BAD GASTEIN, Austria -- Karin Knapp of Italy routed second-seeded Annika Beck of Germany 6-0, 6-1 to advance to her third semifinal of the season at the Gastein Ladies on Friday. Knapp, who reached the last four in Slovakia and Colombia as well, will play Yvonne Meusburger of Austria. Elina Svitolina of Ukraine will take on first-time WTA semifinalist Andrea Hlavackova of Czech Republic. The 69th-ranked Knapp avoided break points and converted all five chances to break Becks serve. The German had beaten Knapp in straight sets in Nuremberg last month. Meusburger, coming off her second career final in Budapest last week, defeated Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-1, 7-6 (1). The Austrian failed to serve out the match at 5-4 before converting her first match point in the tiebreaker. Meusburger played in the first Gastein Ladies final in 2007, and has since reached at least the quarterfinals every year. Svitolina defeated Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria 6-3, 6-0 for her second semifinal this year after losing in the last four at Cali, Colombia, in February. Svitolina hit six aces and saved all four break points, while Mayr-Achleitner scored just four points in her three service games in the second set. Hlavackova beat Austrian wild card Lisa-Maria Moser of Austria, 6-3, 7-6 (4). The match was suspended for 30 minutes because of rain at 5-5 in the second set before Hlavackova wrapped up the win on her third match point in the tiebreaker. Adam Conley Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Fake Marlins Jerseys . 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Billy McMillon Jersey . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. ROME -- Italian medalists from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics wrote to Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi on Thursday pleading with her not to drop the capitals bid for the 2024 Games, saying it would be a mistake to close the door on a unique opportunity.Raggi has voiced opposition to the bid but has not formally rejected it. She is scheduled to meet with Italian Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago this month.Rome, one of four candidates in the international bid race, is trying to bring the Summer Olympics back to Italy for the first time since the city hosted the 1960 Games.Those of us who had the opportunity to experience the Rio Games and to win a medal, putting Italys name on the podium, are convinced that bringing the games back to our country and our capital would give future generations the necessary optimism to believe in a better future, said the letter, signed by the 68 athletes. You can give a decisive push to our dreams and a reason for enthusiasm for all Italian sport.Raggi, who represents the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, became Romes first female mayor in June and, at age 37, also its youngest.She maintained throughout her campaign that she wants to focus on everyday items before extraordinary ones and has pointed to the high costs faced by Olympic cities.IOC guidelines for bid cities require undivided support from the city, the nationnal Olympic committee and the government.ddddddddddddWe ask you not to leave out your support for Romes bid, the letter said. We ask you with the passion we have shown recently in our competitions and which allowed us to excel. We appeal to your sensitivity as a mayor and your love as a mother.If we play together no match can ever be lost. United we can win. You showed that by becoming mayor. We showed that by winning in Rio. We are certain you share our sentiments. Dont close the door on a unique opportunity.Previous Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino formally submitted the bid to the International Olympic Committee last year after a city council vote showed overwhelming support.The other 2024 bidders are Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest, Hungary. The IOC will select the host city in September 2017.If the bid is rejected, it would mark Romes second withdrawal in four years after then-premier Mario Monti in 2012 stopped Romes bid for the 2020 Games for financial reasons.Rome is our capital and we are all by your side in the battle you are leading to get it back to ancient glories, the athletes said in their letter to Raggi. We would be happy to be able to compete now, together, to achieve a dream, a hope: Rome 2024. A sporting embrace. ' ' '
