all when I was in there," McCown said. "When

MASON, Ohio -- Fresh off their inspired performances at the Rogers Cup, Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil are into the second round of the Western & Southern Open. Raonic, who dropped Sundays final in Montreal to Rafael Nadal, defeated Jack Sock 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday night to advance at the tournament just outside Cincinnati. "Mentally I felt good, it was a bit about getting used to the conditions and the environment," Raonic said of his slow start against the American. "I stuck through it and in the second set I stayed positive and started to play a bit more aggressive. The 12th seed from Thornhill, Ont., Raonic lost to Sock in Memphis in February after winning in San Jose the previous week for the third year running. Raonic, now ranked a career-high 10th on the ATP Tour after beating Pospisil in the Rogers Cup semifinals, disposed of Sock in just under two hours. He will meet Serbias Janko Tipsarevic in the next round. "Tipsarevic will be a tough opponent," said Raonic. "Ive got to keep doing what Ive been doing, clean up my service games a bit and get better at closing it out." Pospisil, now also ranked a career-best at No. 40, advanced when Frances Gilles Simon retired with an injury. Simon was trailing 6-3, 1-1 when he ended the match. "It was a strange match," Pospisil said. "I started out well but I noticed that something was going on with him, I think it might have been the hip. "It was difficult to play from that point. It was fortunate for me and unfortunate for him." The Vernon, B.C., native needed just 36 minutes to sweep the opening set against Simon, who lost his fifth match in a row and hasnt won since mid-June. Pospisil faces Belgiums David Goffin in the next round. "The match will be tough and I dont see a clear favourite," Pospisil said. "Hes a dangerous player, very talented, and has beaten some top players. Well have to see." Meanwhile, defending mens champion and fifth-seeded Roger Federer advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 7-6 (7) win over 29th-ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber. "It was just really important to play somewhat of a clean match," said Federer, who already has won a record five W&S championships and improved to 7-0 in his career against Kohlschreiber. "Straight sets is always a good match. Its a good win for me." John Isner defeated Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4, and Grigor Dimitrov defeated Brian Baker 6-3, 6-2. Third-seeded David Ferrer edged Ryan Harrison 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4. On the womens side, Maria Sharapovas return to WTA tournament play after more than a month away was short-lived following an upset loss to 17th-ranked American Sloane Stephens 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. In a match that lasted two hours 22 minutes, Stephens overcame double faults on two match points to pick up her first victory over Sharapova in four meetings. "It definitely started out rough," Stephens said. "A set and 0-2, she was killing it. Im glad I was able to turn it around and start playing good tennis." Sharapova, the 2011 W&S champion and a 2010 finalist, showed no traces of the hip injury that had kept her sidelined since a second-round loss at Wimbledon. "I thought I started the match off pretty well, but when you put yourself in a really good position, you cant let it go," Sharapova said. "Thats what I did tonight. I didnt continue what I was doing well for the first set and a half, and that hurt me. "You know, I stopped being patient. I started making a lot more errors, especially off the first ball -- just errors that I shouldnt make. Obviously I havent played in a long time, but I cant make that excuse for myself because Ive got to be ready from the first match. So its obviously disappointing, but thats the way it goes in this game." Jimmy Connors, who won the tournament 41 years ago, watched from the stands in his first match as Sharapovas coach. She hired Connors, the 1972 champion and a 1986 finalist, in mid-July. Fourteenth-seeded Jelena Jankovic, the 2009 champion and 2011 runner-up, advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-2 win over Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisiski. In earlier action, second-seeded Victoria Azarenka held off an upset bid by qualifier Vania King to pull out a 6-1, 7-6 (6) win and advance to the third round. Azarenka rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the second set to force the tiebreaker against the 140th-ranked American. Azarenka, who has been bothered by a lower back injury, won her first match since losing to Samantha Stosur in the finals of the Southern California Open two weeks ago. "I think the beginning of the second set wasnt very good for me," Azarenka said. "There were quite a few unforced errors and just really fast mistakes, which didnt happen in the first set." Varvara Lepchenko advanced with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 win over Flavia Pennetta, and Jamie Hampton needed three sets to overcome Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. Alize Cornet rallied past Ana Ivanovic 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4. Sorana Cirstea, the 21st-ranked Romanian who lost to No. 1 Serena Williams in the finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Sunday, withdrew from her first-round match against Yanina Wickmayer. Cirstea