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Rafael Nadals attempt to win a ninth Monte Carlo Masters title gets underway on Wednesday when he meets British number two Aljaz Bedene, live on Sky Sports 2. The Spaniard memorably won eight successive events in the principality, from 2005 to 2012, but has not reached the final since 2013 when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic.With the French Open the next major on the calendar Nadal will be hoping for a return to title-winning ways - he has not won a tournament since Hamburg in August 2015 and has lost his last three finals (albeit to Djokovic twice and Roger Federer once). The world No 5 reached the semi-final at Indian Wells before losing to Djokovic and it was the formidable world No 1 who saw off Nadal in the Spaniards only final this year (Doha in January). Aljaz Bedene will take on Rafael Nadal for the first time in his career Britains Bedene, ranked 60th in the world, provides the opposition in a first ever meeting between the pair and Nadal will start as strong favourite in some of his preferred surroundings.On the subject of surroundings, Monte Carlo resident Djokovic will not have to travel to far for his first outing on clay - he faces Czech Jiri Vesely in second round action on Tuesday.Djokovic, winner of the first two Masters events of the year to go with his Australian Open title, has never faced the World No 55 before but is the defending champion after victory over Tomas Berdych in 2015.Despite a low-key season to date Vesely could provide a tricky test for the Serb having won a first round encounter with Teymuraz Gabashvili off the back of a run to the semi-finals on clay in Marrakech last week.Stan Wawrinka opens proceedings on Court Central against Philipp Kohlschreiber, while home favourite Gael Monfils is also in action against Fabio Fognini. Richard Gasquet meets Lucas Pouille in an all-French clash while the identity of Andy Murrays next opponent will emerge from Joao Sousas meeting with Benoit Paire. One to watchMilos Raonic is one of the form players of the year, reaching the semi-final in Melbourne, the final at Indian Wells and the quarter-final in Miami having started the season with victory in the Brisbane international. Pablo Cuevas has won two events already this year - both on clay However, Argentinian Pablo Cuevas could rightly lay claim to the title as well, he is one of five players with multiple singles titles on the tour this year, winning on the clay in both Rio and Sao Paulo and he is sure to give the big serving Canadian a tough workout.Raonic won their only previous meeting in Portugal in 2014 but both players have improved immeasurably in the two years since with Raonic tipped as the next man to break the stranglehold on the big four at the majors and 30-year-old Cuevass two title this year just one less than his has previously managed in his career.Surprise in store Damir Dzumhur beat Rafael Nadal at the Miami Masters Damir Dzumhur saw off Nadal in the second round in Miami so will fancy his chances of a possible upset against world No 7 Tomas Berdych.The Czech lost in last years Monte Carlo final and has two wins from the two meetings between the pair but both were on outdoor hard courts.World No 99 Dzumhur made the last 16 in Florida but lost to Berdych in Doha earlier this year - he blows hot and cold but Berdych will have to be on his game if he is to advance.In case you missed itAndy Murray was made to work for his second round victory against Pierre-Hugues Herbert which came in three tough sets while number eight seed David Ferrer withdrew from the event with an unspecified injury.Roger Federers return from injury was perhaps the major story of the day, the Swiss has not played since the Australian Open following knee surgery and a stomach bug but he saw off Guillermo Garcia Lopez in fine style.However it was Feliciano Lopez who delivered a memorable moment, a furious blast in the direction of the umpire with whom he was less than impressed... Feliciano Lopez was furious with the umpire after a call when against him in his match against David Goffin Watch the Monte Carlo Masters on Sky Sports all this week, Wednesdays action is underway at 9.30am on Sky Sports 2.By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices. Also See: Murray made to work for win Federer victorious Ferrer withdraws in Monte-Carlo Tennis on Sky Terry McLaurin Womens Jersey . Russia has spent about $51 billion to deliver the Sochi Olympics, which run Feb. 7-23, making them the most expensive games ever, even though as a winter event it hosts many fewer athletes than summer games do. Landon Collins Youth Jersey . - Christophe Lalancette scored a third-period goal and added the shootout winner to lead the Drummondville Voltigeurs to a 5-4 win over the Quebec Remparts in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play on Sunday. