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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Venus Williams made good on the wild card she received into the Dubai Championships by posting a 6-3, 6-2 first-round win over Elena Vesnina of Russia on Monday. The 48th-ranked Williams made her first appearance in Dubai since she won her second straight title here in 2010. Shed missed the last three years either because of injury or Sjogrens Syndrome. "I definitely dont take for granted any win anymore," Williams said. "Not that I used to because I earned it. "But now its even more special." She fired 10 aces and broke the 33rd-ranked Vesnina four times. Vesnina had won their previous two matchups. "My serve keeps improving pretty much every tournament," Williams said. "That always helps me." In the first set, Williams broke Vesnina at love in the sixth game. Williams raced to 3-0 in the second set, but surrendered her serve in the fourth game when she sailed a forehand long on the one break point she faced all night. Williams sister, Serena, the top seed and also a wild card recipient, will play Ekaterina Makarova of Russia on Tuesday. It will be the first match for Serena since losing to Ana Ivanovic in the Australian Open fourth round last month. Serenas been nursing a back injury until this week. Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic ousted Sloane Stephens 6-3, 7-5, handing the 18th-ranked American back-to-back first-round losses at Doha and Dubai. Safarova broke Stephens three times in the first set, but double-faulted twice from 30-30 in the ninth game of the second to give Stephens a 5-4 lead. Stephens, however, was unable to hold on to it. "I didnt really get a great rhythm and she was playing good tennis in the end," Stephens said. The main draw is so strong in Dubai that Australian Open semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard of Canada was relegated to the qualifying draw. Bouchard lost her third qualifying match to Annika Beck of Germany 6-1, 6-4 on Monday. Alex English Jersey .The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy for anything. Allen Iverson Jersey . Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-carm...nuggets-jersey/. Directly ahead was open field, the end zone and the Seattle Seahawks place in the NFC championship game. Jamal Murray Jersey . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. Thomas Welsh Jersey . But history aside, theyre still happy to participate in the Par 3 contest, traditionally held on the day prior to the first round of the Masters.MADRID, Spain -- In four days, Real Madrid has the chance to satisfy an obsession that has eluded them for 12 years. Madrid plays city rival Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday, when a victory in Lisbon would provide the Spanish giant with its record 10th European Cup -- or "La Decima" as it is known in Spanish. Its been a long wait since Zinedine Zidane scored one of footballs iconic goals to lead Madrid to its ninth title, such that even Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti noted upon his arrival in the Spanish capital: "You could taste the desire to win La Decima in the air." "I remember that after we won the ninth (European Cup) that the next day we were already being asked about the 10th," said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who is the only player on the team to have played in the Glasgow final, a 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. Madrid was doing its best to avoid terming its infatuation with perhaps the most important trophy in club football an obsessive affair, despite the very make-up of the club being shaped by it. "Its not an obsession, its a great motivation," Ancelotti said on Tuesday. "We have a great opportunity to get into the history books of this club. Its not an obsession but an opportunity." Madrids recent record in Europes top competition has only bred further impatience to increase its record trophy tally, which led FIFA to bestow it with the title of top club of the 20th century. Madrid won the European Cup six times between 1955 and 66, including a record five consecutive titles.dddddddddddd It took 32 years to win the seventh in 1998, which not only provided liberation but led to returned success in the competition. But following the ninth cup win in 2002, Madrid went seven straight seasons without advancing from the first knockout stage despite president Florentino Perezs enormous spending on the likes of Brazil striker Ronaldo, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. The arrival of coach Jose Mourinho in 2010/11 reversed that trend with Madrid reaching the semifinals for three straight years. But never the final, until now. "In the last couple of years weve played well in this competition and we are always just one step away, so I think our fans deserve to experience this, reaching a final after 12 years," said Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. "To feel pressure would be a problem. You have to go out convinced that you can win it." Normally teams only produce T-shirts to commemorate final triumphs. Not Madrid, which felt such a release following the semifinal victory against Bayern that it had one ready for the players at the whistle reading "Now for the 10th!" Now, a first final between clubs from the same city stands in the way as Atletico comes off winning its first Spanish league for 18 years with an opportunity to win its first European Cup 40 years on from its lone appearance in a final. "La Decima is the trophy all Madridistas want," Cristiano Ronaldo said in reference to Madrid supporters. ' ' '