BRISBANE, Australia - Serena Williams extended her winning streak against Maria Sharapova to 14 matches with a 6-2, 7-6 (7) semifinal victory Friday to earn a shot at back-to-back Brisbane International titles. Anthony DeSclafani Jersey . The defending champion will play second-seeded Victoria Azarenka in Saturdays final, and will be favoured to retain the title that kicked off her stunning 2013 season that included 78 wins from 82 matches and 11 titles. After blowing two match points in the tiebreaker, Williams sealed the win with her seventh ace against the third-seeded Sharapova. In their first meeting since the French Open final, the uneasy rivals barely exchanged glances before the match and only briefly shook hands after. Both players were returning aggressively — leading to 15 double-faults between them and six breaks of serve in the second set — and hitting their grounds strokes hard and deep. Williams hit consecutive double-faults to give Sharapova a mini-break at 5-4 in the tiebreaker, something she said she couldnt remember ever doing before on tour. Sharapova responded with a double-fault to make it 5-5, and said shed missed her opportunities. "I had a few missed chances ... but overall Im happy I can compete at this level in my third match back," Sharapova said. "Its a good sign for me." Any friendship that existed between the pair soured when they traded personal barbs relating to their romantic relationships ahead of last years Wimbledon, where Sharapova made an early exit. Sharapova only played one match after that in 2013 as she recovered from a right shoulder problem. Williams said shed need to vastly improve her first-serve percentage — which sunk to 40 in the semifinals — to beat Australian Open champion Azarenka, who overcame a shaky serve and another case of the nerves to beat former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Facing two of her biggest rivals back-to-back in her first tournament of the year, and less than two weeks before the Australian Open, is a big step up in preparations for Williams. "Yeah, I feel like Im being pushed into the deep end straightaway," she said. "I also think its a good thing." Azarenka had her problems on serve, too. She dropped her first three service games and was facing three break points in the opening game of the second set when she shifted the momentum with a winner she picked up on a half-volley when Jankovic was in control of the point. After needing 10 match points to beat Stefanie Voegele in the quarterfinals the previous night, Azarenka missed one chance to serve it out at 5-2 in the deciding set, conceding a break with a double-fault. She then missed a match point at 5-4 but held her nerve and finally finished it off on her second match point. The prospect of a match against another top four player so close to the Australian Open doesnt daunt Azarenka. "I dont think its ever too early. If you want to win big titles you got to play against the best players," she said. On the mens side, top-seeded Roger Federer coasted to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Marinko Matosevic of Australia and moved into a semifinal against No. 8 Jeremy Chardy of France. Second-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan reached the semifinals with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win over Marin Cilic of Croatia and will next play former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, who cruised past Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 6-4, 6-2. Both Williams sisters will be playing finals Saturday, with Venus Williams to face Ana Ivanovic in the title match at the WTA tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. Venus Williams got a walkover into her first final since October 2012 when Jamie Hampton withdrew from their semifinal with a right hip injury. Ivanovic beat third-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-2, 7-6 (3). At the Hopman Cup, France clinched a place in the final against Poland with a victory over winless Spain. Alize Cornet beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2, 6-2 before Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sealed the victory by defeating 194th-ranked Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-2. The Czech Republic took a 3-0 win over the United States after John Isner withdrew ahead of his singles match and Sloane Stephens retired with a left wrist problem after losing the first set 6-3 to Petra Kvitova. Barry Larkin Jersey . The Toronto Maple Leafs forward and Nashville Predators goaltender highlighted Mondays waiver transactions, with Calgarys Chuck Kobasew and Edmontons Philip Larsen also being placed on waivers. Adam Duvall Jersey .55 million euros (US$18.6 million) to Spanish tax authorities on Monday to cover any potential irregularities in its signing of Neymar, all the while maintaining its innocence of the fraud charges levied against it. http://www.redsgearshop.com/Reds-Eugenio-Suarez-Kids-Jersey/ . Parnell will be out much longer if it turns out he needs surgery. But first, he will try resting for two weeks before beginning a throwing program that could last up to a month, general manager Sandy Alderson said.MONTREAL -- Alouettes quarterback Jonathan Crompton overcame the loss of a loved one to lead his team to victory. After an abysmal first half, Crompton helped Montreal to a come-from-behind 38-31 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Percival Molson Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Crompton divulged Saturday that his former fiancee, who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer earlier this season, died Friday. Crompton was