NEW YORK -- Venus Williams basked in the cheers at Arthur Ashe Stadium as the sun set just over the newly operational roof. She had lost her fourth-round match 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3) to Karolina Pliskova. The match was technically an upset, since Williams had a No. 6 seed and Pliskova was No. 10, but in a few important ways, the result was another success for Williams in a year of success.Yeah, definitely a ton of positives, Williams said of her season. Im looking forward to continuing a lot of positives on the court.Venus left that grateful stadium to her sister Serena, the top-seeded woman in the tournament and one of the greatest players of all time. These women make sisterhood look like a team sport, which, of course, tennis isnt. Serenas greatness naturally attracts the spotlight, while Venus doesnt always get the full measure of her due.So we can let Venus exit the US Open this year, but not before shining just a bit of the spotlight on what she has been able to accomplish this season.This is a woman who has rewritten the rules when it comes to age and competitiveness. At 36 -- think about that for a second -- she has reached a Wimbledon semifinal and the fourth round of the French and US Opens. She remains one of the toughest WTA players when it comes to grass.If she were a young junior just hitting the tour, Williams would be heralded from the rooftops. And yet she isnt. We like our champions to have potential for greatness, and when most of that greatness has been achieved, when the story has been told and the face is familiar, we start looking for the next rising sun.Williams managed her success this year despite her fatigue-inducing autoimmune disorder, Sjogrens Syndrome. In 2011, that condition forced her to withdraw from the US Open, and many thought it was the beginning of the end of her career. Yet Williams has not allowed the inevitability of age and the unpredictability of her illness to dictate the terms of her career.Its just a lot of willpower, Williams said. Thats really what it is. I started to feel better more consistently this year, so Im always trying to find things to help me feel my best.That includes a practice routine that involves relentlessly honing her game and starting a sugar-free nutrition regimen which most people would balk at. She admitted it cuts out a lot of good foods, but it makes a difference in her fitness, so she is sticking with it.Im always trying something different to find a peak performance; its something I started recently, Williams said.She could have a line of cookbooks and frozen meals. She should be selling face cream and workout gear, and her face could be on the side of every bus from Queens to Manhattan for a month.But Venus has never been about gratuitous self-promotion. She has her business, she has her game and she works behind the scenes to make tennis a better place for the next generation.If it were at all difficult to be upstaged by a younger sibling for the better part of one of the longest careers in tennis, Venus gives no indication. Instead, the interactions they have lead one to conclude that tennis may be what they are known for, but it doesnt define them or their relationship.And thats something worth celebrating.Ronnie Lott Super Bowl Jersey . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Arik Armstead Super Bowl Jersey . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Youth-Mike-Person-49ers-Jersey/ . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Tom Rathman Super Bowl Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Adrian Colbert Super Bowl Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost .PHILADELPHIA -- Ian Desmond was one close call away from his fourth strikeout of the night before he got another chance. He didnt miss it. Desmond hit a grand slam in the 11th inning and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 Wednesday night, avoiding a three-game sweep. Jayson Werths RBI single with two outs in the ninth tied it off Jonathan Papelbon, who blew a save for the second time in three nights after starting the season 13 for 13. Starters Kyle Kendrick and Gio Gonzalez both were outstanding, but wound up with no-decisions. Kendrick allowed one run and two hits, striking out six in 7 2-3 innings. Gonzalez gave up two runs and two hits, tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts in seven innings. He didnt allow a hit after the second batter. Ryan Zimmerman hit a one-out double off Mike Stutes (2-1) in the 11th. After Adam LaRoche was intentionally walked, Werth walked to load the bases. Desmond took a 1-2 pitch that had manager Charlie Manuel screaming at plate umpire Alfonso Marquez from the dugout. "It looked like it couldve been a strike," Manuel said. Desmond drove the next pitch out to left-centre. "I was adjusting all night," Desmond said. "I had too many long swings. I just wanted to see the white ball and put the barrel on it." Drew Storen (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th to earn the win. "We needed to show the Phillies were still hanging around," Nats manager Davey Johnson said. Papelbon was a strike away from securing a save Monday night before allowing a tying homer to Chad Tracy. The Phillies won it in the bottom half on Domonic Browns RBI single with two outs. Denard Span reached on an infield to start the Washington ninth. He went to second when LaRoche walked with two outs. Werth followed with a single to left to score Span. "As a closer, its important for me to finish it off for the starters," Papelbon said. "Its a tough pill to swallow. I still got too make the pitch to Werth.dddddddddddd" Michael Young hit a two-run homer to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the first. He surpassed 1,000 career RBIs on the homer, becoming the 242nd player in major league history to reach that total. RBIs became an official stat in 1920. The Phillies didnt get another hit until Carlos Ruiz singled with two outs in the 10th. Kendrick retired 16 straight before walking Zimmerman with one out in the seventh. Zimmerman went to second on a groundout and scored on Werths line-drive single. Ben Revere hit a single to lead off Philadelphias first, extending his hitting streak to 10. Young then connected for just the third time this season. Gonzalez got six of his strikeouts on Ryan Howard and Brown, who is second in the NL with 19 homers. "I think thats one of the best game weve had as a team all year," Gonzalez said. "We battled, made adjustments and came out on top." Coming off his worst outing of the season -- seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings at Colorado -- Kendrick controlled the Nationals with a sharp sinker. He got 13 outs on grounders. Kendrick has been Philadelphias second-best starter behind Cliff Lee and has allowed two runs or less in 10 of his 15 starts. NOTES: Chase Utley began a rehab assignment going 0 for 4 at Double-A Reading. The Phillies five-time All-Star 2B has been sidelined by an oblique injury. ... Phillies first-round pick J.P. Crawford met players and spent an hour chatting with Manuel behind the batting cage. Crawford, a shortstop chosen with the 16th overall pick, is signed and heading to Clearwater, Fla. to begin his career with Philadelphias Gulf Coast League team. ... The Nationals reinstated 2B Danny Espinosa from the disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. ... The Phillies are off Thursday before starting a three-game series against the New York Mets. ... Jordan Zimmermann (9-4, 2.44) faces Colorados Roy Oswalt on Thursday night. ' ' '