t of it. Hopefully, this will spark us.New York

NEW DELHI --- Joan Balcells doesnt recall the year he played Rafael Nadal. He sure does remember beating him though. Over a decade and a half since, his favourite student Ramkumar Ramanathan was set to play the same foe here on Friday, before Nadal chose to pull out.Ramkumar didnt win against Feliciano Lopez, the Spaniard fielded in place of Nadal. But he was impressive: his will, grit and game belying his rankings.Lopez is a tough player, dominant with his serve, which shows whats kept him in business as a top-50 player for 15 years now, Balcells told ESPN from Teia, Spain. Ramkumar was rushing through some parts of the match but hes young and has a lot of time ahead of him. He won some good points and this is another step forward in his progress. Lopez is ranked 170-odd places above Ramkumar.Balcells, 41, was part of the Spanish team that won the Davis Cup final against Australia in 2000. Nadal was also on that team. Some time later, Balcells beat a bristling, teenaged Nadal in straight sets at a Challenger event in Sevilla.He was just 16 or 17 years old then and had already beaten a couple of the top 10 players, he said. I still recall our scoreline: 6,4, 6-4. After the match, his uncle Toni walked up to me and congratulated me before saying that his nephew was young and not used to facing a serve-and-volley player, which was the reason why I won. It was funny. Balcells was one of the few exponents of the serve and volley style of play in Spain during his time.Ramkumar, who is from Chennai, has a strong Spanish connection, having trained at the much-vaunted Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy in Barcelona since 2010. A big serve is one of the reed-thin 21-year-olds foremost strengths. Ramkumar has a good serve but he still has to get better at his volleys and baseline shots, said Balcells, whos associated with wetennisbcn, a tennis club in Teia.Rueing not being able to travel to New Delhi for the Davis Cup tie to watch his ward take on the Spaniards, the former world No. 57 had already told Ramkumar that the experience and the learning from such matches would trump the results. I told him to enjoy such moments on the court, Balcells said. These experiences will stay with him.Unwilling to be brushed aside as a pushover, Ramkumar put up a feisty show and managing to wrest a set from Lopez, the world No. 26. I did the best I could, Ramkumar said after the match. It wasnt enough though.Four years ago Emilio Sanchez, former world No. 7 and founder of the Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy, had talked up Ramkumar: Remember his name, this kid from India will make news one day. Balcells believes Sanchez was right on the money. Cheap Shoes NZ Outlet . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Saucony Shoes NZ From China . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. http://www.wholesalesauconynz.com/ . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. Wholesale Shoes NZ . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Cheap Saucony Shoes NZ . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Five weeks into the NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants are in the same hole.They are riding losing streaks and their offenses are struggling heading into Sundays game at MetLife StadiumBaltimore (3-2) did something about its offensive woes after last weekends 16-10 loss to the Washington Redskins. Coach John Harbaugh fired offensive coordinator Marc Trestman on Monday and promoted veteran assistant Marty Mornhinweg to replace him.The Giants (2-3) didnt do anything that drastic after losing their third straight game, 23-16 in Green Bay.However, there is concern. The team has scored 89 points, with only 26 in the last two games. Eli Manning has not been sharp and the offensive line has been inconsistent.Giants coach Ben McAdoo insists his offense will produce once it cuts down on the penalties and turnovers. He also has to worry about changes Mornhinweg, a former coordinator in San Francisco, Philadelphia and with the Jets, will bring.We need to be ready for anything and everything, and expect the unexpected there, McAdoo said.Harbaugh said that the Ravens wont be changing their offense under Mornhinweg. The biggest difference will be the play calls and some of the terminology in making those calls as Baltimore tries to snap a two-game slide.I think there will be a few tweaks here and there, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco added. I dont really want to get into too much specifics, but Marty brings a definite energy and a lot of confidence.Baltimore tight end Dennis Pitta called Trestman a great guy and a great coach.It was difficult to see him go, but I think it was something that this offense needed, Pitta said. We were in kind of a bad place. It didnt seem like we were getting out of it. Hopefully, this will spark us.New York has sputtered on offense, particularly in the red zone. It has 15 possessions inside the 20-yard line and produced seven touchdowns, 46.7 percent. Its 89 points are the fourth fewest in the NFC, and Seattle (79) has played only four games.I think we just have to sustain a drive for a touchdown, right guard John Jerry said. Thats the No. 1 thing we need more than anything. We just need to get that feeling back.Here are some things to watch in the game:GIANTS RUNNING GAME: Starting halfback Rashad Jennings might be ready too return after hurting a thumb against New Orleans in Week 2.ddddddddddddShane Vereen was lost the following week to a triceps injury, and Orleans Darkwa and Bobby Rainey have carried the load the past two weeks. If Jennings cant play, expect to see more of rookie Paul Perkins, the exciting fifth-round pick.ROAD REVERSAL: The Ravens are 2-0 on the road, matching the number of wins they had in away games all last season. After rallying to beat Cleveland, they edged Jacksonville on Sept. 25 before uncharacteristically dropped two straight at home.The last time Baltimore won three in a row on the road in the regular season was in 2012. Thats the year the Ravens clinched a playoff berth by beating the Giants at home before going on to win the Super Bowl.INJURED SECONDARY: Starting safety Nat Berhe (concussion) has missed the last two, and rookie Darian Thompson (foot) is going to miss his fourth straight game. Rookie free agent Andrew Adams has started the last two games, but dont be surprised if veteran cornerback Leon Hall plays some safety. The signing of cornerback Coty Sensabaugh adds some depth with Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple dealing with groin injuries.BAD TASTE: Two weeks ago, the Ravens were unbeaten and considered one of the most surprising teams in the NFL. Now theyre struggling to stay over .500 to remain in the thick of the AFC North chase.Were itching for a W, linebacker Terrell Suggs said. When you lose, everything is bad. The food is bad. Everything is bad.Though Sundays game isnt exactly a must-win situation, its pretty darn close -- for both teams.We both want to get in the win column, Ravens receiver Mike Wallace said. We lost the last two; they lost the last three. There is a sense of urgency on both sides.TACKLES: Giants tackles Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart both struggled protecting Manning last week. Flowers got into trouble after the game for shoving an ESPN reporter. Dont be surprised if they are on short leashes. Veteran Will Beatty will be next up if they dont improve.---AP Sports Writer David Ginsburg in Owings Mills, Maryland, contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '