Pirate Galaxy » potential tiebreaker Monday, if needed. Detroit could als

Rio -- You wont be popular back in India today.Rajeev Ram shrugs and smiles at this journalists attempt to inject some humour in the post-match media interaction. In 1981, Rajeevs parents left India to pursue the American dream. He was born three years later in Denver, Colorado. His father Raghav is a biologist and mother Sushma a scientific technician.But since the age of four, Rajeev was not interested in an academic career. His heroes were Boris Becker and Pete Sampras. Rajeev wanted to be a tennis player and pursued his dream with vigour, embarking on a a path as a professional in 2004.In this 12-year pursuit, Rajeev has won singles and doubles titles on the ATP tour and has reached as far as the semifinals at a couple of Grand Slam events. But now, Rajeev is one step away from an Olympic gold medal.In 2009, Rajeev won his first title on the ATP tour by clinching the doubles crown at the Chennai Open. Now, this, the greatest moment of his career, has come by by subduing a pair from the country his parents left behind.I have visited India since I was a kid, he says. I have lots of family there and I am proud of my heritage. My dads whole family is in India so I have lots of ties back home.It is my first Olympics. You never know if you are going to get to play another one or not. To play a match and secure a medal for sure is an unbelievable feeling.This is our third match together, but Venus and I didnt even know if we were going to be in the tournament to start with. We played a great team today, we played two people that I respect a lot and are good friends of mine. We went out there and we played well when it mattered.Rajeevs succinct assessment of their performance stands up to scrutiny. Having been blown away in under an hour in the first set, the Americans needed to respond urgently to ensure the match was not reduced to a no-contest.While Rajeev was solid on his service games in the first set, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna made repeated dents into Venus Williams serve, breaking her twice. Sania in particular played an attractive brand of tennis, pulverising the ball in her signature style but also catching the Americans off-guard with some canny lobs.It was in the second set that Venus, a winner of four Olympic Gold medals over her decorated career including three in womens doubles, ignited her inner mongrel.With an effervescent Indian crowd scenting the end of the medal drought at these Games, the older Williams sister started to discover the verve in her game. Her grunts gained ferocity and her power game built sustained pressure on the Indians. With Sanias serve broken after a long sequence of deuce and advantage points, the Americans began hooping around the court energetically.Rajeev kept his end of the bargain up by locking out the Indians from any opportunities to break his serve. His fluid single hander backhand was in fine working fettle on the night and provided some sparkling moments with passes past desperate racquets.Venus, too, had transformed by this time into the player who owns seven singles and sixteen Grand Slam doubles titles. The set was pocketed and going into the super tie break, the momentum had shifted decisively away from the Indian pairing.Sania and Bopanna did take a 3-1 lead but Venus was not about to falter on the home stretch. She creamed a clean winner off the forehand flank and followed up with an assured overhead to level the scores.In the stadium, the Indian cheering squad had fallen eerily silent with a lone voice shrieking, Come on. Sania conceded both points on her serve and soon a four-point gap opened up. Bopanna dumped an overhead into the net at 7-3, leaving only the final nail in the coffin to be slammed in.Soon enough, the job was completed and Venus erupted in squeals of delight. In an instant, Rajeev had gone from a journeyman on the circuit to a potential Olympic champion.When you can beat a big team at their best, it is a huge mental lift for us to know that we can do it against anybody, he said. We didnt panic, we didnt feel like we had to do a whole lot different to try and win. We had to do a few things, like try different formations but we believed in ourselves no matter what the score was.Gold and silver may have slipped away, but for Sania and Bopanna, Sunday provides an opportunity to join Leander Paes as Indias only Olympic tennis medalists. It will be a quick turnaround with the match against Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka scheduled to begin on midday local time in Rio.The 37-year-old Stepanek is a top class doubles player, having won 18 tour titles including an Australian and a US Open. Hradecka, 31, won the womens doubles silver at the 2012 London Olympics and also won the French Open mixed-doubles title in 2013. For both teams, the challenge will be to pick themselves up after a crushing defeat and combat for a place on the podium.This is something new for us, we dont have this on the tennis circuit, a visibly downcast Bopanna said later. We have to rest, prepare well and come back positively. Cheap Padres Jerseys . