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Reigning champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of the U.S. Open because of an injury for the second time in three years Monday, leaving Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the men to beat at the years last Grand Slam tournament. Nadal announced his withdrawal, blamed on a bad right wrist, one week before play begins at Flushing Meadows. "I am sure you understand that it is a very tough moment for me since it is a tournament I love and where I have great memories from fans, the night matches, so many things," a posting on Nadals Facebook page read. "Not much more I can do right now, other than accept the situation and, as always in my case, work hard in order to be able to compete at the highest level once I am back." The second-ranked Nadal plays left-handed, but he uses a two-handed backhand. The 14-time major champion was hurt July 29 while practicing on his home island of Mallorca ahead of the North American hard-court circuit. The next day, Nadal announced he needed to wear a cast on his wrist for two to three weeks and would be sitting out tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati. The 28-year-old Spaniard also said at that time he expected to return for the U.S. Open. Instead, hes the fourth man in the Open era, which began in 1968, to decline to try to defend his U.S. Open title. The others were Ken Rosewall in 1971, Pete Sampras in 2003 and Juan Martin del Potro in 2010. Del Potro also is out of this years U.S. Open after wrist surgery in March. Nadal is 44-8 with four titles in 2014, including his record ninth French Open trophy in June. He has not competed since losing in the fourth round of Wimbledon on July 1. With Nadal sidelined, five-time U.S. Open champion Federer joins Djokovic as a favourite in New York -- even if there are questions about them. Federer turned 33 this month, and its been more than two years since he won one of his record 17 Grand Slam titles. But he is coming off a runner-up finish at Wimbledon last month and a hard-court title at the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday. After beating David Ferrer 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Sunday, Federer declared: "My games exactly where I want it to be." Djokovic won Wimbledon to take the No. 1 ranking from Nadal, but had a rough time on hard courts, losing his second match in both Toronto and Cincinnati. Still, Djokovic will be seeded No. 1 at the U.S. Open, and the third-ranked Federer is expected to rise one seeding spot to No. 2, so they could meet only in the final. The draw is Thursday. Federer reached six consecutive finals at Flushing Meadows from 2004-09, but hasnt been that far since, losing in the semifinals in 2010 and 2011, the quarterfinals in 2012, and the fourth round a year ago, when he was dealing with a bothersome back. Nadal won his second U.S. Open championship in 2013, part of a run of reaching the final in each of his last three appearances. He beat Djokovic to win the titles in 2010 and last year, and lost to Djokovic in 2011. The one question about Nadal over the years has been his durability, on account of a hard-charging, play-each-point-as-if-its-your-last style. He did not enter the U.S. Open in 2012, part of an extended absence because of a problem with his left knee. And this will be the second time Nadal chose to not attempt a defence of a major title: A year after winning Wimbledon in 2008, he missed that tournament with knee tendinitis. Jason Pominville Jersey . Brad Malone had the other goal for the Monsters (1-1-0), while Elliott chipped in an assist for a three-point night and the games first star. Bryan Lerg also had two assists. Corban Knight and Max Reinhart scored for the Heat (1-1-0), who opened their season Friday with a 5-2 win over the Monsters in Cleveland. Zemgus Girgensons Jersey . In the last race before the Sochi Olympics, Bjoergen followed up her win in the 10-kilometre classical race on Saturday by beating World Cup sprint leader Denise Herrmann of Germany by 0.43 seconds for her fifth victory of the season. http://www.officialsabresfanstore.com/au...-sabres-jersey/. -- DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 16 rebounds to help the Sacramento Kings snap a seven-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 99-70 on Monday night. Pat Lafontaine Jersey . Manager Ryan Nelsen has confirmed Brazilian No. 1 Julio Cesar will be rested for Wednesdays first leg of the semifinal. That opens the door for Bendik, who started 33 games for Toronto last season. Gilbert Perreault Jersey . