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ATLANTA -- Top-seeded defending champion John Isner advanced to the Atlanta Open final for the fourth time in the tournaments five-year history, beating practice partner Jack Sock 7-5, 6-4 on Saturday. As the 12th-ranked Isner seeks his ninth career title on Sunday, Dudi Sela will try to win his first. The 94th-ranked Israeli player beat Germanys Ben Becker 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a night match. Isner improved to 15-3 in the event after saving his best for the end of each set. The former University of Georgia star broke Socks service twice -- each time to capture a set. "Ive made four finals here. Winston-Salem is my hometown. This feels like my hometown because I went to school here," Isner said. "I feel like its my time of year to play well, and start picking up the pace a little bit." Before the final game of the first set, Isner won only two points against Socks first five service games. Then, in a game that lasted 14 minutes and reached deuce nine times, Isner won 13 points, survived six game points, and took the set when Sock sent a backhand wide. That was Socks third backhand of the set. All three were unforced errors. "I wasnt putting any pressure on him, but I told myself that might work to my favour (to crank up his energy)," Isner said. "If I could put a little pressure on him, maybe he could crack a little bit and . . . second set, same thing." Serving at 4-5 in the second set, Sock -- who three weeks ago teamed with Vancouvers Vasek Pospisil to win the doubles title at Wimbledon -- double faulted twice. When Sock sent his last forehand into the net, Isner moved through to the Atlanta final yet again. He lost in there in 2010 and 2011 to Mardy Fish, and fell in the 2012 semifinals to eventual champion Andy Roddick. As Isner began timing Socks first serves better, Sock took off some pace. That may have worked against him. "Against John, you dont have many chances at all. I had a good look at a backhand pass," Sock said. "I think it was a combination of me missing first serves, and him moving in a few feet closer (to return). "Usually, when he gets his racket on it, he hits it pretty clean. I started missing first serves, and hes dangerous on the second." Sock is ranked 72nd, but will become the second-highest ranked American when the new rankings come out -- moving ahead of Sam Querrey (61) and Steve Johnson (64). Querrey won a first-round match over Johnson in Atlanta before falling in the second round. When the 5-foot-9 Sela meets the 6-10 Isner, it will be just the second ATP final of his career. He lost to Andy Roddick in Beijing in 2008 in the first. Sela made a difference by winning 54 per cent of his second serves to just 41 per cent for Becker. The match clincher came after a 79 mph second serve. Isner often tops 140 mph. "I feel great," Sela said. "I came out playing well, and (Becker) began to play better, more aggressively. I was a bit lucky at the beginning of the third set and I was able to finish it out." Pospisil and Sock played Nicolas Barrientos and Victor Estrella Burgos in a doubles semifinal Saturday night for the right to face Querrey and Johnson in the final. Air Max Offerta Online . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Air Max Scontate Online . Sure, Josh Browns 45-yard field goal on the third drive of overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 23-20 win over Detroit on Sunday. But the Lions (7-8) dropped themselves out of the NFC North race by losing five of their last six games, blowing fourth-quarter leads in each setback. http://www.airmaxscontateoutlet.it/ . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. Air Max Outlet Italia . Abduraimova had not won a tour-level match since 2009 but was a wild-card entry in Tashkent and broke her opponent twice in each set to reach the second round. Second-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania advanced easily by beating Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine 6-3, 6-1, while No. Air Max Scontate Italia . Vonn "reopened" the idea of competing in the season-opening World Cup event on Oct. 26-27 in Soelden, Austria after returning to the slopes last month in Portillo, Chile.REGINA -- It didnt take much time for Brett Swain to feel comfortable in a Saskatchewan Roughriders jersey -- about 15 minutes, in fact. The rookie slotback hauled in two touchdowns Saturday to help lead the defending Grey Cup champs to a 21-17 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks in a CFL pre-season contest at Mosaic Stadium. "I just had no idea what I was about to get myself into," Swain said. "The possessions and being on and off the field and not being able to make adjustments and doing everything on the run a I think I got used to all of that by the second quarter." Thats when veteran quarterback Darian Durant entered the game. Durant orchestrated a 91-yard scoring drive with his first possession, one that was capped with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Swain to give the Riders a 14-10 lead. Swains second touchdown of the game came on the Riders second offensive possession of the second half. Rookie quarterback Adam Weber found Swain for a four-yard touchdown strike, one that swelled Saskatchewans lead to 21-10. "I think (Swain) looked great," Durant said. "He has had a great camp and he has done a good job of learning the system and getting on the same page with the quarterbacks. I think hes going to have a role with us and I look forward to working more with him moving forward." With the departure of all-star slotback Weston Dressler to the NFLs Kansas City Chiefs and the retirement of the CFLs all-time leading receiver Geroy Simon, the Roughriders have a couple of holes to fill within their receiving corps. Swains debut with the Green and White should earn him more playing time in Saskatchewans second exhiibition contest on Friday against the visiting Edmonton Eskimos.dddddddddddd "I had a couple balls come my way and I made the most of them," said the six-foot, 200-pound Swain. "It was a slow start for me a still getting acclimated to the game, but I feel a lot more comfortable and I gained a lot of confidence today. Im excited to come in here and watch the game film and learn where I can improve." The Redblacks, on the other hand, have more than just a couple of roster vacancies. "You can see that (the Roughriders) are definitely in a rhythm and theyre communicating well and are all on the same page," said Ottawa quarterback Henry Burris, who was 5-for-6 passing for 40 yards in limited time. "Thats where were trying to get to. We have a lot of guys competing for jobs. "Other teams are just trying to plug a few holes. Were trying to put the whole kit and caboodle together here. We have a good idea of what we have, but we need to all be singing from the same sheet of music." Chevon Walker scored the Redblacks first touchdown, a one-yard plunge, which was set up thanks to Jamill Smiths 77-yard punt return to Saskatchewans two-yard line. Justin Palardy then booted a 44-yard field goal and the expansion Redblacks owned a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Thomas Demarco played under centre for much of the second half for Ottawa and completed 4-of-7 pass attempts for 97 yards. His lone touchdown strike came on a 60-yard pass-and-run with receiver Travon Patterson in the third quarter. The Redblacks will visit the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, their second and final exhibition game. ' ' '