Talk » far below that of the teams which are just on

Angelique Kerber, on the cusp of a very special season, further distanced herself from the Singapore field Tuesday.With Serena Williams (shoulder) already missing from the BNP Paribas WTA Finals, the 28-year-old German trashed another potential rival, No. 4-ranked Simona Halep, 6-4, 6-2.As a result, Kerber (2-0) is the only undefeated player in the Red Group and could clinch a spot in the semifinals without raising a racket in her third round-robin match. Karolina Pliskova and Svetlana Kuznetsova (both 1-0), who started best among players in the White Group, are in action Wednesday.For Kerber, this is from a player who in three previous appearances in the year-end final had never advanced out of group play and was a dodgy 2-7.Its just great to be playing my best tennis, Kerber said, emphatically, in her on-court interview.Kerber, who once struggled in the important moments, earned six break points against Haleps serve and won five of them.Heading into the match, there was a lot to like about Halep. She had an impressive 6-5 record against top-10 players. And she had fashioned a 10-7 head-to-head record against the rest of the Red Group, which also includes Madison Keys and Dominika Cibulkova. The headline: A head-to-head mark of 4-3 against Kerber.I think Halep is in the best position to challenge Kerber, said Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion, who was a guest on the world feed. But she has not won a Grand Slam yet.And that is the thing for the Romanian who turns 25 on Thursday. Since making the French Open final in 2014, she has failed to reach another Grand Slam championship match. Halep, for whatever reasons, has been somewhat less than the sum of her considerable parts.The year began with a loss to Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai at the Australian Open -- in the first round. The last three Slams saw her falling to three former Grand Slam champions: Samantha Stosur in the fourth round of the French, Kerber in the Wimbledon quarterfinals and Serena in the quarters of the US Open.After beating Keys in her first match, the American explained the nuances of Haleps game.I think one of her strengths is making you feel like you have to go for more and taking the risk, Keys explained. I think just going in and knowing shes going to get the balls back but continuing to play my game is the big thing. I think sometimes she makes me uncomfortable and I back away from playing my game and start going for things in a way that I shouldnt.Halep can have this effect on opponents. Against Keys, she redirected balls that were coming across with enormous pace. Kerber, a brilliant defender, did not give her that advantage.Size -- and power -- seem to matter most in todays womens game. At 5-foot-6, Halep is among the smallest players ranked in the top 10; Cibulkova is listed at 5-3 and Agnieszka Radwanska at 5-8.Halep has terrific balance and variety, but her serve doesnt measure up to the bigger hitters, like Pliskova and Garbine Mugruza. Her approach, like Justine Henins and Martina Hingis was, is mastering the geometry of the court and taking the ball as early as possible.Under coach Darren Cahill, Halep has made strides. Cahill recently said she would be training in Adelaide, Australia, prior to the Australian Open, which should help her with conditioning and stamina. That could help create some much-needed confidence.Tuesday, that was something that was clearly lacking.Kerber, on the other hand, looks like a player who won the first two Grand Slam singles titles of her career earlier this year.Im feeling very, very good here, she said, seeming to mean it.Its her tournament to lose. Pooh Richardson Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Gorgui Dieng Jersey . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. https://www.cheaptimberwolves.com/880j-jake-layman-jersey-timberwolves.html .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Malik Sealy Jersey . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Jaylen Nowell Jersey . After a lengthy wait, persistent rain finally forced the postponement of the Nationals game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night. The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p. There are just three rounds left in the AFL season and, as both the ladder and ESPN Power Rankings show, the race for the top four is just starting to hot up.To reflect just how close it is, Hawthorns slip-up to Melbourne at the weekend has resulted in a fall of four spots from first to fifth in the rankings.The Hawks will likely need to win their final three matches if theyre to secure the minor premiership, as their percentage is far below that of the teams which are just one win in arrears. But, with crucial matches coming up against a desperate North Melbourne and West Coast in Perth, it wont be easy for the premiers.Another battle is emerging in the middle of the table: North Melbourne did itself no favours going down to the Bulldogs last week and, looking at its run home, may struggle to hold eighth spot.The Saints sent a statement to the Roos in its 12-goal win oover the Blues and, should they cause an upset at home this week against the Swans, a shock finals berth could be on the cards.ddddddddddddSt Kildas run home is rated a 7 to the Roos 5, but even one of Norths home games (against Sydney) is to be played in Hobart.LegendForm: The higher the number, the better a teams recent form.Draw: The higher the number, the easier a teams upcoming draw.Fitness: Determined by the number and quality of fit players available. A list in good shape is ranked around a 7; a list missing three or four best-22 players might be considered a 3 or 4.X-Factor: The number and quality of genuine match-winning players.Attack: Potency of the teams offence.Defence: Ability of the team to prevent the opposition from scoring. ' ' '