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Canadiens at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The game can also be heard on TSN Radio Montreal 690. The Calgary Flames will see if they can take their recent hot streak on the road when they shoot for a sixth consecutive win Monday night in Montreal.LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers were well aware that Lance Lynn was experiencing blister problems on his middle finger. And for two innings, they showed callous disregard for his fastball -- the only pitch the St. Louis Cardinals right-hander could throw without pain. Andre Ethier and three of his Los Angeles teammates hit RBI doubles during a six-run second inning Saturday en route to a 9-1 victory, enabling Zack Greinke to become the third NL pitcher to reach double digits in wins. "I think everyone could see that Lynn was just getting the fastball across," Ethier said. "And when a guy can only do that and isnt having any luck with anything else, I think its a sign for a hitter to look for a straight heater, dead-red, and wait for that pitch over the plate." Greinke (10-4) allowed a run and four hits over seven innings, struck out 10 and did not walk a batter as the Dodgers won for the 11th time in 15 games. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner is 13-2 with a 1.98 ERA in 19 starts following a Dodgers loss since signing a $147 million, six-year contract in December 2012. Lynn (8-6) lasted just two innings and was charged with seven runs, nine hits and two wild pitches. He is 2-4 with a 3.90 ERA in six starts since throwing his first professional shutout May 27 and beating the Mets 6-0 with a career-high 126 pitches. "Honestly, I have blister problems every time I start, but I usually dont have them rip off like they did today," Lynn said. "Im missing a lot of the top part of my finger -- the whole tip, pretty much. I think it dried out, coming from Colorado, and it just ripped off. The wetter it got today, the more it kept going back. But thats a part of pitching. You try to get through those things, and I wasnt able to do that." Los Angeles got an unearned run in the first after back-to-back infield hits by Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez, who returned to the lineup after missing four games with a sore right shoulder. Puig went to third on a fielders choice grounder by Adrian Gonzalez and continued home when shortstop Daniel Descalso dropped the ball on the exchange from his glove to his right hand. The Dodgers, who didnt get an extra-base hit in the first two games of this series, broke it open during Lynns 45-pitch second inning with the doubles by Ethier, Justin Turner, A.J. Ellis and Dee Gordon. Gonzalez and Matt Kemp addded two-out RBI singles.dddddddddddd "If I threw anything else but the fastball, it hurt. It was burning," Lynn said. "But Im a fastball pitcher, anyway, and they were ready for it. I tried to throw some other pitches, but I just didnt have any feel with it." The defending NL West champs sent 11 batters to the plate during their most productive inning of the season -- including Miguel Rojas, who came in as a pinch runner after Turner strained his left hamstring running out his double. "I think we needed a good offensive showing for Zack because of how well hes done for us," Ethier said. "Hes had a couple of tough losses lately, so it was good to put up some early runs for him and let him do his work." Greinke became the first Dodgers pitcher to reach double digits in wins before the All-Star break since 2007, when Brad Penny started 10-1 and finished 16-4. Matt Carpenters third-inning homer accounted for St. Louis run. The defending NL champions tried to get back in the game in the fifth, but Greinke struck out Carpenter with runners at second and third. During the Dodgers big rally, one of Lynns pitches missed Greinkes head by inches after he squared to bunt. Gordon tried to score from second on a wild pitch to Ramirez, as Yadier Molina jogged back to the screen to retrieve it. But the six-time Gold Glove winner got the ball to Lynn in time for the tag on Gordon. "Hes always trying to take the extra base, so youre always aware," Lynn said. "I didnt think that he would do it, but youve always got your eye on him just in case. I dont even know if I would have gotten three outs that inning if it werent for that one." NOTES: Rojas replaced Ramirez at SS in the third inning and Juan Uribe took over at 3B for Turner. Uribe drove in the Dodgers final two runs with a bases-loaded single in the eighth. ... Greinke has made 121 starts since committing his last error on July 16, 2010, for Kansas City. The 11-year veteran has never won a Gold Glove. ... Lynn got a victory in relief against the Dodgers in the opening game of last years NL championship series and won Game 4 in a starting role. ... The Dodgers have played nine consecutive errorless games, their longest streak since a nine-game stretch in June 2004. ... The Dodgers have hit only two homers over their last 10 games and five in their last 13, all of them solo shots. ' ' '