LONDON -- Exactly one year ago, as the worlds best tennis players faced each other in London at the season-ending finale, Rafael Nadal couldnt even practice. Trying not to look too far ahead, the Spaniard was at home in Spain, just thinking about his badly injured knee. Nadal didnt know if he would play competitive tennis again. "The thoughts about the future? Just focus on recover, focus on try to find a solution for my knee, and thats it. Working every day, trying to do different things to try to be back," the 13-time Grand Slam winner said Wednesday of his feelings at the time. Things have changed dramatically. Twelve months later in London, Nadal capped his remarkable comeback on Wednesday by clinching the year-end No. 1 spot for the third time in his career. Just nine months after returning from his career-threatening injury, Nadal became the first player to hold, lose and regain the year-end No. 1 spot twice by beating Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) at the ATP finals. Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl did it once in their careers. Nadal, who beat Wawrinka for the 12th time in as many matches, cant be overtaken by No. 2 Novak Djokovic. Its the first time since 2010 that the Spaniard, who returned from a seven-month injury layoff in February, ends the year as the top-ranked player. "It is one of the best things that I did in my career: come back to No. 1 after three seasons. Thats very difficult in our sport, and after a very important injury," Nadal said after celebrating with fist pumps and leaps as if he had won the tournament -- the only major event missing from his victory collection. Nadal advanced to the semifinals of the year-end tournament because of his straight-sets victory over the Swiss. The Spaniards season will be remembered as the story of a stunning comeback during which he captured 10 titles -- including two Grand Slams. Following his defeat in the second round at Wimbledon last year and the extended absence that followed, only the boldest of bookmakers would have bet on Nadal achieving such success in 2013. When he resumed playing, his left knee was still causing him pain. However, Nadals confidence grew during a Latin-America tour which produced a 12-1 match record, including titles at Sao Paulo and Acapulco. After securing his eighth French Open title, the only real disappointment of the year came at Wimbledon, where he lost to Belgian Steve Darcis in the first round -- before adding a second US Open title. The 27-year-old Spaniard also won five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events and went undefeated on hard courts (26-0) through to the China Open final, where he lost to Djokovic. Nadal, who overtook the Serb for the No. 1 ranking last month, said he started to think seriously about the No. 1 spot after his triumph at the U.S. Open. "Because after winning five Masters 1000, two Grand Slams, all the things, I felt that I had everything to be there," he said. "But at the same time, I have a zero in Australia, I have a zero in Miami, I have a zero in Wimbledon. A lot of zeros to be No. 1. I think it is a great effort because I have unbelievable competitors in front. That makes the year end No. 1 very, very special." Nadal beat David Ferrer in his opening match on Tuesday and kept the momentum going against Wawrinka. After breaking him in the fifth game, he looked in complete control. Raising his game on important points, he erased Wawrinkas two first break points to build a 5-3 lead and looked set for an easy victory. But the tournament debutant held on as Nadal served for the set, sending a sizzling crosscourt backhand that the top-ranked player returned out of court to earn a third break point. He seized his opportunity, wrongfooting Nadal with a crosscourt forehand. The tie break was a tense affair. At 5-5, Nadal defended superbly to return a devastating forehand down the line from his opponent, who shanked his next shot. Nadal sealed the set at the first opportunity -- as Wawrinka stumbled as he went for an easy volley before smashing his racket on the floor. Nadal then converted the second of three break points in the fourth game of the second set as Wawrinka sailed a forehand long. But as in the first set, Wawrinka battled his way back into the match, winning his next service game at love before taking Nadals serve for the second time with a volley that clipped the net cord and bounced over. Both played more aggressively in the closing stages and held serve until a second tiebreak. Nadal made the most of Wawrinkas mistakes to take a 3-0 lead, but his gritty Swiss opponent took a series of risks with his returns and rallied to reach set point at 6-5. Nadal saw off the danger with a smash, pumping his fist in relief, before sealing victory on his first match point. "He is playing better tennis than me," said Wawrinka, who has yet to win a set against Nadal. "When it gets important in the match, for him its just normal. Hes just playing his best tennis or he is playing even better." Dick Butkus Bears Jersey . Toronto FC hosts the three-time Italian league champions in a friendly Aug. 7 at BMO Field, a game that Roma CEO Italo Zanzi said falls within a key part of their pre-season. Riley Ridley Jersey . For the first time all night, as the Raptors were on the clock to make the 20th overall selection, no one had the slightest idea what was about to happen. No leaks, no whispers, nothing. