ainst Clemson and his deft ball distribution is one of the main

BASTAD, Sweden -- Top seeds Tomas Berdych and Nicolas Almagro began the Swedish Open by reaching the quarterfinals on Thursday. Berdych and Almagro received first-round byes, and had contrasting wins. Almagro, a three-time finalist in Bastad, got off to a rough start against fellow Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez but rallied to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. His next opponent, Fernando Verdasco, also of Spain, beat Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets. Berdych, the No. 1 seed in the clay-court tournament, easily defeated Argentine Martin Alund 6-3, 6-0. It was the Czechs first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Next up for Berdych is Thiemo De Bakker, the Dutchman who survived two match points before eliminating Viktor Troicki of Serbia 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6). Hydro Flask Black Friday Sale . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Hydro Flask Cyber Monday Sale . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. http://www.waterbottleblackfriday.com/ . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. Swell Cyber Monday Sale . PAUL, Minn. Cheap Hydro Flask . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. PITTSBURGH -- The giddiness faded quickly. Call it a byproduct of simple math. For all the euphoria that ensued after Pittsburgh kicker Chris Blewitts 48-yard field goal lifted the Panthers to a last-minute stunner against No. 2 Clemson last week, in the standings it counts the same as any other victory.It was a sweet moment to be sure, but it was just one. The Panthers (6-4, 3-3 ACC) understand it wont mean much if they cant back it up on Saturday against improving Duke (4-6, 1-5).This Duke win, if we are capable of going down (to Clemson) and getting it done and coming to Heinz Field and getting it done it will be just as big, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. Other people might not think it, but theyre a good football team and every win is a major win.The Panthers arent the only one coming off an emotional high. The Blue Devils rebounded from three narrow losses by a combined 16 points to edge rival North Carolina 28-27 , putting a severe crimp into the Tar Heels hopes of winning the ACC Coastal Division. It also kept alive their hopes of getting to six wins and securing a fifth straight bowl berth. It will take victories over the Panthers and Miami to get there without holding out hope theres not enough six-win teams to go around and the Blue Devils can get in thanks to their academic success.No offense, but its not the path coach David Cutcliffe would prefer to go.You want to play your way in and take doubt out of it, Cutcliffe said.Bowl eligibility is already out of the way for Pitt thanks to what Narduzzi hopes is a program-shifting moment. The quality of the Panthers destination is the only thing in question now. Beating Duke on Saturday and Syracuse next week would certainly make Pitts impressive resume -- wins over Clemson and Penn State and down-to-the-wire losses to Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and North Carolina -- plenty attractive.First things first though. The Panthers dropped their final two games of 2015, turning a special season into simply a promising one.One of goals was to finish season a lot better than we did last year, quarterback Nate Peterman said. Were going to focus these last two games and not let anything slip by. Every game is worth a lot.ddddddddddddSome things to look for as Duke tries for a little payback after the Panthers rolled by them 31-13 last fall.SHAUN IS ON: Duke RB Shaun Wilson is making the most of his opportunity to start. Wilson has 292 yards rushing in his last three games, including 100-yard outings against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, and has run for a touchdown in each game. The speedster who set the schools single-game record two years ago with 245 yards rushing against Kansas has been the featured back since starter and leading rusher Jela Duncan was lost for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon three weeks ago in the Georgia Tech loss.JAMES BEING JAMES: Nearly 12 months removed from a cancer diagnosis that threatened to derail his career, Pitt running back James Conner is thriving. Hes scored seven touchdowns over the last four games, including a highlight-reel 20-yard sprint against Clemson that put the Panthers within range to win it late.The best way to minimize the damage is to get more than one person to the ball, Cutcliffe said. When he gets rolling and he feels it, it gets increasingly harder to (stop him).RUNNING DEVILS: Wilsons success has made Dukes ground game that much more effective. The Blue Devils have rushed for at least 225 yards in each of their last three games after cracking the 200-yard mark in their first six games against FBS opponents. It helps that Daniel Jones has emerged as a threat to run, with the QB averaging 89 yards rushing during his last three games.PETERMANS PROGRESS: Pitt senior quarterback Nate Peterman began the season as a game manager. Hes become a difference maker in offensive coordinator Matt Canadas increasingly diverse offense. Peterman threw for a career-high five touchdowns agreasons the Panthers are averaging 37.6 points per game, third in the