struck out nine in a no-decision.The Padres may

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.Mike Daniels Womens Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Rashan Gary Womens Jersey . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. http://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Aaron-Rodgers-Jersey/ . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Darnell Savage Jr. Packers Jersey . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Jaire Alexander Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again.PHOENIX -- Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Godley will ride the Reno shuttle back to Chase Field to start the second game of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.Godley, taking the rotation spot normally held by right-hander Zack Greinke, will face struggling left-hander Christian Friedrich as the Diamondbacks try and end a slide that has seen them lose eight of their past nine games.Greinke was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, retroactive to June 29, with a left oblique strain.Godley (1-0, 4.35 ERA) will be marking his second tour with the Diamondbacks. He was called up to start June 11 against the Marlins and allowed two runs on four hits in six innings, then was shifted to the bullpen for four appearances before being shipped back to Triple-A Reno.Godley is one of three rookies currently in the Diamondbacks rotation, and all are struggling through the same growing pains.It is sort of a theme for a lot of our guys right now, Arizona manager Chip Hale said. Their stuff is good. They are having some really impressive innings, but they have to give us six or seven of those.In his only career start against the Padres, Godley threw three scoreless innings on Sept. 27, 2015. Twelve days earlier, he gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings in his only other career appearance against San Diego.After dropping the series opener 8-3 to the Padres on Monday, the Diamondbacks have lost eight of their past nine at Chase Field -- matching their overall skid.We are just not playing winning baseball right now, Hale said. Thats what it boils down to.Friedrich (4-3, 3.96) began the yeaar well for the Padres, surrendering only eight earned runs in his first six starts.dddddddddddd However, over his past three outings, Friedrich has given up 14 earned runs on 20 hits over 16 innings with 12 strikeouts and eight walks.Padres manager Andy Green said Friedrich, much like the Diamondbacks young pitches, is finding his way as he pitches in and out of trouble.Hes not far off from being great, said Green, whose team has won three of four. Its a couple of pitches here and there and a couple of big innings that got away from him.San Diego is 5-4 in Friedrichs starts this season.I love the way hes wired, Green said. Hes going to pitch well. He just needs to come to the realization of whats not going well a little quicker.Friedrich pitched well in his lone career start against the Padres, on June 12 at Coors Field. He yielded one run, which was unearned, on two hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out nine in a no-decision.The Padres may be without catcher Derek Norris, who was struck near the left elbow on a Brandon Drury swing follow-through and left Mondays game. Postgame X-rays were taken, but the results were not immediately available.Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte, who hit his third homer in four games at Chase Field this season, enters Tuesday batting .408 (20-for-49) in his last 14 games.Diamondbacks second baseman Jean Segura is riding an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .363 in his past 23 games with six doubles and seven RBI. ' ' '