Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki also advanced, as

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VAL DISERE, France -- Canadas Julien Cousineau put the finishing touches on a long and difficult road back from injury in Sundays World Cup slalom qualifying for his first second run -- and secured his first top-30 finish -- since 2011. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . The 32-year-old from Lachute, Que., attacked from the back to jump from 56th to ninth after the first run and then finish 18th overall, with his teammate Mike Janyk of Whistler, B.C., close behind him in 21st. Cousineaus standout performance represented a huge personal victory after two difficult years in which he first battled back from injury and then was unable to qualify for a second run in a World Cup race. "Its been a long time. Its good for my head and its good for the team," said Cousineau, who clocked a two-run combined time of one minute 46.30 seconds. "I just skied like Ive been doing all summer and ended up with a great time. "Its fun to finally be able to show what Ive been doing in training instead of just talking about it." Starting 56th on a course that was deteriorating as the race went on, Cousineau finished in the top 10 in his first run. "I didnt think it was that good. It felt rough and I was fighting all the way down," Cousineau said of his first run. "When I crossed the line and saw the position I was like, Wow. I was pretty excited. A lot of stress lifted with that. "I havent made a second run since December 21 in 2011. I hurt my knee after that." Janyk needed a top-12 result to earn a spot at the Sochi Games, but struggled with a stomach bug. "I was pretty green this morning," said Janyk, who had a two-run combined time of 1:46.49 and was the second-fastest racer in the top section of the second run. "In my runs I had no power at the bottom. "First run I was touch and go but made it down. Second run I found some energy. There were good top sections on both runs but for me personally it was a mixed bag." With Austrian superstar Marcel Hirscher failing to qualify for the second run, veteran Mario Matt, also of Austria, took the win in 1:44.59. Swedens Mattias Hargin was second (1:45.12) and Italys Patrick Thaler was third (1:45.37). Calgarys Brad Spence was 36th after the first run -- less than four-tenths of a second out of qualifying for the second run -- as he continues his comeback from a long-term injury. Torontos Phil Brown, and Paul Stutz, of Banff, Alta., did not finish their first runs. Stutz, in particular, looked set for a good race after he was 20th in the top split. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Cheap NFL Jerseys Best . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. http://www.cheapnfljerseysbest.us.com/ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Maria Sharapova survived, and in more ways than one on Thursday at the Australian Open. Sharapova, the 2008 champion and this years third seed, outlasted Italys Karin Knapp 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 in a 3 1/2-hour marathon second-round match that was played in sweltering heat before the roof was closed at Rod Laver Arena. "Im really happy to get through," said Sharapova. "I really am. I worked really hard in the last few months and I wanted this match. I didnt play my best tennis. I didnt do many things well. I got through it, and sometimes thats whats important." Also getting through to the third round were Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska, but in much easier fashion. Azarenka, the two-time defending champion and second seed, claimed a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, while the fifth-seeded Radwanska notched a 6-0, 7-5 win over Olga Govortsova. Sharapova and Knapp opened play Thursday at Laver Arena and the decision to close the roof and halt action on the outer courts because of oppressive heat was made during the match. Rules, therefore, stipulated that the match conclude before the roof could be closed. The two gutted it out through a 108-degree temperature with high humidity. Knapp had Sharapova on the ropes in the third set, holding an 8-7 lead, but the Russians experience came through down the stretch. After holding serve for 8-8, Sharapova broke Knapp to go on top before the four-time Grand Slam champ closed out the contest on her serve. It wasnt easy, however, as Sharapova gave Knapp three points with double-faults in the 18th game before finally prevailing on her fourth match point when Knapp missed on a backhand. "I was up a set and a break and I had many opportunities to finish the match faster," noted Sharapova. "So I would have loved for it to finish faster, but thats what I got and I have to deal with the circumstances. Im all right with that. Im a competitor here, and I worked hard to get through that match. I will have to work just as hard to get through the next ones." Next up for Sharapova, who was an Aussie Open runner-up in 2007 and 2012, will be 25th-seeded Alize Cornet of France after she earned a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 decision over Italys Camila Giorgi. Azarenka, who beat Sharapova for the 2012 title, opened the night session and played under the roof at Laver Arena. She had little trouble in a 34-minute first set, but struggled to polish off Zahlavova Strycova, needing nearly an hour to win the second set. "There was just a moment when I just felt I dropped my intensity a little bit and was watching her a little bit too much," said Azarenka about the second set. "Im glad I could just turn it around in the end and really get back into it and play the way I was playing in the first set." Azarenka will encounter Austrian Yvonne Meusburger in the round of 32. Radwanska had a similar match on Thursday, winning 25 off the 34 points played in a 24-minute first set. Cheap Jerseys. Govortsova made the four-time Aussie Open quarterfinalist work in the second set before ultimately falling. "I started really well today," said Radwanska, who also was able to play indoors at Hisense Arena. "I think then she tried to play more aggressive in the second set and I think I did step backwards, unfortunately. Suddenly I was a break down. But just very happy that I could manage to win that second set and finish the match." Next for Radwanska will be Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Luxembourgs Mandy Minella. Former world No. 1s Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki also advanced, as did American Sloane Stephens. The eighth-seeded Jankovic thumped Japans Ayumi Morita 6-2, 6-0, while the 10th-seeded Wozniacki went the distance in a 6-0, 1-6, 6-2 triumph over American Christina McHale. Stephens, seeded 13th this year after her surprising semifinal run last year, rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Croatias Ajla Tomljanovic. Up next for Jankovic will be Japans Kurumi Nara, who took out 32nd-seeded Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 6-3, while Wozniacki will next play Spains Garbine Muguruza, a 6-3, 6-3 victor over Slovakias Anna Schmiedlova, and Stephens will next face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Australias Olivia Rogowska. The hot Muguruza is fresh off her first-ever WTA title in Hobart last week. Eleventh-seeded Romanian Simona Halep bounced back from a slow start against American Varvara Lepchenko to claim a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 win, setting up a third- round matchup with Kazakhstans Zarina Diyas, who downed New Zealands Marina Erakovic by a 6-4, 6-0 margin. Carla Suarez Navarro needed a late rally to fend off Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan, as the 16th-seeded Spaniard secured her place in the next round with a 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 8-6 victory. Slovakias Dominika Cibulkova, the 20th seed, awaits Suarez Navarro in the third round after cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Swiss Stefanie Voegele, and the aforementioned Meusburger dismissed 33rd-seeded Serb Bojana Jovanovski 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The excessive heat forced play on the outer courts to be suspended for a few hours and rain also delayed play. The third round will commence Friday, including matches for five-time champion Serena Williams and two-time Aussie Open runner-up Li Na. The world No. 1 and reigning U.S. and French Open champion Williams will face 31st-seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova, while the fourth-seeded Li will battle 26th-seded Czech Lucie Safarova. Li lost to Azarenka in last years Melbourne finale. Also on Friday, last weeks Sydney runner-up, ninth-seeded German Angelique Kerber, will meet upstart American Alison Riske and 14th-seeded former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic will tangle with 17th-seeded former U.S. Open champ and heavy Aussie crowd favorite Sam Stosur. The former French Open winner Ivanovic was an Aussie Open runner-up to Sharapova in 2008. cheap nfl jerseys authentic jerseys nfl wholesale wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '