teammate, Armstrong said. Someone that is looking to push Jake but also understands that hes a mentor and a solid partner. There was a lot of positives with bringing him in. it just seemed like

MONTREAL -- Venus Williams opened play in the Rogers Cup on Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Barbora Strycova.Playing her last event before the Rio Olympics, the 36-year-old Williams finished off the overmatched Czech player in 58 minutes. Williams was coming a loss to Britains Johanna Konta on Sunday in the final of the Bank of the West Classic in California.It was definitely more straightforward than some of our other matches, Williams said. Im never happy with my matches. Even an easy scoreline is never enough. But its about figuring out how to win instead of playing perfect.The seven-time Grand Slam champion, seeded sixth, gave up 10 points in the 24-minute second set.The only hiccup for Williams was the seventh game of the first set. Up 4-2, she had her serve broken.I just needed to stay focused, said Williams. A 4-4 is definitely different than a 5-3. But it wasnt necessarily a turning point, because there are matches where Ive been down and came back, and vice versa, so you realize that the match isnt over until its over.Williams will face Madison Keys in the third round. Keys beat fellow American Madison Brengle 6-4, 6-3.Konta also advanced, topping Vania King of the United States 7-5, 6-1.At night, second-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany beat Croatias Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.Fourth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland topped Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-1, 7-5; seventh-seeded Roberta Vinci topped fellow Italian Camila Giorgi 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; and Slovakias Kristina Kucova beat eighth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.Hometown favorite Eugenie Bouchard beat a higher-ranked opponent for the second straight day, topping 11th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-0. On Tuesday, Bouchard beat Lucie Safarova. Bouchard will face qualifier Kucova in the third round.Montreals Francoise Abanda tumbled out, falling 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) to Ukraines Elina Svitolina. Custom New York Knicks Jerseys . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Earl Monroe Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. https://www.cheapknicks.com/ . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. Charlie Ward Jersey . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. Rod Strickland Jersey . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Doug Armstrong was willing to do anything to keep David Backes, but he wouldnt do long term.The St. Louis Blues general manager said goodbye to the teams captain for the past five seasons, who left to sign with the Boston Bruins, and made some complementary moves on the first day of NHL free agency.Armstrong wasnt willing to get close to the $30 million, five-year deal Backes got from the Bruins and said hell be sorely missed.I had no problem bringing David Backes back and I wish we could have, Armstrong said on a conference call Friday. I wasnt comfortable on the term. To Davids credit, he found a team that was comfortable.Backes said there wasnt an agreement on term or on dollars and came to grips with leaving the Blues, with whom he spent the first 10 years of his career. The Blues had to move on quickly and did so by signing 28-year-old winger David Perron and shoring up their goaltending situation.St. Louis signed Perron to a $7.5 million, two-year deal, and hell play a role in replacing right wing Troy Brouwer, who left for an $18 million, four-year deal with the Calgary Flames. Perron returns to the team that drafted him 26th overall in 2007.Hes coming back as a much more mature player on and off the ice, Armstrong said. We view him as certainly a player that can play in the top nine. Hes versatile -- he can play left wing or right wing. It gives the coach some options.Perron had 12 goals and 24 assists with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks last season and has 141 goals and 191 assists in 570 NHL games. Hell count $3.75 million against the cap for the next twoo seasons.ddddddddddddThe Blues also signed goaltender Jake Allen to a $17.4 million, four-year extension that begins with the 2017-18 season. Armstrong knew hed be able to sign Allen after trading goalie Brian Elliott to the Flames at the draft.Everyone was on the feeling that its Jakes team now, its Jakes turn and it made it easy, Armstrong said. We really think that Jake is going to be a real good player, and he wants the ball and hes got it now.Allens backup will be 30-year-old Carter Hutton, who had been stuck behind All-Star Pekka Rinne in Nashville. Hutton signed a two-year deal worth $2.25 million.A lot like Brian Elliott (Hutton is) a great competitor and a great teammate, Armstrong said. Someone that is looking to push Jake but also understands that hes a mentor and a solid partner. There was a lot of positives with bringing him in. it just seemed like the proper guy that had the experience that Jake can lean on.Without Backes, Brouwer and Elliott, the Blues are weaker than they were when they lost to the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference final. But Armstrong expects forward Vladimir Sobotka to return from the KHL for next season and hopes the core led by Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz continues to improve.Were a younger team, were a different team and were going to be putting a lot of responsibility on the younger players, Armstrong said.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno ' ' '