sweeping the final five games of the first set

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VANCOUVER -- For a few moments Pavel Bure travelled back in time Saturday night. How to Buy Cheap Jerseys . One of the most exciting players to ever dress for the Vancouver Canucks admitted it was an emotional experience to have his jersey retired. "It was a great feeling," said Bure, nicknamed the Russian Rocket, after his No. 10 was raised to the rafters at Rogers Arena prior to the Canucks playing the Toronto Maple Leafs in a nationally televised NHL game. "It brings back lots of great memories. With the fans cheering and everybody happy, it was like you scored a goal. I felt like I had to play again. I was in the middle of the ice and 20,000 people were cheering for me." The crowd, many wearing Leaf jerseys, chanted "Bure, Bure." During a 12-year career with Vancouver, Florida and the New York Rangers, Bure scored 437 goals and added 342 assists in 702 games. As a Canuck he scored 254 goals, won the Calder Trophy as the leagues top rookie in 1992, had five 50-goal seasons and registered consecutive 60-goal seasons in 1992-93 and 1993-94. During Vancouvers 1994 run to the Stanley Cup final Bure had 31 points in 24 games. In 2012, Bure became the only Canuck player to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Joining Bure at centre ice during the ceremony were the Canucks owners, general manager Mike Gillis, former Canuck GM Pat Quinn and Gino Odjick, Bures former teammate and long-time friend. Also attending was Bures mother Tatyana and wife Alina Khasanova. Gillis, who was once Bures agent, said he was proud to share the event with his former client. "The moment you became a Canuck you changed the landscape of hockey in Vancouver," Gillis said. "Everyone was captivated by the Russian Rocket." Bures jersey is the fourth retired number at Rogers Arena. It will hang beside Stan Smyles No. 12, Trevor Lindens No. 16 and Markus Naslunds No. 19. Smyle and Naslund both attended the ceremony. Linden, who was captain for six of Bures seven seasons in Vancouver, had a commitment in the United States and could not attend. He did appear in a video tribute during the game. Bures legacy in Vancouver was tarnished when he refused to play for the Canucks in the 1998-99 season, forcing a trade to Florida. Showing the same fluid moves he once used on the ice, Bure easily sidestepped questions on whether he thought the Canucks would retire his jersey. "My thoughts are it was a great night," said the 42-year-old. "Its probably the biggest honour you can get. Im really pleased." Asked if he was nervous, Bure said he wasnt until Wayne Gretzky called him earlier in the day. "I knew it was a big deal," Bure laughed. Besides retiring his jersey, the Canucks announced they will name the teams most exciting player award after Bure. The Canucks and B.C. Hockey have also established a Pavel Bure Award for minor hockey players who best exemplify the values of "integrity, passion, teamwork and courage." Any hard feelings Canuck fans had toward Bure looked to be forgotten as they gave the former superstar a standing ovation. "To all of you . . . thank you for all the cheers," Bure told the crowd. "I will never forget those years we spent together. "Nobody deserves a Stanley Cup more than you. And its going to happen. I know. Thank you for night, thanks from the bottom of my heart." What is the best Chinese web site for cheap Jerseys . Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone dismissed Tuesdays massive anti-government protest in Manama as "a lot of kids having a go at the police." "I dont think its anything serious at all," Ecclestone was quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday. Where to Buy Cheap Jerseys . -- Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. https://www.wheretobuycheapjerseys.com/ . With the Nets winning streak in jeopardy, Williams scored 23 points, 11 in the final six minutes, to lead Brooklyn to a 104-99 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova for the 15th consecutive time, rallying in both sets for a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the Sony Open semifinals on Thursday. Williams, seeking a record seventh Key Biscayne title, improved to 16-2 against Sharapova and hasnt lost to her favourite foil since 2004. "I have always felt when Im playing at my best, then its hard for people to beat me," Williams said. Rafael Nadal could say the same. He advanced to the semifinals by hitting a flurry of forehand winners down the stretch to beat Milos Raonic 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. On Saturday, the No. 1-ranked Williams will try for a record seventh Key Biscayne title against No. 2 Li Na, who overcame 40 unforced errors to beat Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. Williams is 10-1 against Li. No. 7-seeded Tomas Berdych advanced to Fridays semifinals, beating Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-4, 7-6 (3). Berdych was the Key Biscayne runner-up in 2010. The No. 1-ranked Nadal, who is 0-3 in Key Biscayne finals, needs one more win to get there again. His opponent Friday night will be No. 7-seeded Tomas Berdych, who advanced by beating No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 7-6 (3). Nadal has beaten Berdych 16 times in a row over the past seven years. "This tournament is a tournament where I really feel the love of the people so much," Nadal said, "so Im going to try my best to keep playing well." Three-time champion Novak Djokovic will play in the other semifinal Friday against No. 20-seeded Kei Nishikori, who eliminated Roger Federer on Wednesday. The No. 1-ranked Williams won with a superior serve and better returns. She hit nine aces and broke five times, helping her rebound from deficits of 4-1 in the first set and 2-0 in the second. Williams earned hher 14th consecutive victory against a top-10 player. Where can one buy good quality but cheap jerseys. Her opponent in Saturdays final will be either Australian Open champion Li Na or Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia. Williams first won Key Biscayne in 2002 and is the defending champion. She has worn Miami Dolphins orange and turquoise throughout the tournament and considers it her home event because she lives 90 minutes up the road. "When I grew up I always wanted to play here," she said. "I guess I just dont want to let go. Its my favourite stop on the tour. Its home. All my friends come. So its perfect for me." There was no evidence of a home-court advantage at the start, when Williams failed to convert four early break-point chances and fell behind. Sharapova cracked a succession of winners from the baseline and earned applause from Williams after besting her in one exchange. But Williams broke back when Sharapova committed three consecutive backhand errors, and gained momentum from there, sweeping the final five games of the first set. The story was similar in the second set, and after falling behind, Williams resorted to her dominating power. She quickly won one game with two aces and two service winners during a period when she swept 11 consecutive points. Sharapova committed groundstroke errors on the final three points, and a victorious Williams trotted to the net, her left fist leading the way. She has more victories against Sharapova than against any other opponent. "Despite my results against her, I still look forward to playing against her because you learn so much from that type of level which she produces," Sharapova said. "You finish the match, and you know where you need to improve and the things that you need to work on." ' ' '