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MADRID, Spain -- Maria Sharapova held her nerve Saturday to reach her second consecutive Madrid Open final, where shell play Simona Halep of Romania. Sharapova was cruising against Agnieszka Radwanska before allowing the third-seeded Pole to break back in the second set. But the eighth-ranked Russian recovered to secure a 6-1, 6-4 win. Earlier, Halep rallied in the hot conditions to dispatch former champion Petra Kvitova 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2. "Shes having a great year so its going to be an extremely difficult match," Sharapova said of Halep. Despite a few blips, Sharapova has been steady all week and has lost just three times on clay since the 2011 French Open. All three of those losses came against Serena Williams, the two-time defending champion in Madrid who withdrew with a left thigh injury on Friday. Kvitova, the 2011 winner, looked on course for victory before unforced errors and the rising temperatures took their toll. The Czech was 2-0 up in the second set and cruising against Halep, who was visibly frustrated after a late call went against her during the first-set tiebreaker. But Kvitova hit 66 unforced errors and that inconsistency caught up with her as Halep recovered, with the now composed Romanian hitting 22 winners and breaking Kvitova four times over the last two sets. Kvitova struggled in the final set, looking sapped of energy by the end of a match that lasted more than 2 1/2 hours. "Its been an amazing week for me, I feel very well here in Madrid," said the fifth-ranked Halep, who reached her first Masters series final. "I played really well, I was striking the ball really well." Sharapova hit 28 winners to four for Radwanska, who netted a forehand on match point to be broken for a seventh time. In the mens semis, three-time champion Rafael Nadal faced fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut while David Ferrer was up against Kei Nishikori of Japan. John Lynch Jersey . -- Without Carey Price, the run for a first Stanley Cup in 21 years got steeper and longer for the Montreal Canadiens. Jason Pierre-Paul Buccaneers Jersey . Watch the announcement live on TSN.ca at 12:30pm et/9:30am pt. This years honourees will be recognized at the 2014 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic, scheduled for June 23-24 in Vancouver. http://www.shopbuccaneersauthentic.com/Y...s-Elite-Jersey/. - Skiing far more aggressively than in her season debut a day earlier, Lindsey Vonn was in provisional 10th place after the first 45 skiers in a World Cup downhill on Saturday. Alex Cappa Buccaneers Jersey .com) - The Ottawa Senators will try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they face the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to secure their place in the post-season. Chandler Catanzaro Buccaneers Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Al Jefferson sat at his locker pondering how the Charlotte Bobcats nearly surrendered a 30-point lead they held late in the third quarter. "Of course we had to make it a game," Jefferson said with a grin. "We couldnt enjoy an easy win, right?" It never seems that easy for the Bobcats. Despite the big lead, Jefferson and Bobcats didnt breathe a sigh of relief until Ramon Sessions knocked down two free throws with 1.6 seconds left to secure a 100-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Jefferson became the first Bobcats player to record a double-double in the first quarter and finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds and a season-high seven assists and the Bobcats defeated the Raptors for the seventh straight time in Charlotte. "The important thing is we came out of it with a win," Jefferson said after the Bobcats withstood a furious Toronto rally that included several 3-pointers. It was Charlottes first game without point guard Kemba Walker, whose streak of 190 straight games played -- the second-longest in franchise history -- was snapped. Walker sprained his ankle in a loss Saturday night to the Miami Heat. But the Bobcats got more than enough from their two reserve point guards as Sessions and the seldom-used Jannero Pargo combined for 40 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Sessions started and had 23 points in 34 minutes and was 10 of 11 from the line. "We knew they were going to make a run sooner or later, especially with how good theyve been playing," Sessions said. "We didnt expect it to be that big of a run." DeMar DeRozan had 25 points and Kyle Lowry had 21 for the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors, who fell to .500 after their fourth straight road loss. The Raptors were down 71-41 with 4:37 left in the third quarter when they started to find some energy. They outscored the Bobcats 28-0 on second-chance points, but it still wasnt enough. Toronto twice had chances to tie the game in the final two minutes, but Lowry missed a free throw and Greivis Vasquez couldnt connect on a long 3-pointer. "To be a championship team or even think about the playoffs, youve got to play back-to-back, you have to play nicked up, youve got to play a little fatigued," Raptors coach Dwwane Casey said.dddddddddddd "Right now, we have a bunch of guys who are giving into fatigue and nicked up. Its a long season, but, again, you tell a lot about who you are in these situations. "This was a gut-check game. In the fourth quarter, we turned it around. But its about what we did in the first three quarters that was disappointing." Despite nearly surrendering a huge lead, Bobcats coach Steve Clifford called it a "big win" for his team with Walker out of the lineup. Jefferson, who came in averaging 27.8 points and 11.5 rebounds for his previous four games, had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the first half as the Bobcats went up 55-36. But the Raptors began double teaming Jefferson in the third quarter with Chuck Hayes the primary defender. "Chuck and I are great friends, but I hate him as a defender," Jefferson said. "Hes one of those guys thats very smart and you cant move him." Things got hairy for the Bobcats when DeRozan stripped Jefferson and went the length of the floor for an uncontested layup to trim the lead to three with 2:33 left. With 26 seconds left, Lowry drove the lane, scored and drew a foul on Jefferson to cut the lead to one. But he missed the free throw that would have tied the game. Sessions hit two free throws to push the lead back to three. Vasquez, who finished with 15 points and nine assists in his best game as a Raptor, got an open look from the right corner on the next possession but missed a 3-pointer from the right corner. Walker is expected to miss about two weeks after spraining his ankle in Saturday nights loss to Miami. He had 29 points against the Raptors on Dec. 18, including a buzzer beater in a 104-102 victory. But Sessions and Pargo provided a great spark. Sessions had nine points in the first quarter and Pargo came off the bench to hit his first three shots, including two 3-pointers, in his first four minutes of play in the second quarter. NOTES: The 36 points in the first half were the fewest allowed by the Bobcats all season -- they held the Raptors to 33 per cent shooting. ... Jefferson posted his third straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. .. .Charlotte has won nine of its past 14 against Toronto. .. Toronto attempted 29 3-pointers. They made 10. 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