The mens Rio Olympic semifinals are set, but none of the winners prevailed without significant resistance. Three of the four matches went the three-set distance and each lasted more than two hours.Heres how they played out:TOP HALFRafael Nadal def. Thomaz Bellucci 2-6, 6-4, 6-2Rafas confidence is soaring: He didnt look quite as dominant Friday, but as the match wore on, Nadal looked sharper and stronger -- signs that his championship mindset is back. Its been more than two years since Nadal has won a major. But the combination of his lethal groundstrokes and determined attitude not only bodes well for the rest of Rio, but the US Open as well.Juan Martin del Potro def. Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 7-6 (4)Del Potro more than a serve and forehand: In the opening round, del Potro stunned top-ranked Novak Djokovic in large part because of his electric forehand and serve. Against Bautista Agut, del Potro moved with precision around the court, socked backhands (his much weaker wing by comparison) and played stellar defense. Del Potro also won 46 percent of return points and broke his Spanish opponent five times. Hard to imagine a bigger fairy-tale ending to the Olympics than the 6-foot-7 Argentine, who has missed more than two years worth of tennis because of reoccurring wrist injuries, hoisting gold.BOTTOM HALFAndy Murray def. Steve Johnson 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (2)Murray is Captain Clutch: Down a break in the third set against the American Johnson, Murray looked like he might become Rios latest upset victim. But Murray broke back and eventually sent the match into a final-set tiebreaker, which he easily won. This performance came a day after the Scot fought back after losing eight straight games against Fabio Fognini to prevail. Murray is now two wins shy of winning his second straight gold medal in singles.Kei Nishikori def. Gael Monfils 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (6)Nishikori catches a big break: All the credit to the fourth seed for pulling off this miracle, but a game Monfils for most of the match gacked at the worst possible time. On the Frenchmans third match point, in the third-set tiebreaker, Monfils threw in a weak double fault to make it 6-6. Nishikori took the final two points to prevail. But this battle lasted 2 hours, 53 minutes, and Nishikori looked gassed. Although his semifinal opponent, Murray, was on the court north of two hours himself Friday. Borussia Dortmund Shinji Kagawa Jersey . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Borussia Dortmund Thomas Delaney Jersey . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. http://www.cheapborussiadortmundjersey.com/?tag=borussia-dortmund-raphael-guerreiro-jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Borussia Dortmund Marwin Hitz Jersey . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. Borussia Dortmund Abdou Diallo Jersey . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. PITTSBURGH -- The history of the 123-year-old rivalry between Pittsburgh and Penn State is undeniable. Trying to convey decades of antagonism to players who were in preschool the last time the Nittany Lions and Panthers shared a football field is another matter.Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi made it a point in the run-up to Saturdays renewal after a 15-year hiatus to give his kids a crash course, one that happened to coincide with a rare media blackout that Narduzzi described as necessary to make sure the Panthers didnt get caught up in any distractions before arguably the programs most notable nonconference game since Sept. 16, 2000, when Pitt handed Penn State and coach Joe Paterno a 12-0 loss.I know when I first got into a major rivalry, I didnt get it the first year, Narduzzi said. I got it the second year. I want to make sure they dont do the same. Its my job to make sure they embrace it and understand what its all about.Penn State coach James Franklin took a slightly different tack. While it may take some convincing for some of the Nittany Lions to get just how big a deal this is within the state, there are sizable number of players on both sides who call Pennsylvania home -- some of whom were wooed by both schools -- that wont need a reminder.So we just want to make sure we have our composure and we have our poise and we go out and play as hard as we can and execute, Franklin said. I want them to play with passion, with emotion, but right up to the edge without having any issues.While its unclear just how heated things will get on the turf at Heinz Field, city officials and the top administrators at each school took precautions to make sure the action stays between the lines.University of Pittsburgh police planned to scour residential neighborhoods around the campus in search of upholstered furniture left outside -- the kind that can sometimes turn into kindling in celebration (or defeat) -- and have anything that could serve as fuel for a pretty good bonfire removed. Pitt chancellor Patrick Gallagher and Penn State president Eric Barron issued a joint statement encouraging what could be a record crowd at Heinz Field to make wise choices.Both teams come in 1-0 after less than spectacular debuts against lesser opponents, perhaps because they were looking ahead.dddddddddddd That wont be an issue this time around. The winner gets in-state bragging rights for a least 52 weeks and a very sizable chip to play in the living rooms of in-state recruits.Some things to look for as one of college footballs longest-standing showdowns begins an intriguing renewal:UP TO SPEEDThe Nittany Lions are looking to push the pace behind mobile sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley. That didnt exactly happen last Saturday against Kent State. Penn State managed just 354 yards of total offense and ran just 54 plays, numbers that Franklin expects to go up as the season progresses.I think whenever you can speed up the tempo, thats a good thing, Franklin said. We want to be able to do both of those things. We want to be able to check with me on the sideline to get in the right play and we want to have plays where we can get up and just snap the ball that are plays that have an opportunity to be successful versus multiple defensive fronts and multiple coverages.JAMES BEING JAMESPitt junior running back James Conners return from a bout with cancer included a pair of touchdowns against Villanova but also a pedestrian 3.1 yards per carry, something Narduzzi attributed to the 2014 ACC Player of the Year too often searching for a big play when getting a handful of yards at a time will do. Expect that to change as Conner brushes the rust off.CLUTCH KICKERIf things are close late, the Nittany Lions have an advantage in the kicking game. Tyler Davis is 24 for 24 on field goals in his career while Pitts Chris Blewitt missed a pair of kicks in a 28-7 victory over Villanova last week. Davis understands the usually tricky conditions at Heinz Field -- where the wind can swirl unpredictably -- but pointed to his time kicking over the summer in his hometown of Chicago as pretty good practice for what awaits on Saturday.---Freelance writer Travis Johnson in State College, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.---AP college football site: www.collegefootball.ap.org Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '