didnt?I think each [situation] is different, Williams said Friday

Essendon coach John Worsfold says the new-look Bombers deserve to be recognised as frontrunners for a return to the AFL finals.The Bombers have welcomed back ten players, including stars Jobe Watson and Dyson Heppell, from drug bans that kept them sidelined for all of the past season.Add to that this years No.1 draft pick Andy McGrath, a mercurial key forward with massive potential in Joe Daniher and a young midfield star coming off a breakout year in Zach Merrett, and Worsfold has plenty to smile about.Much of the preseason hype has centred on other top-eight hopefuls but Worsfold is confident the Bombers can bounce back strongly from their bottom-placed finish this year.(Finals) has to be realistic, Worsfold said on Tuesday.Were one of (ten) clubs that didnt play finals last year that want to play finals this year. We think we deserve as much recognition as one of the teams that want to challenge for that top eight as Collingwood, Richmond, Melbourne, Carlton or Fremantle.As an experienced hand at the helm of a Bombers side decimated by their long-running supplements saga, Worsfold faced little scrutiny when the team managed just three wins in 2016.That certainly wont be the case in Worsfolds second year at Essendon, and he wouldnt want it any other way.I love (pressure), Worsfold said.Id rather have that than people saying ah well, youre going to be last again. Thats not a good position to be in.The better your squad becomes, the more expectation there is, and as coaches, we should be thriving on that.A key priority for the Bombers over the offseason is improving their firepower.Essendon were dead last in scoring last season, averaging just 65.31 points per game, compared to Adelaides competition-leading 112.86.Worsfold is hoping the addition of James Stewart from Greater Western Sydney, the return of swingmen Cale Hooker and Michael Hurley and the continued development of Orazio Fantasia will give Daniher plenty of help.Its certainly an area we have to improve on. Weve struggled to kick scores over the last few years, Worsfold said.Theres been a massive amount of expectation on (Daniher) as a rookie but hes not a rookie anymore. Hes now developed to the point where we know how well he can impact and hes got that support around him now.Its okay having talent there (but) if you dont get it in there quick, it plays into the oppositions hands. We want to move the ball a lot more cleanly through the midfield and from the back half to get it inside 50 quick. Cheap Replica Shoes China . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Replica Shoes Wholesale China . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. http://www.wholesaleshoes.us.org/ . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Replica Shoes Wholesale . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Cheap Shoes China Wholesale . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. NEW YORK -- If Serena Williams thought the pressure that surrounded her like a thick, toxic fog while she sought to complete a historic calendar-year Grand Slam last year at Flushing Meadows has dissipated for good, she might be in for a surprise when she launches her campaign at this years US Open on Tuesday in Arthur Ashe Stadium.The first hurdle in Williams path is a tall one: 29-year-old left-hander Ekaterina Makarova. Once again, there is enough at stake to give even the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion palpitations. The way she meets this first challenge might speak volumes about what the coming days have in store.I think its OK, Williams said of the matchup when the draw was made Friday. Im OK with it. I think I try to look at it [as] we all always have tough matches. Ive just got to do the best I can.Only two left-handed players have ever beaten Serena Williams at a Grand Slam event: Angelique Kerber, who is 1-1 against Williams in Grand Slam finals this year, and Makarova. Williams first-round opponent pulled off her victory in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open.Makarova, a 5-foot-11 Russian with a two-handed backhand and a tricky lefty serve, is the most accomplished and highest ranked among Williams recent first-round Grand Slam opponents. She has often played better at major events than her ranking suggests. Her confidence ought to be sky high, as she excelled at the Rio Olympics, winning a gold medal in doubles with Elena Vesnina and making it to the third round in singles.Williams can draw inspiration from the fact that she has punished Makarova severely since that loss. The Russian hasnt won a set in three matches, and two of those six sets were 6-0 blowouts. In their most recent meeting, Williams cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Makarova in the 2014 semifinals at Flushing Meadows.Since then, however, Makarova has hit her physical peak and logged a career-high ranking of No. 8 (April 2015). Shes currently ranked No. 29, which puts her higher than the lowest seed in the tournament (who is separated by at least one spot from any other seed) but unseeded because of the rules and deadlines governing entry.Williams has struggled with injury and has experienced puzzling lapses of confidence and motivation alternating with brilliant fits. At Wimbledon, after she finally tied Steffi Grafs Open-era record with a 22nd major, Williams conceded that the pressure had been ruinous. The one thing I learned about last year is to enjoy the moment, she said.It might be difficult for Williams to do that, no matter how much love the Ashe crowdd showers on her.dddddddddddd. History beckons with its aged finger: A US Open win would make Williams the top Open-era champion, with 23 major singles titles. It would also keep alive her chance to catch or even surpass all-time leader Margaret Court (24 titles).Williams is almost 35 and increasingly injury-prone. At her age, the months between majors seem like years. Each opportunity becomes increasingly precious at this point in her career.Some of the more immediate honors and obligations at stake might also play on Williams mind, motivating or spooking her. Although shes guaranteed to tie Steffi Graf for most consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 (186), Angelique Kerber is beautifully positioned to take the top spot away if Williams takes her foot off the gas even a little.Whats more, a first-round loss by the top seed would mean nothing less than humiliation. Williams was the No. 5 seed when she suffered the only first-round loss of her Grand Slam career. It was at the hands of wild card Virginie Razzano at the 2012 French Open.How could Williams not feel pressure? Conversely, what would it say about her as a competitor if she didnt?I think each [situation] is different, Williams said Friday, when asked to compare this year to 2015. At this point, Im taking it a day at a time. I think I just am more relaxed, for sure.There are some similarities between the situations today and when Makarova upset Williams in Australia. Williams went into that tournament having played just two competitive matches after her loss to Sam Stosur in the final of the 2011 US Open. She twisted her ankle in the second of those matches in Brisbane and was still hobbled as she fought her way through to meet Makarova in Melbourne Park.Williams is probably in better shape now than she was then. She won Wimbledon less than two months ago. But she was just 2-1 in singles in Rio, where she developed a bad right shoulder. The injury curtailed her practice time and forced her to withdraw from the important US Open tune-up at Cincinnati.Williams three previous wins over Makarova will give her some authority going into the match. But she knows what shes up against.Shes a big fighter, Williams said of Makarova. She never really stops. She gets a lot of balls back. You think shes not super quick, but she is.Williams needs to be ready for this one. Shes a hard read, but it seems like she might be. After a while, even that toxic fog of pressure might not smell so bad. ' ' '