. Candace Parker is also having a very big season, averaging 1

PRAGUE -- Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is without a coach for the second time this year after firing former doubles specialist Frantisek Cermak to end a partnership that began in April.Kvitova announced her decision in a statement to local media after she returned from the US Open, where she was eliminated by second-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth round on Sunday.In January, Kvitova terminated her seven-year partnership with coach David Kotyza. That came after she lost in the second round of the Australian Open.Kvitova has been struggling since and is ranked 16th. Her major success this year was winning the bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. NMD Skor Sverige . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Adidas Deerupt Runner Sverige .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check. http://www.nmdsverige.com/stan-smith-adidas-skor.html . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. Adidas Superstar Rea . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Adidas Superstar Herr Rea .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. There are two very different kinds of shrugs that athletes can give when asked about how their season is unfolding. One is a shrug of frustration, a gesture that says theres no satisfying explanation for whats gone wrong.The other, though, is a happy shrug that says, Theres really no magic formula for why were playing very well. Were just executing.We all know the Los Angeles Sparks have had more than a few seasons of unpleasant shrugging, where they couldnt pinpoint exactly why a team that clearly had talent was inconsistent or sometimes even floundered.Now, though, any shrugs the Sparks might give are accompanied by smiles. They can detail all the reasons things have gone so well in whats been a 20-2 season thus far. But its ultimately more a mindset that has taken hold -- one that is not defined as much by the specific things the Sparks are doing well, but the general sense that they now expect them.As they close out the pre-Olympics part of the season this week -- with games Tuesday at Indiana (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET) and at Washington on Friday -- the Sparks sound confident that theyll have a strong finish now and then be able to pick up where they left off when the season resumes in late August after a monthlong break for the Summer Games.I think that what separates us this year as opposed to other years, said Sparks guard Kristi Toliver, is that weve always had the talent, but I think everybodys been willing to sacrifice a little bit of themselves. When you do that, great things happen. And thats just been the case this season. We just have a really good team, and we know how to play the game.Yes, the Sparks on Sunday dealt with one of their rare disappointments this year when they fell 91-74 at Atlanta. Had Los Angeles won, a 21-1 mark would have been the best start for a WNBA season. Instead, the Sparks share that distinction with the now-defunct Houston Comets at 20-2.How upsetting was that loss? Guard Alana Beard said the Sparks really put no emphasis on the record. And that while it was tough to lose a game, Los Angeles wasnt overly concerned about it from a historical context.It was never a focus of ours, Beard said. The record means nothing if you ddont have a championship at the end.ddddddddddddToliver echoed that, saying that the Dream seemed more motivated to prevent L.A. from getting the mark than the Sparks were motivated to set it. When it was over, though, Toliver did acknowledge feeling worse about it than she probably expected to.I think its unfortunate that we were not able to capitalize on such a special opportunity, Toliver said. But in the big picture, we have a lot of work to do, and we know we have to get better. If it takes that kind of sting to really make changes, then I think ultimately it will be worth it.Shes speaking sort of rhetorically, though. Because there really arent many big changes that need to be made for a team that remains the pacesetter for the WNBA. The Sparks are averaging 85.7 points, which is third-best in the league. And they are holding their opponents to 75.1 points, which is best in the WNBA.Forward Nneka Ogwumike is on the short list of league MVP candidates, averaging 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds, while shooting a WNBA-best 71.4 percent from the field. Candace Parker is also having a very big season, averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists.Did not being chosen for the U.S. Olympic team give Ogwumike and Parker a little extra motivation this season? It almost certainly has, but that isnt a bad thing. Neither player is dwelling on it, but can use it as an understandable bit of fuel.Toliver is the Sparks third-leading scorer at 14.1, and shes shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. And in his second season in L.A., Brian Agler has a full buy-in from his team. Again, that has not always been the case with the Sparks and their coaches.But it is now, and the Spark have no intention of letting any of that slide.We have a mature team, and they understand what its going to take on both ends of the floor, Toliver said. I think Coach has done a really good job of preaching the little things to us. We attack each day with just wanting to get better. We dont take wins for granted; we know how hard it is to get them in this league. 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