was replaced by No. 43 Monica Niculescu, who lost in this past weekends qualifying but stayed around in case a spot opened up in the singles main draw and to play doubles. The Romanian capitalized on her second chance with a 6-1, 6-2 win over the 58th-ranked Wickmayer. No. 10 seed Caroline Wozniacki easily advanced with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Shuai Peng. Andre Reed Jersey . Funny, they looked like longtime friends during Pittsburghs 5-1 demolition of Dallas on Tuesday night. Quick to the puck and even quicker to the net, the Penguins top line overwhelmed the suddenly struggling Stars as Pittsburgh bounced back from a dismal weekend sweep at the hands of Philadelphia by jumping on Dallas early. O. J. Simpson Jersey . The 25-year-old McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, was eligible to play for either Ireland or Team GB when golf makes its return to the Olympics in Brazil for the first time since 1904. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elit...e-Bills-Jersey/. Im very excited about the playoffs, particularly in the Western Conference with amazing match-ups, as well as the wonderful local story in the Toronto Raptors. It should be a blast. Here are my predictions, but based upon my lousy prognostications during the NCAA Tournament, you might be better off going the other way on some of mine - particularly with the Raptors, who I hope and pray are able to win an incredibly difficult match-up. Bruce Smith Jersey . "First, I would like to offer my deepest and sincerest apologies for any harm I have inflicted on University of Missouri defensive lineman, Michael Sam," the statement read. Custom Buffalo Bills Jerseys . According to TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug, agent Rick Valette met with Oilers senior VP of hockey operations Scott Howson and general manager Craig MacTavish on Monday to kick off the talks.LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Jay Cutlers time away proved shorter than the Chicago Bears originally expected. After missing one game, the quarterback will return Sunday to face the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field following a groin tear suffered Oct. 20. Team officials originally expected Cutler to be out four weeks and then be assessed week to week, but doctors cleared Cutler to play Thursday and he practiced without a problem. "As soon as I got hurt, I felt like Id be back quicker than they thought," Cutler said. "I kind of had that mindset." Coach Marc Trestman saw no reason to believe the team is pushing its starter back onto the field too soon. "He had an excellent practice," Trestman said. "He moved around. We worked the entire game plan today: our movements, climbing the pocket, throwing the football, down the field, short throws, everything. He did everything today." Cutler does not view his quick return as a gamble. He credited the use of an Athletic Rehabilitation and Performance machine (ARP), a device that helps heal soft tissue, with his rapid recovery. "If I wasnt back to 100 per cent, or if they had any doubts, I wouldnt have been able to practice today," he said. "That was the stipulation." The Bears had a bye after their 45-41 loss to Washington, which provided some extra time for Cutler to recover. He suffered the injury with 10 minutes left in the first half of the Washington game on a sack, and backup Josh McCown completed the contest, then played all of Monday nights 27-20 win at Green Bay. Cutler is slated to become a free agent after this season, but called his contract status no factor in coming back so soon. "I havent worried about my contract," he said. "I havent worried about it, period. That stuff takes care oof itself somehow some way.dddddddddddd "So my biggest thing was just helping Josh last week to make sure, even though I knew he would be ready, to make sure I could help him in anyway, and then get back as soon as possible so I could help those guys." McCown completed 36 of 61 for 476 yards and did not turn the ball over as Cutlers replacement. He had a passer rating of 100.2. Cutler has completed 146 of 225 for 1,658 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He has a passer rating of 91.7. McCown said he had no problem returning to the sidelines after playing so well. "Jay got hurt and I served my team by playing and doing what I could to help us win a ballgame, and then play effective football when I was in there," McCown said. "When hes healthy, he comes back and hes the starter and thats how it goes. Thats how we operate." McCown said he will take no snaps with the first team this week at practice, as is normal with backup quarterbacks with the Bears and many NFL teams. Trestman said he wasnt sure yet if he will have third quarterback Jordan Palmer active as a precaution Sunday. Cutlers worst game of the season came facing Detroit and a Lions pass rush spearheaded by Ndamukong Suh at Ford Field on Sept. 29. The Bears lost 40-32 and Cutler turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions and a lost fumble that resulted in a touchdown. "Weve just got to do a good job up front and weve got to be able to have the ability to move the quarterback around and get away from the rush, and well try to do that, as well," Trestman said. "Overall, weve got to play a cleaner game. We gave the defence the ball in our territory too many times, four times, one on special teams and three times offensively. We gave up a touchdown." ' ' '