With the Rogers Cup set to take place in Montreal next week, Blainville, Quebecs Aleksandra Wozniak reflects on preparing for the event in her home province with her personal blog on RDS.ca and TSN.ca. I took a few days off after Wimbledon, but now Im back in training - seven hours a day, six days a week. Ive finished my preparation for the tournament at Stanford before returning to Quebec for the Rogers Cup. And Ive spent a lot of time on the field and in the gym. Im really happy to go play at Stanford, a place where Ive kept some precious memories. This is where, in 2008, I won my first title on the WTA Tour at age 20. This time, Im going through qualification before I get to see my name on the main board - an event that will feature top seed Serena Williams. It seems that when a tennis player returns to play in a tournament that he or she has already won, the organizers generally give some more attention to that former champion. Sometimes youre entitled to special treatment because theyre happy to know youre returning. There are certainly a lot of tournaments in a year and each player usually has an established route for the season. Sometimes the former champions dont return to where theyvewon. But as a former champion, I keep so many great memories and beautiful thoughts it feels good to go back. Not to mention that Stanford University is beautiful, with a great atmosphere and people who love tennis. Theyre true enthusiasts and its nice to play there. I was also very happy to learn that the organizers of the Rogers Cup gave me a pass for the tournament, which begins next week in Montreal. Ive supported Tennis Canada for several years and they believe in me, knowing all the efforts that I put in to heal my injured right shoulder. Tennis Canada knows that I work hard to improve my lot in the sport. I was 378th in the world but now Im up at 103rd. There was a time when I was one of the few Canadians on the professional tour, but I continued to get great support along with other new players. Going through the qualification stage doesnt bother me, but I am very pleased with this pass in Montreal. Upon my return to competition, the most important thing was playing as many events as possible just to get into shape. I hadnt played for a year and wanted to find my bearings and rebuild my confidence. Then when you start winning more regularly, its good to get to play in places like Montreal. And the Rogers Cup is my favorite tournament. When I was younger, my parents took me to this tournament so I could see my idol Monica Seles in action. Watching her in my hometown made me want to be like her. It made me dream. And its great for encouraging young people to play tennis. And of course, I get to play at home - where I reached the quarterfinal round two years ago and was the first Canadian in 20 years to get that far in the tournament. It will be very fun to play at home in front of family and sponsors, not to mention the fans who bring a beautiful energy. Ill try to play my best tennis for my supporters and go as far as possible against the best in the world. I would like to repeat what I did two years ago, taking one game at a time. And of course, Eugenie Bouchards success in the WTA is spilling over in courts across the country. With Eugenie and others making their mark, were demonstrating to the world that Canadians wont be easy prey and were very competitive. A few years ago, I was the only Canadian in the Top 50. Today, we have Eugenie and Sharon Fichman - not to mention the guys! All of these good performances are inspiring our youngest to play tennis. I am very pleased to see Eugenie succeed on the world stage. We all work very hard to climb to the top and we do it our own way. I reached 21st in the world a few years ago but unfortunately, injuries slowed my progress. But Im a very persistent and determined girl and will continue my journey by staying focused on my career. A heavy loss - Dr. Francis Jean Its with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Dr. Francis Jean, the founder of The Iris Visual Group. They were my first major sponsor, well before my win at Stanford. Francis believed in me and always encouraged me - even when things werent going so well. He sent me little words of encouragement and was very active in the tennis world. He was a true sports enthusiast and was loved by all. My deepest sympathies to his entire family. https://www.facebook.com/WozAlekshttp://...iak.com/Twitter @alekswoz Grossiste Chinois Nike Air Max . At 11:06 of the first period, Neal struck Marchand with his knee when Marchand was down on the ice. Marchand remained in the game. Neal was assessed a kneeing penalty for his hit on Marchand. 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LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Louis World Series roster. "Im happy with where Im at," Craig said Sunday. "No complaints. Im happy to be on the roster and give it a shot, so Im really excited." Craig hasnt played since Sept. 4 because a left mid-foot sprain. He anticipates being the designated hitter in Wednesday nights Series opener at the Boston Red Sox. "I think all indications are pointing that way," Craig said. "I havent been told, Hey, youre on the roster, but given my progress, I think Im in a good spot." Its basically a no-lose proposition because the Cardinals could replace Craig if he re-injured the foot. General manager John Mozeliak said doctors believe Craig is progressed to the point hes not risking a major setback. "Hes such a prolific hitter its deefinitely worth the chance," Mozeliak said.dddddddddddd "My understanding is hes swinging the bat pretty well. If nothing else, he adds a little pop off that bench." St. Louis worked out at Busch Stadium, two days after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL pennant Craig hasnt tested the foot on defence yet, but he wouldnt have to play first base until the Series moves to Busch Stadium for Game 3 on Saturday. Craig is wearing an orthotic device in his shoe and said there was "nothing super-special" about precautionary measures. Rookie Matt Adams has been the regular first baseman since Craig was hurt while running the bases. Craig batted a major league-best .454 during the regular season with runners in scoring position. "Hes another force in that lineup," manager Mike Matheny said. "So, if we can have him well be excited." ' ' '