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MELBOURNE, Australia - Torontos Daniel Nestor and Belarus partner Max Mirnyi reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open by holding off Italians Daniele Bracciale and Potito Starace 7-6 (7), 6-2 on Sunday. Carlos Lee Jersey . The 39-year-old Nestor has taken his usual place as the last Canadian in contention at a major after rising star Milos Raonic went out to Lleyton Hewitt in the third round of singles. He and Mirnyi will next play the Mexican-German pair of Santiago Gonzalez and Christopher Kas. Nestor and Mirnyi had to fight to hold onto a quick lead in the opening set and needed more than 90 minutes to finally achieve victory against the team whose only title came on clay in Bucharest last autumn. "They were definitely tough, all the teams we have played so far have been tough," said Nestor. "They stepped up their game when we were leading in the first set and put pressure on us. "Sometimes teams like that will then go away but they didnt; they and hung in there. It was the same in the second set when we were up a break. Nestor and his partner have won four titles in 2011, including the London year-end finals and the Brisbane champions earlier this month. "Max and I are pretty pleased with how weve been playing," added Nestor. "We ve carried last years momentum into the new year. Our goal is to win the Australian Open, were trying to win the title here." Nestor and Mirnyi led 5-2 before the Italian pair mounted a comeback, saving a pair of set points in the ninth game as Nestor was broken and two more in the 12th. With the set going into a tiebreaker, the drama continued. Nestors team got away to a 4-1 lead only to see the challengers push back, with Bracciale and Starace saving another pair of set points before Mirnyi finally produced a service winner on opportunity No. 6 to claim the opener after a hard-fought 57 minutes. The second set was slightly less demanding as Nestor and Mirnyi started with a break and got another for 5-2 before serving out the win a game later. Astros Jersey . The Desert Foxes took part in the 2010 World Cup and failed to advance past the group stage, and the African side figures to have a tough time reaching the last 16 this time around as well. Belgiums last appearance on the big stage was the 2002 tournament when the team reached the second round before bowing out to eventual champions Brazil. Andy Pettitte Jersey . And former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson certainly knows his pain. "Its pretty hard to coach there without allowing some of these things to kind of affect you," Wilson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in his ESPN.With lots of trade speculation surrounding the Canadiens and Andrei Markov going into next Wednesdays trade deadline, the veteran defencemans new agent maintains that contract talks between both sides are ongoing and that Markov wants to stay in Montreal. "I cant say much, we agreed not to say much, but talks are ongoing and Andrei wants to stay in Montreal," agent and former NHL player Sergei Berezin told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on ESPN.com on Friday. "Well see where it goes. Hes played 13 seasons with Montreal. He wants to finish his career in Montreal." Earlier this week, TSN Radio 690s Tony Marinaro reported that the Canadiens offered Markov - an unresticted free agent in July - a one-year $6 million contract while TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie added that the team might be flexibble on a one or two-year deal. Jose Cruz Jr. Jersey. Markov, in the final season of the three-year, $17.25 million deal he signed in 2011, recently hired Berezin after parting ways with agent Don Meehan of Newport Sports. Berezin has temporary certification from the NHL Players Association as an agent while the union reviews his application as to whether he can become a full-time agent. "Weve been long friends for 15 years if not longer, we grew up in the same city in Russia," Berezin said. "Hes like family to me, I train him in the summer." Markov has five goals and 33 points in 61 games with the Canadiens this season is a plus-9. In 745 career NHL games, Markov has 96 goals and 432 points. Hes spent his entire NHL career in Montreal after being drafted 162nd overall by the Canadiens in 1998. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