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-John-Riggins-Jersey/ .Ryan Anderson had 14 points for the Pelicans, who trailed 78-63 after three periods before trimming the deficit to 86-83. Jrue Holiday had 13 points and Eric Gordon added 12 for New Orleans.Mike Scott and Jeff Teague each had 11 points for Atlanta. Terry McLaurin Youth Jersey . -- Max Domi scored twice and set up two more as the London Knights toppled the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 6-4 on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action. Derrius Guice Redskins Jersey . The England international raised his middle finger toward Manchester City supporters during Saturdays game at Etihad Stadium, which Arsenal lost 6-3. The incident was not seen by match officials at the time but the FA charged Wilshere retrospectively after a study of video footage.TORONTO - For months, the thought of walking out on his team and fleeing to the U.S. lingered on Maikel Changs mind.The young midfielder talked about it with close friends on Cubas national soccer team and almost tried his luck on a few occasions, only to let fear deter him. But when he saw his chance — the night before a World Cup qualifying match in Toronto in the fall of 2012 — there was no hesitation, he said.He and two teammates, Odisnel Cooper and Heviel Cordoves, grabbed their passports and belongings while the rest of their group settled into their hotel rooms. They then slipped out through the fire escape and bolted down the street to avoid being spotted by their coaches. U.S. officials later confirmed the three had crossed the border in Niagara Falls, Ont.We had to do it if we wanted to play professional soccer. We also had to do it when we were still young, Chang, 23, told The Canadian Press in a phone interview from Charleston, S.C., where he, Cooper and Cordoves play for the Charleston Battery in a lower-tier professional league.We had already played at all levels in the national team and we realized that there was nowhere else to go, he said in Spanish.Dozens of top athletes — including many from Cuba — have defected during international competitions in an effort to escape persecution or to move up to a larger market.Its too early to tell whether the thawing relations between Cuba and the U.S., which will ease travel restrictions and may affect immigration policies, will reduce the incentive for Cuban athletes to defect while playing abroad, experts said as Ontario prepares to welcome thousands of athletes for the Pan Am and Parapan Games this summer.When Canada last hosted the Games in 1999, eight members of the Cuban delegation defected, stirring tensions between the two countries as Cuban officials accused Canadian media of inciting athletes to jump ship. When Winnipeg first staged the Games in 1967, a Cuban boxer defected shortly after winning a gold medal.Two players from the Cuban womens soccer team defected in 2011 after facing off with the Canadian team in Vancouver in an Olympic qualifying match. They crossed into the U.S., where they were reunited with relatives.It is fairly common given that these events bring people from different places in the world...They may be persecuted due to their sexual orientation, due to their political opinion and other grounds, said Jamie Liew, an Ottawa lawyer specializing in immigration and refugee law.In our culture, we view athletes as being quite well off, being compensated for the work thatt they do, who live charmed lives, (but) its very different for people who may come from different countries, she said.ddddddddddddAthletes in certain sports, such as soccer and baseball, can often find better opportunities in North America, said Bruce Kidd, an expert on the history and political economy of Canadian sports at the University of Toronto.But should travel between Cuba and the U.S. become easier in the next few years, they might not need to defect to get their big break, he said.Many Russian athletes defected during the Cold War, when movement in and out of the Eastern Bloc was heavily controlled, Kidd said.Since then, he said, the freeing up of travel has significantly reduced the driver for a lot of this and Russian athletes dont have to defect to have opportunities to train and compete in the United States, Canada and Western Europe.Both Liew and Chang, however, said its unlikely the softening relationship between Havana and Washington will affect athletes decisions at this time.There is still a lot of uncertainty, Liew said. In the last few weeks there has been an increase of Cubans trying to get to the U.S. due to U.S. policy with regards to Cuban refugees. There is a healthy skepticism that anything in the near future will change in Cuba.Chang said he cant predict whether Cuban athletes will try to defect during this summers Pan Am Games, but he doesnt believe the new diplomatic developments will be a factor.Fear, and concerns about leaving relatives behind, are more likely to influence athletes considering defection, he said.I can tell you that all my fellow Cuban players would like to be here to play professional soccer but this is a very difficult decision to make, said Chang, who was barred from returning to Cuba for eight years but talks to his mother daily through email.This is a decision you cannot undo.Athletes seeking to stay in Canada rather than head south of the border will have to go through the same process as any other asylum-seekers, Canadian officials said.Canadas refugee policies are applied consistently regardless of any special event, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada said in an email.In the past, there were allegations that Ottawa — or NGOs acting with federal approval — actively encouraged defection, Kidd said, more to embarrass its political rivals than to bolster Canadian teams.More recently, he said, Canada has not gone out of its way to recruit defectors, it has simply considered and supported those who have asked for refugee status._ With files from Marie-Espérance Cerda ' ' '