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Padres Jerseys China . 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. http://www.custompadresjersey.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. Cheap Custom Padres Jersey . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Custom Padres T-shirts .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. DETROIT -- Cleveland manager Terry Francona has the luxury of knowing the Indians are headed to the postseason no matter what.So losing a rain-shortened game in late September -- in the final half-inning, no less -- doesnt sting as much as it could.Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking three-run shot in the fifth moments before the game was halted for good, and the Detroit Tigers came away with a 6-3 victory over the Indians on Wednesday night. The games second rain delay began after that fifth inning and lasted 72 minutes before Detroit was awarded the win.Francona didnt seem too upset to lose in this fashion. Cleveland, which clinched the AL Central title Monday, plays the series finale at Detroit on Thursday afternoon, but there was no telling when the rain would stop.I think they did a good job of handling it, Francona said. Nobody wanted to stay here until three in the morning, knowing that tomorrow might be a long one too.The Tigers still trail Baltimore by one game for the American Leagues second wild card.The rain was a factor throughout the evening -- there was also a delay during the third inning -- and it was coming down when Detroit began its rally in the fifth. With two on and one out, Cabrera hit a line drive over the wall in right off Joseph Colon (1-3) for his 36th homer.When you score runs, anytime in the game, its big, Cabrera said. Doesnt matter rain, no rain, if the sun is coming out.There was actually a cheer from the crowd when the grounds crew emerged to put the tarp on the field at the end of the fifth.Blaine Hardy (1-0) won in relief of Michael Fulmer, who lasted only 3 1/3 innings.Before the game, it looked like a mid-game delay would likely hurt the Tigers, who were hoping for a big night from Fulmer. Cleveland was starting Zach McAllister, who has pitched almost exclusively in relief this year, so the Indians figured to be using their bullpen quite a bit anyway.But both times the game was stopped, Detroit seemed to benefit. The Tigers trailed 1-0 when tthe game was delayed 45 minutes in the third.dddddddddddd When it resumed, James McCann and Jose Iglesias hit consecutive doubles off reliever Cody Anderson, and Ian Kinsler followed with a two-run homer to put Detroit up 3-1.Fulmer came back after the delay and took the mound in the fourth. The rookie pitched to only three more batters before being lifted after an RBI single by Rajai Davis. Carlos Santana hit an RBI single later that inning to tie it.Fulmers ERA rose to 3.06, and unless he pitches again in the regular season, hell fall a few innings short of qualifying for the title.In the Detroit fifth, Iglesias led off with a line drive to right, which Lonnie Chisenhall misplayed for a single. He appeared to have trouble with either the lights or the rain. One out later, Cameron Maybin singled, bringing Cabrera up with two on.The field was getting a little sloppy there toward the end, Francona said. I understand there, they wanted to get to that fifth. I get it, I understand.ANOTHER CHANCE?Fulmer is at 159 innings and would need to reach 162 to qualify for the ERA title -- or 163 if the Tigers have to play a one-game tiebreaker for a postseason berth. The right-hander is lined up to pitch that potential tiebreaker Monday, if needed. Detroit could also conceivably use him in relief in one of these next few games, although manager Brad Ausmus seems hesitant to go that route.Fulmers ERA is at 3.057. Torontos Aaron Sanchez is close behind at 3.065 and is on track to start Sunday.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: 3B Nick Castellanos, who returned Tuesday night from a left hand injury, was in the starting lineup Wednesday and was 0 for 1.UP NEXTIndians: Cleveland sends LHP Ryan Merritt (0-0) to the mound for his first major league start Thursday, weather permitting.Tigers: Detroit starts LHP Daniel Norris (3-2).---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '