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NEW YORK -- Serena Williams has hit a wheelbarrow load of balls into the near and far reaches of Arthur Ashe Stadium following victories over the years, always targeting specific individuals in the crowd. She had never managed to get a ball into the intended hands until Tuesday night, following her dazzling 6-3, 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova?in the first round of the US Open.It was that kind of night for Williams.I usually pick someone out, she said of the postmatch ritual after her win. They never, never get the ball. Although today, the first time I picked someone out, the guy actually got the ball. That was exciting.Also exciting: Williams performance as she sallies forth in an attempt to move ahead of Steffi Graf and become the first player in the Open era to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles.The match with Makarova was promoted as a stern test of Williams skill and nerve at a seemingly critical juncture in her career. She turned it into a comprehensive statement of her enduring superiority and verve.Williams display of firepower lit up the night sky in Flushing, Queens. She rained down a dozen aces and so many unreturnable serves that only 44 percent of her deliveries became points. Not bad work for a woman whos been suffering a lack of match play because of a sore right shoulder. In fact, her impressive demonstration was the fruit of a workaround mandated by her tender shoulder. In having to pick her spots rather than blast away, she proved that while speed kills, placement tortures.Williams was particularly pleased because in her prematch practice session, her deliveries were flying like wild geese.I didnt hit them as hard as I normally hit them, she said of the 105 and 110 mph aces. I just went for more placement. I didnt go for the big 120s, just the regular.The regular, devastating, down-the-T and out-wide serves that leave even a doubles expert like Makarova, whos a good returner by definition, feeling as if her shoes had grown roots.This also was one of those matches in which Williams seemed to embrace a game plan with more components than a desire to serve big and let the groundstrokes rip. Williams did most of her damage by opening up the court until she could find Makarovas left-handed forehand, which is as lethal but also as unstable as C-4 explosive. Williams broke down that part of Makarovas game consistently.I definitely feel like Im more tactical now, Williams said. But I still have that raw I dont care what is your best shot, Im just going to play my best shot and lets play tennis attitude. I still have that. But I definitely play with a little more tactics.Thats a champions pride speaking. But Williams turns 35 in September. She has injuries, large and small. They demand concessions, one of which inevitably is a greater reliance on strategy and tactics. She had no pressing need to work a Plan B on Tuesday, but her willingness to do it on a night when her movement was outstanding just made her that much tougher.Its all I could do with a shoulder injury, was movement, she said. I couldnt hit any balls [leading up to the tournament]. I wanted to stay fit, so ... I guess that kind of helped me out a little bit.Williams is a great champion, so she bears great champions burdens. Every question she answers leads to more questions because more is never enough, and in her case never will be until she finally decides to set aside her rackets for good.The question now is, what can she do to keep this up? The great obstacle for players in their waning years is that they lack the intensity and innate drive of youngsters. They come up flat more frequently. Its the most natural process in the world.Williams tries to avoid that pitfall by telling herself how much better she can be. She said, I think I can improve a lot. I think I can get a lot better. I feel like theres much, much more I can do. Thats the only thing I can do is do that.A better Williams than we saw on Tuesday night is nearly unimaginable. But making the unimaginable real has been this womans stock in trade for a long time now.nike vapormax plus greece . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. nike vapormax skroutz γυναικεια . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. http://www.vapormaxgreece.com/nike-vapormax-2019-greece.html . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. Nike Air Vapormax Flyknit Greece . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . nike vapormax γυναικεια . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style.NEW ORLEANS -- Allenzae Staggers set New Orleans Bowl records with 11 catches for 230 yards and also scored a touchdown to help Southern Mississippi beat Louisiana-Lafayette 28-21 on Saturday night.Nick Mullens, the Southern Miss all-time leader in yards passing and passing touchdowns, finished his distinguished career by throwing for 346 yards and two TDs.One of Mullens TD tosses was a 6-yarder to running back Ito Smith, who also rushed for 138 yards and two scores.However, Mullens turnovers helped the Ragin Cajuns keep the game competitive despite the Golden Eagles (7-6) outgaining ULL (6-7) 481 yards to 252.Mullens second-quarter fumble and fourth-quarter interception both led to Cajuns touchdowns, the latter on a short run by ULL quarterback Anthony Jennings that trimmed Southern Miss lead to 28-21 with 5:10 to go.ULL got the ball back once more, starting on its own 18-yard line with 2:02 to go, but Jennings overthrew a fourth-down pass as he rolled right.Jennings scored twice on runs for the Ragin Cajuns, who often struggled to move the ball through the air. A transfer who once started for LSU, Jennings completed 8 of 20 passes for 95 yards. He was intercepted once -- by Tarvarius Moore on the Southern Miss goal line -- and sacked six times, including three times by JaBoore Pool.REGROUPINGThe Cajuns composure was tested early. Mullens completed his first three passes for 127 yards and a touchdown to Smith, who also rushed for the games opening TD as the Golden Eagles took a 14-0 lead inside the first 8 minutes.But ULL methodically pulled itself back into the game, starting when Jennings led a nine-play, 66-yard drive capped by his 4-yard TD to make it 14-7. In the second quarter, Tremaine Lightfoots sack and strip of Mullens was scooped and returned 15 yards by Otha Peters to the Southern Miss 29, setting up a tying 12-yard TD run by reserve QB Dion Ray, who periodically ran plays out of a wildcat formation.ddddddddddddTAKING THEIR TIMEAs the first half ended, Mullens rushed the Southern Miss offense to the line of scrimmage to try to spike the ball and stop the clock so the Golden Eagles could try a 45-yard field goal. The clock read zero after his spike, but officials ordered 1 second put back on the clock. Louisiana-Lafayette then used both of its remaining timeouts in an effort to disrupt kicker Parker Shaunfields rhythm. After the second timeout, officials decided to review the previous play and ruled that time had expired after all, ending the half in a 14-all tie.UP NEXTSouthern Miss: The first order of business is to find a replacement for Mullens, who leaves the Golden Eagles as the programs career leader in yards passing (11,994) and TD passes (87). Complicating that transition at QB is the departure of three-year starting center Cameron Tom and starting guards Oliver Bates and Brandon Farmer.Louisiana-Lafayette: The Cajuns are expected to apply to the NCAA for another year of eligibility for Jennings, but prospects for approval appear slim. The next QB could come from the junior college ranks. The offense also loses Elijah McGuire, who ranks second all-time in rushing for ULL, and top receiver Al Riles.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '