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DELRAY BEACH, Fla. Bennie Logan Jersey . -- Croatias Marin Cilic won the Delray Beach Open on Sunday for his 11th ATP World Tour title and second in three weeks, beating Kevin Anderson 7-6 (6), 6-7 (7), 6-4 in 3 hours, 8 minutes. Cilic leads the tour with 18 match wins this season. He improved to 3-1 against Anderson, the 2012 Delray winner. "These three weeks have been very long for me," said Cilic, the winner in Zagreb and runner-up last week in Rotterdam. "Im going to enjoy it for a while and have a little rest." The match was the first final in tournament history with two sets decided in tiebreakers. Anderson had 12 double faults. "I just didnt put down the clamps to give myself some more chances," Anderson said. "I was a bit too patchy today, but Im happy making the finals." Top-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan won the doubles final, beating Frantisek Cermak and Mikhail Elgin 6-2, 6-3 for their third Delray Beach title. With Jack Nicklaus watching, the Bryans won their 94th ATP Tour title. "We never thought wed get this high," Mike Bryan said. "Were very happy to kick-start the year here in Delray," Bob Bryan said of about their first title of the season. "Were starting to hit our stride." Chuck Bednarik Jersey . Poyets immediate challenge is to produce Sunderlands first victory in the league, with the northeast club bottom with just one point from seven matches. "Trust me, believe, connect with the team," Poyet said after signing a two-year contract. Earl Wolff Jersey . Howard had 19 points and nine rebounds in his first game since signing a four-year, $88 million deal with the Rockets in the off-season. Howard was 6 of 11 from the field and 7 of 11 from the free-throw line in 27 minutes.SALEM, Ore. -- Conner Mertens didnt want to pretend anymore -- especially with his teammates. So the redshirt freshman kicker at Division III Willamette announced Tuesday that hes bisexual. "It got to a point where I just got tired of it, trying to hide who I was and trying to pretend I was something I was not," he said. Mertens, 19, announced his sexual orientation to his teammates during a meeting on Monday. A story about him appeared on Outsports.com on Tuesday. Speaking on campus later in the afternoon, Mertens said he hopes his announcement helps dispel the stereotypes and stigmas associated with bisexual athletes -- and in turn let other LGBT athletes know they are not alone. "You can be real and you can be yourself," Mertens said. "That only starts when you can love yourself and let others love you. Thats kind of where I was going with this." Bearcats coach Glen Fowles said the players were overwhelmingly supportive of his decision. "Its been great to see the way our guys have rallied around," Fowles said. "For our guys, Conner is just a kicker." Team captain and junior inside linebacker Jack Nelson said: "It wasnt a big deal and we were glad he felt comfortable to tell us." While severral LGBT athletes have come out, including former NBA player Jason Collins, WNBA star Brittney Griner and Major League Soccer player Robbie Rogers, its believed that Mertens is the first active college football player at any level to publicly announce his bisexuality. Casey Matthews Jersey. Willamette issued a statement supporting Mertens decision, saying the university "respects his contribution to a more humane and just world." Fowles joked about how Mertens first approached him: "He says, Coach, Im really going to utilize this open door policy." Mertens, who told his family just after Christmas, said he was humbled by the response. "It sounds corny, but I legitimately feel theres a weight off my shoulders. Its tiring to pretend your something else for 24-7, for 18 or 19 years of your life," he said. "So finally to be able to joke about it, to be honest about it, not have to put on this mask, Im finally able to take a deep breath." The Bearcats play in the Northwest Conference. The team went 7-2 overall last season and finished third in the league at 4-2. Mertens did not play his freshman season because he hurt his left knee while playing soccer. He will compete with two other kickers on the Bearcats roster. ' ' ' |
