North America at the World Cup of Hockey in September.Cheveldayoff

LONDON -- After two days filled with rain, the sun actually made an appearance at Wimbledon on Thursday, allowing for plenty of play all around the grounds, a chance to finally conclude the first round -- and several surprises, the biggest of which was French Open champion Garbine Muguruzas exit.No. 2 Muguruza, who reached her first Grand Slam final at the All England Club a year ago and won her first Grand Slam title less than a month ago, was one of 18 seeded players who lost on Day 4, including 11 women.Admittedly lethargic, and displaying none of the verve or confident shotmaking shes known for, Muguruza lasted less than an hour in the second round Thursday, beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Slovakias Jana Cepelova, a qualifier ranked 124th.My energy was not really there, Muguruza said. I was trying, but (it) didnt work at all.That same sentiment might have been expressed by some of the other players who joined her on the way out of the tournament, including No. 31 Kristina Mladenovic in a weather-delayed first-round match, and No. 7 Belinda Bencic, No. 14 Sam Stosur, No. 15 Karolina Pliskova, No. 16 Johanna Konta, No. 17 Elina Svitolina, No. 20 Sara Errani, No. 22 Jelena Jankovic, No. 30 Caroline Garcia and No. 32 Andrea Petkovic, all in second-round matches.That group includes a Grand Slam champion (Stosur), major finalists (Errani, Jankovic), the first seeded British woman at Wimbledon since 1984 (Konta, eliminated by 2014 runner-up Eugenie Bouchard) and a top-10 player considered a possible future star of the sport (Bencic, who retired because of a left wrist injury while trailing American qualifier Julia Boserup).There was nearly another big name gone. But No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up, saved three match points, then took advantage when her opponent, 18-year-old Ana Konjuh of Croatia, twisted her right ankle by accidentally stepping on a tennis ball during a point. That happened at 7-all in the third set and, although Konjuh continued to play after a medical timeout, Radwanska was able to finish off a 6-2, 4-6, 9-7 victory.The seven seeded men who lost, all in the second round, were No. 8 Dominic Thiem, No. 13 David Ferrer, No. 16 Gilles Simon, No. 23 Ivo Karlovic, No. 25 Viktor Troicki -- who launched an epic tirade at the chair umpire because of a call two points from the end of his five-set defeat -- No. 26 Benoit Paire and No. 30 Alexandr Dolgopolov.Muguruza was never able to get going, making 22 unforced errors and managing to produce only nine winners.She said she felt tired and on the verge of an illness.She also wished she had taken more time to rest after the grueling two weeks at Roland Garros that culminated with a victory over Serena Williams in the final.Asked whether coming into Wimbledon as the owner of a major trophy made her feel a weight on her shoulders, Muguruza replied: No, not pressure. I think, for sure, more expectations from other people.Honestly, for me, I just had very clear it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a Grand Slam and coming here, she continued. Everybody, you know, like, looking at me.Cepelova equaled her best showing at a major by reaching the third round, but this was not her first significant result. She beat Simona Halep in the first round at Wimbledon a year ago, also on No. 1 Court, and defeated Serena Williams at a tournament in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2014.Yeah, Cepelova said, I like to play on the big courts.As the owner of seven Grand Slam singles titles, including five at Wimbledon, Venus Williams is accustomed to being -- and succeeding -- on those stages. But on Thursday, she found herself on Court 18, with its seating capacity of 782 -- a far cry from the nearly 15,000 at Centre Court.Williams, seeded eighth, had some trouble and needed 2 1/2 hours, but wound up getting past 20-year-old qualifier Maria Sakkari 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 -- one of 10 singles victories for Americans on Thursday.Afterward, Williams did not complain about her placement at that venue. But she did offer some thoughts on the topic.Its not the ideal schedule for the women. Wed like to see equal amount of matches. We dont want more, just the same amount, thats all, said Williams, who was a leading voice in the push to get Wimbledon to offer equal prize money to men and women.Asked whether she could imagine a five-time mens champ being on a smaller court, Williams replied: I havent seen that in the scheduling yet.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrichsWell Traveler Sale . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Swell Water Bottle Wholesale . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. http://www.swellwaterbottlesale.com/ . -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score, and led No. Swell Water Bottle Wood Collection . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Swell Water Bottle Clearance . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament.A picture hangs in Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoffs office capturing the moment he drafted Jacob Trouba. Four years later, it looked like Troubas time in Winnipeg might be over.Trouba asked for a trade and sat out the first 13 games of the season, but on Monday the defenseman agreed to terms on a $6 million, two-year contract that ended the months-long stalemate. The restricted free agent will count $3 million against the salary cap for the remainder of this season and next, a bargain even on a short-term deal.No matter the value, getting something done before the Dec. 1 deadline for Trouba to play this season was a crucial step for the Jets.Id be lying if I had said if it certainly wasnt a trying and difficult time from my perspective because Jacob means a great deal to our organization, Cheveldayoff said on a conference call. Were very excited about this announcement and moving forward, putting whatever happened or was said or done behind us.The right-handed-shooting Trouba asked for a trade because he wanted to play top-pairing minutes on the right side. The Jets have All-Star right-shot defenseman Dustin Byfuglien signed through 2021, which blocks Troubas path.It wasnt immediately clear if Trouba softened his stance about his role, but Cheveldayoff said this deal wasnt made to immediately turn around and trade him.Hes certainly signed to play for the Winnipeg Jets, Cheveldayoff said.Trouba will make a pro-rated $2.5 million this season and $3.5 million in 2017-18. Cheveldayoff said the 22-year-old could join the team as soon as Tuesday, but thats pending immigration paperwork.ddddddddddddIn 211 NHL games, Trouba has 23 goals and 49 assists for 72 points. Hes eligible to sign a contract extension July 1, though Cheveldayoff wasnt ready to talk about whether hell talk about a long-term deal with Trouba this summer.The inks just drying on this contract here, so lets let everything play itself out as it goes, Cheveldayoff said. Obviously theres lots of different options that are available from the contractual standpoint.The Rochester, Michigan, native was the ninth pick in the 2012 draft and is considered one of the better developing blue-line prospects in hockey. He averaged over 22 minutes a game last season and played for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey in September.Cheveldayoff met with Trouba and agent Kurt Overhardt in Detroit last week and said negotiations were always professional. Cheveldayoff said Trouba never had a problem with playing in Winnipeg or for another Canadian team, despite reports suggesting that.The Jets had significant leverage because they owned his rights, but Troubas absence and an injury to defenseman Tyler Myers tested the teams depth.Those are big holes to fill, Cheveldayoff said. Getting Jacob back, once he rounds into form here, I think thatll certainly help us to continue to improve.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno . ' ' '