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authentic_Mike-Singletary_Bears_Jersey/ . Kerber will next play Estonias Kaia Kanepi, who beat American qualifier Victoria Duval 6-1, 6-3. In other first-round matches, Lucie Safarova beat 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-4 and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands had a 6-4, 6-3 win over Canadas Eugenie Bouchard. William Perry Womens Jersey . Klein went undrafted in the NFL last year following his senior season with the Wildcats. He was invited to the Houston Texans rookie camp, but was not offered a contract. Mitchell Trubisky Womens Jersey . It looked like being another miserable day for Moyes when Ashley Westwood put Villa in front from a 13th-minute free kick. But Rooney headed United level seven minutes later, and the striker netted his 16th of the season for the struggling champions from the penalty spot before halftime.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- John Elway led Denver to the Super Bowl faster as a front office executive than he did as a quarterback. On Wednesday, the Broncos extended his contract, which was set to expire after this year, through 2017 and added general manager to his title of executive vice-president. Team President Joe Ellis lauded the work Elway has done so far, saying hes "demonstrated great vision and leadership in his role, assembling a championship calibre team and positioning it for sustained success." Elway, who will speak publicly on Friday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, said in a statement that he was grateful for the opportunity and "we remain relentlessly committed to delivering a world championship" to Denver. The Broncos are coming off their first AFC title in 15 years but they were blown out 43-8 by Seattle in the Super Bowl, a result that was eerily similar to the first three of Elways five Super Bowls before he capped his Hall of Fame playing career with back-to-back titles in 1998 and 99. Asked at his end-of-season news conference last week how long it took him to get over those losses, Elway said, "Im not over them yet. I just added this one to it." The Broncos have gone 37-17 since Elway rejoined the team on Jan. 5, 2011, when owner Pat Bowlen brought him back to rescue a franchise reeling from a nosedive under Josh McDaniels that bottomed out with a 4-12 season, Denvers worst in four decades. Elways first order of business was hiring coach John Fox, who has led Denver to three straight AFC West titles and is expected to sign his own long-term extension soon. Next on Elways to-do list was changing the losing culture that had enveloped his beloved Broncos while he was away honing his managerial skills by running restaurants, car dealerships and an indoor football league franchise. That began with a roster makeover. "I think No. 1, we had to clean up the locker room. We had to get to get the locker room right," Elway said last month. "... that is really the life bread of what the organization is all about. How that locker room fits is the most important thing." Although its early to render a verdict on his draft acumen, Elway has unquestionably hit the jackpot in free agency, first by luring Peyton Manning to Denver in 2012 and then last year by signing Wes Welker and Louis Vasquezz, who in 2013 became the NFLs only free agent signee to earn All-Pro first-team honours.dddddddddddd. Other free agents -- notably Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Terrance Knighton and Shaun Phillips -- helped Denvers defence weather an injury epidemic in which six starters missed significant playing time. "Its been my goal to really continue what Pat Bowlen created in the fact that people want to play here," Elway said last month. "So players will come here late in their career when they know they have a chance to win a world championship." Manning has thrown for 100 touchdowns and 11,336 yards in his two seasons in Denver and this season won his fifth MVP award. He is planning to play in 2014 and perhaps another year after that. Elway has said he doesnt want to just win now, but from "now on," and how backup quarterback Brock Osweiler performs whenever Manning retires will go a long way in determining whether Elways long-term vision will pan out as well as his short-term fixes have. The Broncos ended a six-year playoff drought in 2011 when they went 8-8 with Tim Tebow at quarterback, beating Pittsburgh in the playoffs before losing to New England. Elway lured Manning to Denver that spring and traded away Tebow the next day. "Tim Tebow was so popular, John Elway is the only one who could have pulled that off," wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. The Broncos went 13-3 in 2012 but a crushing loss to Baltimore in the playoffs left a scar that drove them to another 13-3 season last year. This time, they beat San Diego and New England in the playoffs to reach their first Super Bowl since Elway was leading them from the huddle. Elway has made more than 600 transactions since rejoining the Broncos, and he acknowledged some difficult decisions await as he shapes the roster for 2014. Although the Broncos came up way short in the Super Bowl, Elway promised to navigate this off-season with the notion that this loss will drive Denver to do something no team has done since Buffalo in 1993 -- reach the Super Bowl the year after losing it. "The bottom line is were going to work as hard as we worked this year, if not harder, and continue to do that with the mindset that we want to be world champions," Elway said, "and were going to do everything we can to get there." ' ' '