DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Top-seeded Serena Williams faced some early struggles before defeating Russias Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (8), 6-0 in the second round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday. Washington Nationals Shirts . Williams, playing in Dubai courtesy of a wild card, has been sidelined with a back injury since losing to Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round of the Australian Open last month. It took Williams the first set to adjust to the left-handed Makarovas ability to jam many of her shots into the top-ranked Americans body. "I felt a little rusty, but it was OK," Williams said. "Body is fine. I just had to get my feet moving, but it was OK." The 24th-ranked Makarova broke Williams serve in the first game of the match and was serving for the set at 5-4. Thats when the Russian played an error-riddled game to allow Williams to even the score to 5-5. Williams had one set point on Makarovas serve in the 12th game, but smacked a backhand return over the baseline. In the tiebreaker, Makarova had two set points at 6-4 and 6-5, but couldnt take advantage of the opportunities. Williams took the first set on her third set point in the tiebreaker when Makarova shipped a forehand long. "I was really telling myself to stay positive, because I was making a lot of errors that I normally dont make, and my serve just wasnt popping the way it normally is," Williams said. "It definitely got better in the second set." In the second set, the real Serena Williams showed up and raced to a 5-0 lead. However, she had trouble serving out the final game of the match -- facing three break points before winning on her second match point when Makarova made a forehand error. "She never gives up, and in that last game she started playing even better," Williams said. "I knew that I wanted to close it out there, because shed probably feel comfortable with holding serve and it would have been a longer match." Williams now plays Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic or fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the quarter-finals. Earlier, Ivanovic sent sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber packing 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6). The former top-ranked Ivanovic had three match points on Kerbers serve in the 12th game but couldnt close it out against the German who reached last weeks Doha final. Ivanovic even faced a battle in the tiebreaker. The Serbian led 5-1, but Kerber battled back to where she even had a match point at 6-5. "The first two sets a little bit too many errors on my side and a little bit from her side," Ivanovic said. "Shes such a tough competitor and retrieves lots of balls. "Im just so happy to be through." Seventh-seeded Simona Halep, who won last weeks Qatar Open in Doha, retired with a right Achilles injury while trailing Alize Cornet of France 6-1, 1-1, in the first match of the day. Halep complained of an inflamed Achilles during her run to the Doha title. "I wanted to try because I like to try to fight for my chance, but here I couldnt," Halep said. "After one set I realized that it is dangerous to continue." Eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki had to overcome a one-set deficit to outmanoeuvr Sabine Lisicki of Germany 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and move into the second round. "I knew she was going to come out hot and just go for her shots, and I felt like I was just a step behind," said Wozniacki, who sports an 8-carat diamond engagement ring from fiance, golfer Rory McIloy everywhere she goes except on court. "It was nice to win this one, and, you know, onwards and upwards, as they say." Wozniacki will face German qualifier Annika Beck in the second round. Beck defeated Samantha Stosur of Australia 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. Max Scherzer Nationals Jersey .Boston beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Tuesday night and celebrated consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month. Fake Nationals Jerseys . Fourteen players were suspended last summer by Major League Baseball as part of the Biogenesis drug scandal, ranging from All-Stars to also-rans. https://www.cheapnationals.com/1397r-trea-turner-jersey-nationals.html . Pressley missed all of last season with Cincinnati because of a knee injury, but the 5-foot-10, 249-pounder had been expected to fill a need on Clevelands roster.LOS ANGELES -- The Coliseum stands emptied in waves that flowed onto the field after Stanfords final fumble. Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. USCs surge for Ed Orgeron had just swallowed up No. 5 Stanfords national title hopes. Andre Heidari kicked a 47-yard field goal with 19 seconds to play, and a stalwart defence repeatedly came up big in USCs 20-17 upset of the Cardinal on Saturday night. Cody Kessler passed for 288 yards as the revitalized Trojans (8-3, 5-2 Pac-12) earned their fifth win in six games under the irrepressible Orgeron, who replaced the fired Lane Kiffin in late September. Orgeron immediately returned fun to a dour program -- and wins have followed, none bigger than this streak-snapping win over powerful Stanford. "In our tight-knit family, there was a belief that we were going to find a way to win the game," Orgeron said. "Im proud of our young men. This is something that theyve wanted for a long time now." USCs remarkable defensive performance included two fourth-quarter interceptions and a season-low 17 points from the Cardinal (8-2, 6-2), who followed up last weeks win over Oregon by getting knocked out of the BCS title chase and maybe the Rose Bowl race as well. Heidari nearly lost his job twice this season, and he missed an extra point in the first quarter. But the junior coolly nailed the tiebreaking field goal -- and then got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for running the length of the field to celebrate it. "They all said, We know you got this. You do it every day in practice," Heidari said of his teammates. "They believed in me." Moments later, thousands of USC fans flooded the field. Stanford had won in its last three trips to the Coliseum, including a triple-overtime thriller two years ago, and its last four meetings with USC overall. Soma Vainuku caught an early TD pass and Javorius Allen rushed for a score for USC, which played 38 straight scoreless minutes until Heidaris kick. Nelson Agholor had eight catches for 104 yards, while Marqise Lee had six catches for 83 yards -- and both receivers made big plays on USCs final drive. "I dont know if I pulled them together," Orgeron said. "I think they just came together. The leadership of this program is really coming to the forefront." Tyler Gaffney rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns for Stanford, which had won three straight while closing in on the chance to host the Pac-12 title game for the second straight year. Kevin Hogan went 14 of 25 for 127 yards, but the Cardinal couldnt regain the lead after trailing 17-10 at half, despite repeatedly getting close. "I think this is the first time anyone on this team has lost to them," Gaffney said. "Its a tough thing to swallow." Stanford tied it with Gaffneys 188-yard TD run on the first drive of the third quarter, but couldnt score on six drives in the final 23 minutes, managing just 88 yards -- 75 on a single drive ending in Dion Baileys interception. Fernando Rodney Jersey. USCs offence also struggled throughout the second half, but the Trojans sanctions-depleted defence kept it close despite using just two substitutes for most of the night. "Theyre a good team, and they got healthy at the wrong time for us," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "In the second half, we did a heck of a job defensively. We just didnt make enough plays on offensively. Thats not going to win on the road in this conference." Bailey intercepted Hogans third-down pass at the USC 6 with about 10 1/2 minutes to play, killing what seemed certain to be Stanfords go-ahead drive. Sua Cravens then intercepted a tipped pass at the USC 44 with 3 minutes to play, giving another chance to the Trojans offence. After Lee caught a 13-yard slant pass over midfield on fourth-and-2, the Trojans reached the Stanford 21 before two straight yardage-losing plays pushed them back to the 30 -- and Heidari still nailed his kick. "This is definitely the most electrifying game Ive been a part of in the four years Ive been here," Bailey said. USC hadnt beaten a ranked opponent since 2011, but the Trojans have played with ever-increasing fire and confidence for Orgeron, the longtime defensive line coach whose raw enthusiasm has worn off on the program. Orgeron wasnt thought to be a serious candidate for the Trojans full-time job when he took over for Kiffin, but his players are pushing his name deeper into the discussion with each victory. "Obviously theres going to be some decisions made here after we play UCLA (on Nov. 30)," Orgeron said. "Thats out of my hands." Stanford betrayed a few nerves early. The Cardinal burned two timeouts and committed an illegal-snap penalty on the games first drive, and Ty Montgomery dropped two passes in the opening minutes. USCs opening drive was smooth, with Lee making a tiptoe sideline catch before Vainuku came out of the backfield for a play-action 1-yard TD catch just 6:13 in. Gaffney scored on a 35-yard run moments later when he popped out the back of a scrimmage pile and sprinted past the slumbering USC defence, but the Trojans answered with another long drive capped by Allens 1-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion catch by Lee. Kessler was outstanding in the pocket and on the run, completing 10 straight early passes before Heidaris first field goal put the Trojans up by 10 points early in the second quarter. Stanford added a field goal with 17 seconds left in the first half. After Gaffney capped a 92-yard drive after halftime with his TD run up the middle, Stanford forced a fumble by Kessler at the USC 19 -- but the Cardinals field goal attempt was blocked. Former Stanford lineman Jonathan Martin watched the game from the sideline. ' ' '