planning to head home to Tennessee after the game to be with her family. "This was not the best week for myself personally," said the Als quarterback, who had been growing his hair for the Locks for Love charity. "Thats the reason this is a team game. The guys came out and said, We got you. Go out there and be yourself. Emotionally, just let it out. They had my back." Crompton finished 18-of-27 passing for 205 yards with a TD and interception in his second straight start for Montreal, which scored four unanswered touchdowns and outscored Hamilton 31-10 in the second half to secure the victory. "A lot of adversity was thrown young Jonathan Cromptons way, and he dealt with it," said Als coach Tom Higgins. "Sometimes, what people dont know is that (athletes) have lives, and other things happen within their life, and it was a tragic thing that he had to deal with. "We truly feel that he always has the temperament to turn it around, no matter how bad hes playing. Thats a sign of a good quarterback, one that has a short memory." Montreal trailed 24-10 when Billy Parker intercepted a pass from Hamiltons Zach Collaros and returned it 45 yards to the Ticats four-yard line at 9:10 of the third quarter. Four plays and a pass interference penalty later, backup quarterback Tanner Marsh scored on a one-yard run. That seemed to energize the Alouettes as three minutes later, Crompton put together his best drive of the game to make it 24-24. He had a 33-yard completion to Duron Carter and 42-yard toss to Chad Johnson, then finished the five-play, 98-yard drive with a 10-yard scoring strike to Carter. James Rodgers 82-yard punt return for a touchdown broke the deadlock in the fourth quarter before Marsh added his second rushing TD of the game with three minutes remaining. "The turning point was going in at halftime and regrouping," said Higgins. "We knew that we needed to help our offence, and we did. The defence came up. Our special teams helped out too. We played a pretty good football game. "It was really a quiet locker room. We knew we had to come out and do these things in order to give ourselves a chance to win. The athletes have responded. Theres never any yelling or any screaming." The Alouettes (3-7) earned their second straight win to move into a tie with idle Toronto atop the East Division. Hamilton (2-7), meanwhile, fell to third in the East, two points ahead of Otttawa. Joey Votto Jersey. The Ticats were sitting pretty at the interval, up 14 points and en route to their second consecutive victory. But four second-half turnovers, including two lost fumbles and an interception, cost Hamilton the victory. Montreal scored a total 24 points off turnovers, including seven in the first quarter. "We gave too many points on turnovers," said Ticats head coach Kent Austin. "They killed us. You cant do it. You cant lose a turnover battle on the road and expect to win football games. You just cant do it. "We gave them points, and we gave them momentum in the second half. I told the team that until we learn to be a disciplined football team for four quarters with respect to turnovers in particular -- turnovers are killers -- its tough to win football games. It doesnt matter how well we play otherwise." Collaros finished the game 30-of-43 passing for 345 yards and added 35 rushing yards. "I dont think I can explain it yet," said Collaros, who threw a consolation touchdown pass to Andy Fantuz with 11 seconds remaining. "The defence played a great game, but we put them in some bad situations. Once Montreal got the momentum, it was hard to get anything going. We didnt execute like we should have in the second half." Montreal made the Ticats pay on their first turnover early in the game. Linebacker Winston Venable put the Alouettes in front 7-0 two minutes into the first quarter, returning Mossis Madus fumble 59 yards for the TD. Hamilton responded with a turnover score of its own when cornerback Rico Murray returned a Crompton interception 40 yards for the touchdown. Collaros then had a three-yard touchdown pass to Fantuz with time expiring in the first. It was a disastrous opening quarter for Montreal, which had no first downs and one yard of total offence. Justin Medlock added his second field goal of the game and a 53-yard single late in the second to put Hamilton ahead 21-7 at halftime. The two teams exchanged field goals in the third. "It means so much," said Carter, who finished the game with 56 receiving yards. "Especially in the division, and against Hamilton. We have a big rivalry against them. Late in the game, there was a lot of turmoil. Its a big game for us. We got the crowd going. All the momentum on the field makes us want to go score." Notes: Montreals Marc-Olivier Brouillette left in the second with an undisclosed injury and didnt return. à The attendance was 20,551. à Hamilton and Montreal will meet again at Tim Hortons Field on Nov. 8 in the regular-season finale for both teams. à Montreals Kenny Stafford and Dominique Ellis did not dress for the game, neither did Hamiltons Emanuel Davis and Carson Rockhill. à The Alouettes visit Edmonton on Friday while Hamilton is home to Saskatchewan next Sunday. Cheap Blackhawks Jerseys Cheap Avalanche Jerseys Cheap Team USA Hockey Jerseys Cheap Stars Jerseys Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Predators Jerseys Cheap Blues Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Ducks Jerseys Cheap Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Flames Jerseys Cheap Oilers Jerseys Cheap Kings Jerseys Cheap Sharks Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Cheap Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Winter Classic Jerseys ' ' '