BRISBANE, Australia -- After pulling out of the Brisbane International with injuries in recent seasons, Maria Sharapova is aiming to use the season-opening tournament this time as a springboard for her comeback and to see how her new support crew works in competition. [url=http://www.bravesapparelssho

BRISBANE, Australia -- After pulling out of the Brisbane International with injuries in recent seasons, Maria Sharapova is aiming to use the season-opening tournament this time as a springboard for her comeback and to see how her new support crew works in competition. John Smoltz Jersey . Sharapova has only played one match since an early exit at Wimbledon due to a right shoulder injury and has spent months working with her new coach Sven Groeneveld. She arrived in Australia to prepare for the first major of the season with her boyfriend and fellow professional Grigor Dimitrov, who returns after losing the final here to Andy Murray last season. Serena Williams won the last Brisbane title and is back to defend it, hoping she hasnt lost any of the momentum from a stunning 2013 season when she won 11 titles including the French and U.S. Opens, had 78 wins from 82 matches -- including a 34-match winning streak -- and collected more than $12 million in prize money. Her brief off-season was not exactly business as usual -- although it was commercial. She trained in Florida with her father, Richard, so she could be close to home for the relaunch of one of her companies and to hire a CEO for it. "I was interviewing so many people. Corporate Serena was taking over," she told a news conference Sunday. "Im happy to be here right now." Corporate Serena conducted at least 10 interviews, and still has at least one more to do. She expects it to be a tough interview, like they all are. "I definitely am not easy ... Im a tough interviewer. For me, its all about business and removing a lot of emotion," she said. "I just want to get to the point." And that brings her back to tennis, where she can turn the corporate email account off for a while and concentrate on what she does best. "I took a couple weeks off, but I was already itching to get back on the court," she said. "I didnt want to lose any rhythm or anything. Didnt want to lose momentum." No. 3-seeded Sharapova is in Williams half of the draw, meaning they could meet in the semifinals. The Brisbane tournament will be Sharapovas only warmup for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 13, so she needs to find her rhythm quickly. She said shed been practicing hard, but also concentrating on relaxing when shes off the court. Traveling with Dimitrov has helped, she said, despite or because of their major common interest. "Of course we share a lot of the same things just because we have an elephant in the room thats called tennis," Sharapova said Sunday. "But there are so many other things to life that are besides tennis, and there are a lot more things to discuss than forehands and backhands and strings and rackets, which we share similar ideas and things of." Sharapova split with coach Thomas Hogstedt after her Wimbledon loss, and said she wasnt in the right frame of mind to work with Jimmy Connors long term -- that partnership lasted one match. "You have to realize that the decisions you make, you have to make them selfishly in this business to be better, to know whats right for you," she said. "From the first time we met I really liked what (Groeneveld) had to say. Hes a team player. He works with everyone on my team, something I was missing for a little bit of time." In first-round results at Brisbane: Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki had a 6-3, 6-4 win over Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia; Andrea Petkovic of Germany beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 7-5; Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm won 6-3, 7-5 over Australias Olivia Rogowska; and Swiss player Stefanie Vogele beat American Madison Keys 6-4, 6-3. Former No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki withdrew after hurting her right shoulder in practice but said she expected to be fit the Sydney International next week. While Serena Williams gets a first-round bye in Brisbane, her older sister Venus Williams will be in action from the first round at the WTA event in Auckland on Monday when she plays 134-ranked Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic. In Hopman Cup Group B action at Perth, Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek combined to give the Czech Republic a 3-0 win over Spain. Kvitova only lost one game en route to a comprehensive singles win over Anabel Medina Garrigues before Stepanek beat Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-2, 6-2. The Czech pair won the mixed doubles 