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MELBOURNE, Australia -- One by one, Serena Williams is matching the feats of tennis greatest legends. Nike Flyknit Chukka Comprar . Her next challenge comes at the Australian Open, which starts Monday with Williams seeking her 18th Grand Slam title -- an accomplishment that would match Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. "It would mean a lot to be on the same level as such great players," Williams said in a pre-tournament news conference Saturday, quickly adding a dash of humility. "I still have a lot of work to do. I obviously want to reach that level, but Im not there yet." "Hopefully, Ill get there," she added. The No. 1-ranked, No. 1-seeded player is entering the new season after a spectacular year. In 2013, Williams won 78 of her 82 matches including the French Open and the U.S. Open. She earned more than $12 million in prize money, a record for womens tennis. At 32, an age where most professional players are in decline, Williams is playing the best tennis of her career, says Navratilova, who predicts that Williams will win in Melbourne and go on to eclipse Steffi Grafs 22 major titles in the Open era. "If she can stay healthy, theres no doubt she can go into the 20s. The sky is the limit," Navratilova said earlier this week. In terms of Grand Slam titles, no woman playing professional tennis today comes close. In a distant second place is Williams big sister, Venus, who won seven major titles during a career that is now waning because of age, injuries and an autoimmune disease that saps her energy. Venus last Grand Slam win came at Wimbledon in 2008. No. 2 Maria Sharapova, a four-time Grand Slam winner, is coming back after playing just one post-Wimbledon match in 2013 due to hip and shoulder injuries. She sat out the last two months of the 2013 season and says she is still nursing her shoulder with "precautionary" anti-inflammatories at times. "Im happy to be back playing a Grand Slam," said Sharapova, who tore her rotator cuff in two places in 2008, requiring surgery that kept her off the tour for nearly a year. "Im happy to get myself back in form and really start well here." The player who is considered the greatest threat to Williams is No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, the two-time Australian Open defending champion. Williams has defeated Azarenka in 14 of their 17 matches -- but Azarenka has excelled more recently in Melbourne where Serena has won five titles but none since 2010. Asked why she has stumbled in Melbourne in recent years, Williams half-joked: "I just wasnt able to stay on two feet. Literally." Last year, Williams tumbled to the court in her first-round match after turning her right ankle. She was then upset in the quarterfinals by Sloane Stephens. "Ive been doing a lot of exercises for my ankles and trying to make sure that theyre pretty stabilized," said Williams. Williams got a strong start to the new season, with back-to-back wins over Sharapova and Azarenka earlier this month in Brisbane. She beat Sharapova in the semifinals and overcame Azarenka in the final. In Melbourne, Williams will only get the chance to play one of them. Azarenka and Sharapova are on the opposite side of the draw from Williams and could end up playing each other in the semifinals. Sharapovas first-round match is against Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Tuesday, when Azarenka faces Johanna Larsson of Sweden. Williams starts her Australian Open campaign Monday against Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty and has 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur and two-time Australian finalist Li Na in her half of the draw. Barty, who is 17 and ranked 153rd, is bound to have rowdy home crowd support as she steps onto centre court against the worlds top player. "Obviously theyll want Ashleigh to win, (and want) her to do well," Williams said. "Under any other circumstances. Id probably be rooting for her as well." Nike Air Max Zero Online . -- Alabama put some smiles back on the faces of the people of Tuscaloosa and gave a city rebuilding from a devastating tornado a reason to cheer. Nike Air Max 2016 Outlet . 26. That number would belong to Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cary Williams. Williams and the Eagles secondary have been the subject of criticism all season for giving up long pass plays and touchdowns regularly.ROME - Canadian Milos Raonic advanced to his first semifinal of the season Friday after a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 quarter-final win over Jeremy Chardy of France at the Italian Open. Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., will next play second-ranked Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who is back on track after a right wrist injury sidelined him last week. Raonic led by a set and a break at 6-3, 4-3 before losing his serve for the first time in the tournament. Chardy broke again at 6-5 to force a third set on an overcast day at the Foro Italico. Djokovic, who sat out last weeks Madrid Open, overcame a stiff challenge from David Ferrer before grinding out a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win. Djokovic double-faulted on his first match point but then won a 38-shot rally before eventually closing it out in just over 2 1/2 hours. Djokovic is aiming for third Rome title, having won the clay-court event in 2008 and 2011. Also reaching the last four was Grigor Dimitrov, who celebrated his 23rd birthday with a win when 36-year-old Tommy Haas retired after losing the first set 6-2 due to a right shoulder injury — spoiling a matchup between the youngest and oldest players in the top 20. Dimitrovs semifinal opponent will be either seven-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal or Wimbledon title-holder Andy Murray, who were playing later in the last key warm-up event before the Frencch Open starts in nine days. Adidas Superstar Supercolor Pack. "Its definitely one of the most memorable days of my life," Dimitrov said upon reaching his first Masters series semifinal. "Im just a happy birthday boy today." In womens play, Sara Errani took advantage of a supportive crowd to beat second-seeded Li Na 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and reach the semifinals for the second consecutive year. Errani will next meet either 2007 and 2008 Rome champion Jelena Jankovic or third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska. In the other half of the draw, 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic beat 13th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 and will face either top-ranked Serena Williams or Zhang Shuai of China. The 10th-seeded Errani is attempting to become the first Italian to win the tournament since Raffaella Reggi took the title 29 years ago in Taranto. The last Italian man to win was Adriano Panatta back in 1976. Li was unusually inconsistent, committing 52 unforced errors to Erranis 21, and appeared rattled by a close call from the chair umpire early in the third set. Errani celebrated by waving her arms to incite the crowd. "I did well not to get carried away by the euphoria," Errani said. "Its difficult to describe how it felt at the end. The fans were incredible." ___ With files from The Canadian Press. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '