NEW YORK -- About to contest her third Grand Slam final of the year, Angelique Kerber couldnt help but hear the part of player introductions when she was announced to the crowd as soon-to-be No. 1 in the rankings.It still sounds a little bit crazy, Kerber said a few hours later, the U.S. Open trophy by her side.Yet its also starting to feel real, she added. And deserved.Especially after Kerber rallied from down a break in the third set Saturday to edge Karolina Pliskova and clinch her second major title of 2016.The Australian Open back in January was where Kerber not only made her first Grand Slam final but won her first championship. But this U.S. Open may prove to be where the 28-year-old Kerber started to find herself comfortable with all those accolades.That it would happen at Flushing Meadows is fitting. Shell always remember the 2011 U.S. Open as the turnaround of her career.She came into the tournament ranked 92nd, never having advanced past the third around at a major. That season, Kerber had lost her opening match at five straight events during one stretch and 10 times overall -- including the years first three Grand Slams.I was just telling myself, `OK, just win a few rounds, and then you can get main draw in Australia, she recalled.Instead, she reached the semifinals, where she fell in three sets to eventual champion Sam Stosur. Kerber embraced the big stadiums, the boisterous crowds, the notion she belonged on those stages.It started growing, she said, a smile spreading across her face, and now I am here as the champion.Not that everything went smoothly those five years in between. Kerber made another semifinal at Wimbledon the following summer then didnt get back that far at a Grand Slam until this years Australian Open.And that run in Melbourne almost never happened. Kerber was on the verge of being swept out of the tournament in straight sets in the first round against 64th-ranked Misaki Doi.Kerber still remembers how she saved the match point -- with a serve out wide that forced Doi to miss a forehand.After that, everything starts this year, Kerber said. That was a really special match.She went on to stun Serena Williams in the final, though that achievement wasnt easy to handle at first. In her next major, Kerber lost in the first round to 58th-ranked Kiki Bertens at the French Open.I had so much pressure on my shoulders, Kerber said. I told myself, `OK, I will try to enjoy it now. And not going out there with the pressure, with the expectations that everybody say, `OK, now you have to win every tournament.She made another final at Wimbledon, playing well but losing the rematch with Williams because, as Kerber put it, Serena was the better player on this day.She lost the Olympic gold-medal match to 34th-ranked Monica Puig then fell to Pliskova in the Cincinnati final when a victory would have clinched the No. 1 ranking.Kerber spent two weeks at Flushing Meadows listening to -- and trying to block out -- questions about another opportunity to overtake Williams for the top spot.In the end, when Pliskova upset Williams in the semifinals, Kerber was guaranteed to be No. 1 when the next rankings come out Monday.She felt a sense of calm going into Saturdays title match unlike her experiences at the Australian Open or Wimbledon. She explained that her confidence came from knowing exactly what will happen after the final, win or lose, so she could just go out there and play.Afterward, Kerber thought back to her greatest weakness when she was a teenager aspiring to Grand Slam titles and No. 1 rankings: My fitness was the worst, she said, laughing.She faded in three-set matches. Wilted in the heat. Moved sluggishly around the court.No one watching her Saturday could have ever imagined that. There was Kerber running down every shot, looking fresh in a decisive set played in stifling humidity.Ten years later, Kerber said, my fitness is the best, and I can move forever on court. Wholesale Custom Padres Shirts .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Padres Jerseys China . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. http://www.custompadresjersey.com/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Custom Padres T-shirts .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Custom Ozzie Smith Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. CINCINNATI -- The New York Mets clubhouse was crowded Tuesday afternoon after they added seven players to the roster, including Tuesdays starter Rafael Montero.Manager Terry Collins didnt mind have some extra options off the bench, but finding them time in batting practice etc. can be a chore, especially in the midst of a postseason race when the regular guys take priority.You just do it, Collins said. Probably at home, well bring some of the extra guys out early so batting practice doesnt take so long. The main thing is our main guys, youve got to make sure theyre ready because theyre going to be in the lineup most of the time. Were used to September by now.With a couple of their top prospects nursing injury, the Cincinnati Reds only made a handful of additions after the rosters expanded on Sept. 1.Reds manager Bryan Price said he has mixed emotions about September call-ups.As a manager ... you never have to worry about extra innings or using your backup catcher or blowing up your bullpen, Price said. Managing against it is not fun. The Mets called up six guys today and we called up three. The reconnaissance factor becomes a problem.So, like it or not, the Reds and Mets will have plenty of options to choose from during Wednesdays finale of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.Wednesdays starter for the Mets -- right-hander Noah Syndergaard -- is 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in three starts against Cincinnati. He last faced the Reds in a 12-5 Mets victory on Septemberr 25, 2015.ddddddddddddHe has struck out 25 with no walks in three career starts against the Reds whom the Mets have never lost to when he pitches.In his last start, Syndergaard took the loss in a 4-1 defeat against the Washington Nationals, despite allowing just two runs over seven innings. It was the fifth time this season hes allowed two or fewer runs and not earned a victory.Syndergaard has pitched well recently, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his last three starts. He also has a 2.63 ERA away from Citi Field.Cincinnati right-hander Anthony DeSclafani will make his 17th start this season since beginning the season on the disabled list with an oblique injury suffered late in Spring Training.It will be his fourth career appearance and third start vs the Mets whove hit him hard. Hes 0-2 with a 12.27 ERA in three starts against New York, two of which came while a member of the Miami Marlins. In 11 innings against the Mets, DeSclafani has given up 15 earned runs.Tuesday nights 5-3 win extended the Mets winning streak over the Reds to 13 games, dating to Sept. 7, 2014. Its the second-longest winning streak in franchise history behind a 15-game streak against the Pirates in 1986-87.New York is getting hot at the right time.I said it back in New York, the way the team is playing lately reminds me of last year, said Yoenis Cespedes. ' ' '