalty-kick in the 34th minute and a breakaway in the 70th while second-half substitute Pedro Morales had a goal and an assist. Sebastian Fernandez also scored for the Whitecaps, who missed the playoffs in 2013. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored for New York with only two minutes left in the game. The Red Bulls placed first overall in the regular season last year but were ousted early in the playoffs. Carl Robinson, who pledged during the pre-season to put more offence in Vancouvers game, posted his first regular-season win as Vancouvers head coach following two years as an assistant to Martin Rennie. "I think it was written in the stars, the way the first game came out, and it was my old team, things like that," said Robinson, a former Red Bulls player and assistant coach. "But its just the beginning." Despite starting eight returnees, Robinson succeeded in his quest to create more scoring opportunities from mid-field as new midfielders Fernandez and Morales also hit the scoresheet. Vancouvers midfield play has been the subject of intense criticism the past two seasons. But the Whitecaps controlled play in the middle of the pitch for most of the game, generating several chances in the first half that were missed or stopped by New York goalkeeper Luis Robles, who kept the score lower than it could have been. Vancouver had 10 shots on target compared to New Yorks four. The Whitecaps put six shots on target in the first half. "Its what the boss (Robinson) wants," said Miller. "He wants them to be up against it. He wants us (forwards) to be pressing from the front and working hard." The Whitecaps remained unbeaten in five all-time meetings with the Red Bulls, who only put four shots on target in the game. The Red Bulls showed signs of fatigue in the second half after a long travel day from the East Coast on Friday. But defender Richard Eckersley, who made his regular-season debut along with fellow fullback Bobby Convey after an off-season trade from Toronto, said the long trip was not a factor. "We cant use excuses," said Eckersley. "We got well beaten today." Miller opened the scoring on a penalty-kick in the 34th minute aas he sent a shot into one corner while Robles went the other way.dddddddddddd The spot kick was awarded after Eckersley was called for a hand-ball in New Yorks box off a Matias Laba shot. Fernandez, a 24-year-old Montevideo, Uruguay native, who played with Perus First Division champion Universitario de Deportes last season, gave the Whitecaps a 2-0 lead early in the second half. He fired a shot from about 25 yards out into the top right corner of the net in the 49th minute. "It was just a good strike," said Eckersley, who was marking the Whitecap closely on the play. "What can you do?" Robles got his hand on the shot, but could not stop the ball from going in. Vancouver went ahead 3-0 as Morales sent Miller a long lead ball from deep in Vancouver territory. Miller ran onto it well beyond defenders and lobbed a bouncing ball over a helpless Robles. "I think weve seen, with (Morales) coming on, his vision -- his awareness in whats going on," said Miller. "There were a couple little flips out of the corner. Thats not by chance. He knows theres a guy in space and, obviously, that pass on my second goal was a sublime pass. But hes finished as well. "Weve seen flashes of him playing (25) minutes, but Im really excited about, hopefully, playing alongside him a lot more," said Miller. Morales, a 28-year-old Chilean who played in Spains La Liga the past two seasons, put the Whitecaps ahead 4-0 in the 89th minute as he fired in Nigel Reo-Cokers rolling pass from the right flank from outside the New York box. The only disappointed Whitecap, albeit slightly, was goalkeeper David Ousted, who had a quiet second half before Wright-Phillips spoiled his shutout bid. Ousted, who robbed Peguy Luyindula in the 12th minute, deflecting a hard shot off a goalpost and out of play, said the game was one of his easiest since he joined Vancouver midway through 2013. "Too bad about the (missed) clean sheet," he said. "We wanted a clean shot and I thought we deserved one." But Ousted was still pleased with Vancouvers offence and a steady defensive effort against a New York lineup that included star Australian striker Tim Cahill. "It was one of those games where I thought we were in control," he said. Notes: The Red Bulls will host their home opener next Saturday against Colorado, while the Whitecaps visit Chivas U.S.A. in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, Calif., on Sunday. ... The Whitecaps have won all four of their MLS season openers. a Ex-English Premier League star Thierry Henry, who does not like playing on artificial turf, did not make the road trip with the Red Bulls. a Ousteds high punt in added time got caught up in the B.C. flag hanging from the bottom of the giant scoreboard at midfield. a The game was officiated by replacement officials as MLS regulars were locked out due to a labour dispute. 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