test.It was really firm, Singh said. Couldnt stop even a

Certain scenarios are meant for certain people, and the one that has developed in Londons 02 Arena at the ATP World Tour Finals seems tailor made for Stan Wawrinka.Should Wawrinka beat No. 1 Andy Murray in straight sets Friday, and Kei Nishikori defeat 0-2 Marin Cilic, the year-end championships will be denied that much-anticipated showdown between Murray and Novak Djokovic. It would also open the door for Djokovic to reclaim the top ranking.In fact if this scenario transpires, Murray will be out of the tournament before the semifinals. Among the possibilities if that happens is a rematch of the Djokovic-Wawrinka US Open final.Early in the week, after Wawrinka plodded his way through a desultory first-round loss to Nishikori, the chances of something like this being in play were remote. Not any longer, especially in light of Wawrinkas display of firepower Wednesday evening in a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) win against Cilic.I think the level was really high, Wawrinka told reporters after that match. Im happy with many things tonight -- the way I was mentally on the court, the way I was moving. I think I was moving great. I had some good defense, some long rallies. I mixed a lot with my game in general.When Stan the Man, aka Stanimal, is living in HappiStan, its time for everyone else, including Djokovic, to be afraid. Thick as a linebacker, Wawrinka is bearish in more ways than one. He tends to hibernate for significant periods, but when he comes out of his den, and the scent of a nearby meal sets his nose quivering, its time to climb the nearest tree.Wawrinka has never been No. 1, but he can play like the No. 1. It tends to happen in critical matches on the biggest stages.Im very far from being No. 1, Wawrinka said for perhaps the 2,700th time at the pretournament news conference. Referring to tennis Big Four, he added, If you look at their records, theyre playing in the final of every tournament they play, so its not something Im thinking about now.But rest assured, Wawrinka is something theyre thinking about. He not only belted Djokovic off the court in the last US Open final, he ruined the same guys day in the French Open final of 2015.Wawrinka also hammered Murray in straight sets at the Tour Finals last year. Murray leads the head-to-head by a very slender 9-7 edge, but there is so much pressure on him in London that he might have to take hits off an oxygen tank instead of a sports drink on changeovers when he plays Wawrinka.Pundits have tried to shoehorn Wawrinka into the Big Four ever since he belted his way to the 2014 Australian Open title (he beat Djokovic in the quarters and Rafael Nadal in the final), then backed it up during the ensuing months. Some have tried to expand the quartet into a Big Five including Wawrinka, but hell be the first to shun the honor. Hes humble and realistic. Hes also a creature who needs to hibernate.Besides, life is much more fun in HappiStan if Wawrinka can avoid the pressures and hassles that accompany everyday life. Wawrinka has a deft way of staying under the radar despite having, in every respect, the profile of a cargo plane.Nobody has taken Wawrinka very seriously at this tournament, and thats somewhat understandable. He won just one match in two fall Masters 1000 events. The only bright spot after that stunning upset of Djokovic in Arthur Ashe Stadium was a final in Moscow, where Wawrinka lost that to ATP #nextgen upstart Alexander Zverev.The sluggish opener against Nishikori in the O2 suggested that sometime in early October, Wawrinka decided to just mail it in. But its a mistaken assumption. This is just Wawrinkas way. He showed Wednesday that he hasnt licked and stamped the envelope just yet.Im here to try to enjoy, Wawrinka said, tacitly acknowledging that he doesnt want to fire expectations -- or put pressure on himself. Its still always a dream for me to be here. Im trying to enjoy; Im trying to do the right thing; Im trying to fight as much as I can to stay alive on the tournament.Because of his build, Wawrinka is only as good as his movement on that day. Thats a difficult factor to control. Wawrinka was moving poorly and mentally out of it Monday against perhaps the worst guy to face under those conditions, Nishikori.On Wednesday, the gum on his shoes turned into wheels. I know I can beat every player, Wawrinka said, when asked if he intends to compete for the top ranking now that applications are again being accepted. But I need to do it more often in the year if I want to think about that. But three Grand Slams in three years is something that I didnt expect. Im very happy with where I am now.Welcome to HappiStan. Beware if your name is Murray or Djokovic. Sneakers Clearance Sale Online . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Cheap Sneakers Online Uk . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. http://www.clearancesneakersuk.com/ . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. Sneakers Shoes Online Uk . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Sneakers Online Store Uk . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio -- Vijay Singh rebounded from a bad shot on the 17th to birdie the final hole Thursday and take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the U.S. Senior Open.Still playing full-time on the PGA Tour at age 53, the big Fijian shot a 4-under 66 on a hot and humid afternoon at Scioto Country Club, the suburban Columbus course where Jack Nicklaus learned to play.Singh pushed his tee shot right and bogeyed the par-3 17th. On the par-4 18th, he hit his second shot to 4 feet. The three-time major champion hit 13 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens.Im driving the ball well, said Singh, coming off a tie for 56th on Sunday in Connecticut in the PGA Tours Travelers Championship. Im hitting my irons good. Playing the regular tour, Ive been playing pretty decent out there too. I came here (and) obviously expected to play well, and I just played well today.Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jeff Gallagher, Michael Allen, Gene Sauers and Glen Day shot 68.The weather is good. Its perfect. Its hot, humid, Jimenez said. This heat is going to drain a lot from you and probably (make things) more difficult, not because the course is more difficult, but the situation for the players that will be there at the end of the weekend.Singh is winless in nine career starts on the 50-and-over tourEvery time I tee it up (in senior events), if I dont win, Im really disappointed, Singh said. So I put a lot more pressure on myself, and thats not very good. I force myself to play well over here instead of just playing. So my attitude this week is just go and play and see what happens.dddddddddddd.Singh finished second this year in the PGA Tours Quicken Loans National in June, but missed the cut at the British Open and the PGA Championship. He said the dry, hard course at Scioto was a tough test.It was really firm, Singh said. Couldnt stop even a sand wedge. Nothing was spinning. If you missed a green, it was very difficult to get up and down.The hot, dry conditions arent supposed to last, with rain forecast Friday and Saturday.Defending champion Jeff Maggert had a 70. He won last year at Del Paso in California.The course is playing great, very difficult, Maggert said. Just every hole is demanding. You got to keep the ball on the fairway and pay attention to what youre doing around the greens, make sure youre giving yourself some opportunities to putt for birdies. Missing the greens here can really hurt you pretty bad too. Its a ball strikers course, and Im hitting the ball well. So hopefully, the putter will cooperate over the next three days, and I can finish it off with a good tournament.John Daly also shot 70.I actually hit the ball decent today, Daly said. I made a few putts, but nothing special. It was cool to play pretty much 16 holes bogey-free. I made a few 5- and 6-footers for pars as well, which helped. I had not been putting very good.Bernhard Langer opened with a 73. ' ' '