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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 potentially ghastly blowout into a strange, sharp-edged and fairly competitive match.Monfils 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. Cheap Air Max 720 Australia . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. Cheap Air Max 720 Wholesale . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. http://www.airmax720australia.com/ . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Air Max 720 Australia Online . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Nike Air Max 720 Australia . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Nate Ebners Olympic journey is over, and while he isnt returning to the New England Patriots with a medal, he feels he has learned important lessons from his time in rugby sevens.Ebner and his U.S mens rugby teammates came to Rio targeting a spot on the podium, but those dreams ended on Day 2, leaving the team with a ninth-place finish. Ebner, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots, now returns to his franchise with a new outlook on pressure situations and with added tackling techniques he is eager to try in the NFL. He said it will be a little strange returning to the Patriots but that it is also second nature, as he has been with the team since 2012.He said he believes his time in rugby has had an impact both on him and on his friends and family, who told him they have enjoyed watching him in rugby as much as football. Ebner will return to the United States with plenty of stories, though it will take time for the whole experience to sink in.From his time in rugby, Ebner learned that he can be very focused, and he has developed an increased mental resilience in the face of mistakes.The biggest thing I take from rugby is that its so relatable to life, as in so many things can go wrong quickly, but you cant dwell on it, and the quicker you put it behind you and get on to the next task, you have a better chance of succeeding, Ebner said.It teaches you not to dwell on things which have gone bad. No one has ever played a perfect sevens game, and you have to go with the punches. And when things dont go your own way, you have to go to the next task.Football is a little different as turnovers are ttwo a game, and while you want those back, rugby is really that way -- you have to get back up and play again later in the day.ddddddddddddThere are a lot of things to learn about rugby as a sport and what its taught me in my life from a character standpoint and the camaraderie with my teammates. Theyre friends Ill have for the rest of my life, and I could talk about rugby forever.On the field, Ebner adapted to rugbys different tackling techniques and sees similarities with the open-field tackles he has to make in the NFL. He will look into those intricacies further when he returns to America, and he hopes to see some of the athletes he faced here in Rio give the NFL a crack in the future.Talking about Olympic favorite Fijis players and whether they could play in the NFL, Ebner said: Theyd be great, look at them.They invaded the contact area, and if they picked up the rules, Im sure theyd be great -- just like some of those American football boys, if they grew up with rugby, Im sure theyd be great too. Hopefully we can get guys like that in the USA playing rugby.The whole experience of the Olympics left Ebner with no regrets, despite the U.S. teams ninth-place finish. He will hang his U.S. shirt proudly on the walls of his house alongside his Patriots jerseys.Its been a once-in-a-lifetime amazing experience that Ill remember forever for what it is individually, and I remember the Super Bowl in the same way, Ebner said. Its been awesome and Im lucky that Ive got to experience both. ' ' '