6-3, 6-4. Orlando Cepeda Jersey . Burkes Flames are one of several teams involved in heavy trade speculation going into next Wednesdays 3pm et deadline, with the most prominent name in play being forward Michael Cammalleri. Sean Rodriguez Jersey . Petersburg of the KHL. Belov was a free agent last summer when he signed a one-year contract with the Oilers. In 57 games this season he had one goal and six assists with 34 penalty minutes in Edmonton. http://www.bravesapparelsshop.com/ra-dickey-jersey-c-34/ .com) - Devon Johnson ran for a school record 272 yards with four touchdowns and No.MILAN -- The highlight of this weekends Serie A matches is undoubtedly Inter Milans visit to Juventus in what is sure to be a heated derby dItalia match. There is also the Genoa derby on Sunday, while second-place Roma hosts Parma looking to take advantage of any more slip-ups from Juventus. Here are five things to know about the Italian league ahead of this weekends matches: LLORENTE ON SONGThe last time Juventus hosted Inter Milan the visitors ended the Bianconeris impressive streak of 49 games unbeaten with a 3-1 victory. Inter cannot stop Juventus pursuit of a record this time after the two-time defending Serie A champion was held to a 1-1 draw at Lazio last weekend, ending its run of consecutive wins at 12 — five short of Inters record. Fernando Llorente scored his fifth goal in six matches last week as he continues to impress following a difficult start to the season after his transfer from Athletic Bilbao. "At first it was a new way of working for me and I needed a bit of time," Llorente said. "But slowly, slowly you get used to it, improve and get on the same wavelength as your teammates. "It was an important change for me, leaving my home country and coming to a new city and new environment. ... Now, however, Im enjoying one of the best moments of my career." DERBY DITALIA SPICEMatches between Juventus and Inter Milan are known as the derby dItalia — Italys derby — and are normally a heated affair. However, there will be extra spice to this weekends match after the collapse of a swap deal involving Inters Fredy Guarin and Juventus Mirko Vucinic. Everything had been agreed between the two clubs and Vucinic had cleared his locker and bid his teammates farewell before Inter president Erick Thohir pulled the plug on the deal at the last minute. Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta launched an angry tirade at Inters "lack of respect" following the decision and it has left the Milan club looking shambolic in its transfer dealings. FREE-SCORING ROMASecond-place Roma will be hoping to close the gap on Juventus still further thiss weekend when it hosts Parma on Sunday. Bartolo Colon Jersey. Roma beat Hellas Verona 3-1 last weekend to move six points behind Antonio Contes side. The capital side has been in impressive form of late, scoring 10 goals and conceded just one in winning its past three league matches, and also knocked Juventus out of the Italian Cup. "Is the title race re-opened? I hope so," Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. "Juve isnt unbeatable but its a very strong team as it already has 56 points from 21 games. Their points tally so far is incredible. "It doesnt just depend on us: well do what we have to do, and if they start to slip up we have to be ready to start cutting back the deficit." TWO-HORSE RACE?Napoli lost more ground in the title race as it looks increasingly like being a two-horse battle for the scudetto. Rafa Benitezs team was held to a 1-1 draw at home by relegation-threatened Chievo Verona. It was Napolis second successive draw and left it 12 points behind Juventus and six behind Roma. However, it knocked out holder Lazio in the Italian Cup on Wednesday to progress to the semifinals and it is also in the Europa League, after being eliminated from the Champions League. "We have been involved in Europe and will be again, but we have a talented roster and we will try to do our best on all three fronts," Benitez said. Napoli visits Atalanta on Sunday. NEW-LOOK MILANAC Milan has been busy this January as it attempts to turn its season around. Clarence Seedorf has won his first two league matches in charge after replacing Massimiliano Allegri, while the club has also been active in the transfer market, with Adel Taarabt set to join fellow new signings Keisuke Honda, Adil Rami and Michael Essien. "I am honoured to be able to play at the best club in the world," Taarabt said. "I spoke with Seedorf and we are both happy. I am an attacker and I like to play behind the strikers. "I do not know (Mario) Balotelli personally, but I know very well who he is and I am pleased to be able to play with him." Milan hosts Torino on Saturday. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '