Wichtig » nchise category, a favorite area of debate every year. Karl-Ant

After winning the USTA boys 18s national championship back in August, Michael Mmohs parting gift was a trip to New York City.The American teenager, who soared as high as the No. 2 junior in the world, also received a berth in the US Opens main draw, opposite Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.Mmoh is a terrific athlete with dazzling retrieving skills that have been compared to those of Gael Monfils. But looking a tad tentative, he got schooled by Chardy 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.All things considered, it might have been the best result possible. Chardy, a journeyman with a career record just under .500 and a single tour-level title in more than a decade as a professional, preyed on Mmohs defensive posture.Monumental, was how Mmoh recently described it. You cant play tennis just hoping your opponent is going to miss. You have to have an aggressive mentality to win. Andy Murray didnt win many Slams because at crunch time hed revert to his defensive ways. Look at [Novak] Djokovic in the US Open final. He was very defensive in that final against [Stan] Wawrinka -- thats not going to get it done.His coach, Glenn Weiner, seized on that teachable moment.Its been in our vocabulary to make him more aggressive, Weiner explained. In that respect, Chardy was a great learning experience. We simplified the message to: How do we make you just a little more dangerous?We followed that game plan through the fall. After the summer he had, did I expect him to start winning like he did? No. I have to say I like wheres headed.This is not a random assessment. Weiner, who has played and coached at IMG Academy for nearly 25 years, coached No. 5-ranked Kei Nishikori for three years in Bradenton, Florida.After a terrific stretch run at the Challenger level, the ATPs equivalent of Triple A baseball, Mmoh has another Grand Slam main-draw appointment in January. He accumulated the most points in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Champaign, Illinois to win the USTAs Pro Circuit Australian Open Wild Card Challenge.Mmoh, 18, is one of five American teenagers to win an ATP Challenger Tour title this year, joining Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe and Stefan Kozlov, who won in Columbus, Ohio, a couple of weeks ago. Eight American men aged 20 and younger -- the aforementioned five, plus Jared Donaldson, Ernesto Escobedo and Noah Rubin -- are ranked among the ATP World Tours top 204 players.Theres your short list for future U.S. male tennis stars hoping to follow in the tradition of former top 10 Americans Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish and John Isner. They are all contenders for the Next Gen ATP Finals next November in Milan, a new event that will feature the top 21-and-under singles players.The last time there more than six Americans under the age of 21 in the year-end top 200 was 1991, when there were seven. That group included Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang -- all future Grand Slam winners.The competition really motivates you, Mmoh said. When Taylor or Francis is doing well, you might be ranked like 300, while theyre 170 and winning a Challenger. You dont want to be the guy falling behind.Its been a constant battle for a long time. At the end of the day, its huge for American tennis, and us, too.That Mmoh is playing under the U.S. flag is something of an upset, considering his unusual provenance.He was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to a Nigerian-born father and an Irish-born mother. Tony and Geraldine (OReilly) met in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s when she was a nurse and he worked in sports marketing. Tony had moved to the United States to play tennis at St. Augustines and eventually became an American citizen. He was ranked as high as No. 105 among ATP players and played doubles at the Seoul Olympics for Nigeria. With Geraldine, he raised the family in both Washington, D.C., and Saudi Arabia.Michael Mmoh was 12 years old when he got his first big break in tennis, playing at the Eddie Herr ?at IMG in Bradenton. He got trashed in the final by Duckhee Lee of Korea but was discovered by the IMG staff and eventually offered a scholarship. Mmoh has progressed steadily ever since.With his ranking in the mid-400s, he began the year playing Futures events and trying to qualify for Challengers. Receiving a wild card in Miami, he forced rising German star Alexander Zverev -- also 18 at the time -- to two tiebreakers before losing in the first round. On the downside, Mmoh blew a 3-0 double-break lead in the second set.An elbow injury cost him April and May, prompting a weeklong visit and a heartfelt discussion with his father, who now lives in Atlanta.I was struggling after the injury, Michael said, and I wanted a different insight into my game. My dad was a top-100 player and had some ups and downs in his career. He gave me some useful words, and I started playing well.When Im not confident, Im not the most aggressive player. I use my athletic ability to retrieve a lot of balls. In todays pro game, guys are hitting the s--- out of the ball. Getting a lot of balls back -- that can be your Plan B. But to be successful, you want to be in control of the points.Weiner helped Mmoh make another adjustment, taking a subtle hitch out of his long forehand stroke, which helped take critical time away from opponents. In late September, Mmoh won three matches to qualify for the main draw at the Tiburon, California, Challenger. He survived three match points in a first-round match against Tennys Sandgren and won when Sandgren retired in the third set. Mmoh won seven straight matches to get to his first Challenger final, where he lost to Darian King.In November, Mmoh went one step further, winning the Challenger in Knoxville. Reaching the quarterfinals a week later in Champaign got him into the top 200 for the first time, his overriding goal for 2016.And now he gets to visit Australia, a place that feels like home. His mother, since divorced from Tony, has an Australian passport, and his aunt has lived there for years. The first Grand Slam that Mmoh watched in person was in Melbourne, as a 7-year-old in 2005, the year Marat Safin won the title.After Australia, Mmohs ranking should allow him into the main draw of most Challengers and qualifying for the remaining Grand Slams and some ATP events. For the next month, he and Weiner will work on strengthening his already strong serve by hitting targeted spots more often.It comes down to how good he wants to be, Weiner said. One thing Ive been working on with him is routines and setting a good example. Ive seen moments where there is a glimpse of some special tennis. Glimpses are not good enough.We have to have a higher percentage. It needs to be more of an everyday thing. I believe he can be a great player.So does Mmoh, who lists reaching the top 10 and winning a major among his top career goals. For 2017?Id have to say, I think the year-end top 100 is realistic for me, Mmoh said. The main thing I need to do to improve my game is be more unpredictable.My games there to do the damage.Custom Mariners Jerseys . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Wholesale Custom Mariners Shirts . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. http://www.custommarinersjersey.com/ .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Custom Mariners Jersey China . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Custom Edgar Martinez Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season.MILWAUKEE -- Whats cooler than being cool? Andre 3000 bellowed as he glided around the stage at Staples Center wearing sunglasses, a candy-striper outfit and a paper wedge hat.Ice cold! the backup singers answered as they gyrated behind him as OutKast performed Hey Ya, one of the hottest songs of the moment.It was the opening sequence of the 2004 All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Within moments, the singer asked the crowd if it was ready to meet the players and he stepped aside so Michael Redd, dressed in a baggy purple-and-black Milwaukee Bucks warmup, could be announced for his first All-Star appearance.Redd played 15 minutes and scored 13 points. A Buck hasnt been seen in an All-Star Game since, the longest drought of star power in the league.In 2004, Giannis Antetokounmpo was just 9 years old and had no interest in basketball. Living in the Sepolia section of Athens, Greece, he played soccer like his father and oldest brother, who were stars in Nigeria. He didnt even start playing basketball until three years later, when he was 12.The Antetokounmpo story is as outlandish as the Bucks search for him. The Bucks have been in need of a franchise player since Ray Allen was sent to Seattle in 2003 in one of the more ill-advised moves in recent NBA history. Redds shot at it was cut short because of debilitating injuries that forced early retirement.They have him now. One of the biggest talking points among league executives and scouts this season is the explosive growth of Antetokounmpo this season. Since Bucks coach Jason Kidd made the intriguing decision to install the Greek Freak as a part-time point guard near the end of last season, his playmaking has wowed opponents and teammates.Last week he had a 34-point game against the Cavs. Saturday he had 10 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and two steals in a win over the Nets. Monday he won his second Player of the Week Award (and lost a home nail-biter to the Spurs despite his 22 points and 11 rebounds, snapping a four-game win streak).Tuesday he turns 22 years old, younger than NBA rookies like Buddy Hield and teammate Malcolm Brogdon.Kidd has had to knock Antetokounmpo in line at times over the past few seasons and hes been cautious to always point out how much his young star still has to learn. On Monday, for example, he was isolated in a vital late possession against the outsized Manu Ginobili and wasnt able to get it done, in part because he still doesnt have confidence in his jumper.Still night after night, Antetokounmpo makes breathtaking plays with this athleticism, size and burgeoning skill. Hes averaging 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists plus two steals and two blocks per game. Hes also shooting 52 percent. Hes doing it while playing a mix of point guard, both forward spots and even some center on defense in various lineups.Seeing the potential spill forth, Kidd cant help himself. He knows he shouldnt say out loud what he and his coaches have been talking about amongst themselves, but this last week has loosened his lips.ddddddddddddHaving being around some of the best in the world in LeBron (James) and Dirk (Nowitzki), Kidd said referencing former Team USA and Dallas Mavericks teammates, wouldnt it be cool to have those two combined as one player? Maybe that could happen.Of all the things Kidd has seen from Antetokounmpo, he finds himself marveling at the passing the most. Recently he found center John Henson with a perfect bounce pass through traffic that led to an easy hoop. Seeing a 7-footer find another 7-footer on the move under pressure by bouncing it off the court left Kidd, one of the best passers of all time, rubbing his eyes.To be honest, I dont always think about it, its just instinct, Antetokounmpo said. Guys are like, howd you do that? and I say, Im not thinking about it. I see what the right pass is and I throw the pass. Thats the way its all been.Putting it like that makes it seem like its all natural talent. Hes got plenty of it -- if he didnt, the Bucks wouldnt have gambled on him with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft in a move that now looks genius. They extended it by locking him up to a four-year, $100 million extension before the season that now looks like a bargain because it was for a handful of million less than the max salary. If there was ever a player who looked like a max at age 22, its this athlete.Just pointing to the pure talent sells him short. Teammates report that Antetokounmpo is diligent about watching film and studying the game. Hes only been playing it half his life, which puts him behind most of his peers.When he started to get interested in the game as a teenager after his older brother, Knicks prospect Thanasis, started playing, Antetokounmpo found himself drawn to YouTube highlights of Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen and Allen Iverson. The way he passes, defends and plays with passion, you can see bits of all of them.I want to make great plays. It can be blocking a shot, it can be passing to an open teammate or dunking. Just great plays, he said. Thats what makes me excited.In the preseasons annual general managers survey, seven players received votes in the best player to start a franchise category, a favorite area of debate every year. Karl-Anthony Towns got the most votes, a reasonable choice. Antetokounmpo got zero. Usually the second guessing on that survey comes 12 months later. If the vote was taken again today, Antetokounmpo would show up.His first six weeks have been that impressive. As they consider the possibility of breaking their All-Star drought, the Bucks cant wait to see where the near future takes them.Were in the early stages of seeing where he can take us, Kidd said. What hes done is show that he can handle a lot right now. Theres going to be a time where were going to raise the bar again and see how he does. ' ' '