Rome was one of three this season on clay for Nadal

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will not be joining the growing list of coaches to lose their jobs in the Premier League -- for the time being, at least. Jim Barr Jersey . The clubs co-chairmen published an open letter on West Hams website on Monday, expressing their confidence that Allardyce is the man to save the team from relegation from the Premier League. West Ham is currently next-to-last in the league after more than half the campaign, and the pressure grew on Allardyce following an embarrassing 5-0 loss to second-tier club Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday. However, David Sullivan and David Gold said in their letter that Allardyce "has not lost his ambition or desire and is committed to making West Ham United a great Premier League club." "We have experienced difficult times before and we know what will get us results -- hard work, determination and perseverance," the letter read. "To that end, we are all working round the clock to do everything in our powers to help arrest our slump in form." Of the current bottom five teams in the Premier League, only West Ham hasnt changed managers so far this season. A total of six managers in the top division have been fired or have resigned since September. Allardyces squad is beset by injury, with leading striker Andy Carroll yet to play this season. West Hams squad and style of play is built around Carroll, who joined from Liverpool for 15.5 million pounds (then $24.25 million) in June after a successful loan spell last season. Allardyce is also currently without a fit centre back and was forced to field a team full of reserves and youth-team players at Forest. He has only 14 fit and available senior players for Wednesdays League Cup semifinal match against Manchester City. "Like all West Ham supporters, we feel frustrated and hurt by our recent results," Sullivan and Gold said in the letter. "We are under no illusions as to the seriousness of the predicament in the Premier League," they continued. "But on the board, we have a combined talent of running football clubs and we will draw on all of our nous to get West Ham United out of this situation." West Ham is scheduled to move into the Olympic Stadium from 2016 after agreeing on a 99-year lease to rent the revamped 486 million pound ($781 million) venue. The 80,000-seat stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field competition at the 2012 London Games, will be downsized to 54,000 seats and reconfigured with a new roof and retractable seats. West Ham will be desperate to usher in the new era with Premier League football. Matt Cain Jersey . The third baseman whipped the ball across the diamond to second baseman Aaron Hill. He quickly tossed it to shortstop Chris Owings, who flipped over his shoulder to left fielder Cody Ross. Bill Terry Jersey . In Englands first game since its worst-ever World Cup showing, Roy Hodgsons side rarely looked like scoring against unambitious opposition and the breakthrough in the friendly only came when Raheem Sterling was tripped in the penalty area. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/3226u-mike-yastrzemski-jersey-giants.html .com) - The Carolina Panthers won for the first time in seven games last week, were without Cam Newton due to a car accident this week, but somehow sit atop the much-maligned NFC South.PARIS -- Trying to beat Rafael Nadal at the French Open is, without a doubt, the toughest task in tennis. Indeed, must be among the greatest challenges in all of sports. The pressure he applies, from set to set, game to game, point to point, shot to shot. That bullwhip of a high-bouncing, topspin lefty forehand. Those quick-reflex returns that help him break an opponents serve -- and his will. Doing what he does so well on the red clay of Roland Garros, a surface and site he dominates so completely, the No. 1-seeded Nadal wore down No. 2 Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in a muggy final Sunday to win his ninth French Open championship and fifth in a row, both records. "For me," Nadal said, "playing here in Roland Garros is just unforgettable, forever." It is also his 14th Grand Slam title overall, tying the 28-year-old Spaniard with Pete Sampras for the second most by a man, behind only Roger Federers 17. That includes Nadals two trophies apiece at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, along with one from the Australian Open, proving he can beat the best on grass and hard courts, too. But its on the clay of Paris where Nadal reigns supreme: He has won 66 of 67 career French Open matches. Since the only loss, against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009, Nadal has won 35 consecutive matches at Roland Garros. No other man has won more than seven titles at any of tennis four majors. "Its not impossible, but its very, very difficult to stay with Rafa in this court, throughout the whole match, on the highest level of performance," said Djokovic, who was broken in the final game of each set, including with an anticlimactic double-fault on match point. Nadal ensured that he, not Djokovic, will be ranked No. 1 on Monday. In the process, Nadal once again prevented six-time major champion Djokovic from completing a career Grand Slam. "He deserves to win this tournament," Nadal said. "I am sure he will do it in the future." Djokovic had won their four most recent matches, including on clay in the best-of-three-set final at Rome last month. Beating Nadal in best-of-five is a whole other matter. Nadal also topped Djokovic in the 2012 final, and the 2013 semifinals. In all, Naddal leads Djokovic 6-0 at the French Open, 9-3 at major tournaments, and 23-19 in total. Ernie Lombardi Jersey. No other pair of men has played each other as often. The defeat in Rome was one of three this season on clay for Nadal, raising questions about whether hed be unbeatable at Roland Garros this time. There also was the matter of his troublesome back, which flared up during a loss to Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open final and slowed his serve at times during the French Open. For 3 1/2 hours Sunday, when the sky was crystal clear and the temperature touched 80 degrees (27 Celsius), Djokovic gave everything he had, even spitting up on court. "I played at the maximum of my power, my strength, and my capability," Djokovic said, "but Rafa was the best player." Using his backhand to great effect against Nadals forehand early, Djokovic grabbed the first set, and got to 5-all in the second. "I felt," Nadal said, "the match was more in his hands at the beginning." Knowing that overcoming a two-set hole might be too much even for him, Nadal raised his level, taking 20 of 26 points to claim that set and a 3-0 lead in the third. "Without that second set, I dont know if I have this trophy with me now," Nadal would say later. When a down-the-line forehand winner ended the second set, Nadal leaped and shook both fists, his first sign of real emotion. "The momentum went (to) his side," Djokovic said. "I started playing quite bad and didnt move as well. Struggled a little bit physically throughout that third set." That was apparent. His cheeks were flushed. He put his hand on his heaving chest. He wobbled and nearly fell over while sitting on his changeover bench. Still, after trailing 4-2 in the fourth, Djokovic made one last stand. As skilled a retriever as his formidable foe -- Djokovic won 10 of the first 15 points that lasted at least 10 strokes -- he came up with a desperation defensive lob that landed right near the baseline, drawing a netted overhead from Nadal to earn a break point. Soon, it was 4-all. But Nadal steadied himself to hold to 5-4, then broke one last time. Soon enough, he was clutching the French Open trophy, his trophy. ' ' '