CAS said.Although CAS said that Jeptoo hid her EPO use from her

LONDON -- As Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic fell before the final of the mens singles at Wimbledon, and Rafael Nadal failed to make the starting line, there was room for new stars to emerge.Champion Andy Murray climbed higher in the tennis galaxy but Milos Raonic also shone brightly, and he was not the only player making a name for himself.Never mind Marcus Willis, and the colour and character he brought to The Championships -- what about the effort and technical excellence of some of the other less-celebrated names?Of those who played at least three matches, the players who ran the farthest, hit the fastest groundstrokes and put the most spin on the ball deserve to be celebrated, too. Here they are:Court coverageBernard Tomic only made it to the fourth round but the Australian, desperate to break through as one of the elite at the top of the mens game, at least showed he was willing to put the effort in on the court. Finishing top of the average distance covered per match, especially with the super-fit Murray down at fifth, suggested technique and tactics rather than effort should be Tomics focus.1. Bernard Tomic: 2,859 metres2. Lucas Pouille: 2,254m3. Sam Querrey: 2,226m4. Jiri Vesely: 2,219m5. Andy Murray: 2,142mFastest forehandsIt was Tomas Berdychs misfortune to come up against Murray?in imperious form in the Wimbledon semifinals. The Czech produced some tidy performances to make the last four and Murray praised his opponent before their match for his forehand skill. It was said that when Berdych is on form he sees the ball very early, and that is what allows him to generate such pace with this shot.1. Tomas Berdych: 79 mph2. Nicolas Mahut: 78 mph3. Steve Johnson: 78 mph4.?Jo-Wilfried Tsonga:77 mph5. Marin Cilic: 77 mphBrutal backhandsRichard Gasquets tournament was ended by a back injury, but not before he had shown his backhand brilliance. The Frenchman is relatively unusual in that he plays the shot single-handedly, but still generates great control and speed, as these the fastest averages of The Championships show.1. Richard Gasquet: 76 mph2. Kei Nishikori: 75 mph3. Marin Cilic: 73 mph4. David Goffin: 73 mph5. Tomas Berdych: 72 mphForehand topspinThe forehand topspin -- measured accurately by the number of revolutions put on the ball -- is one of the most popular and powerful shots after the serve and is frequently used. The spin generated by the angle of the racket and the way the strings connect with the ball send it in an arc that produces forward momentum and bounce when it lands, keeping opponents who dont take it early from advancing.1. Marin Cilic: 2,977 rpm2.?Nick Kyrgios:?2,919 rpm3. Roger Federer: 2,897 rpm4. Steve Johnson: 2,846 rpm5. Sam Querrey: 2,826 rpmBackhand topspinThe great Federer left The Championships frustrated, defeated by Raonic in the semifinals and angry that he had not produced the quality of tennis that has won him so many trophies and accolades. This list at least shows that his backhand, which is much harder to use effectively than the forehand version, didnt let him down.1. Roger Federer: 2,653 rpm2. Richard Gasquet: 2,652 rpm3. Kei Nishikori: 2,109 rpm4. Sam Querrey: 2,003 rpm5. Lucas Pouille: 1,945 rpm* All statistics courtesy of Hawk-Eye Innovations.Vans Sk8 Hi Clearance .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Vans Sk8-Hi Shoes For Sale .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.vansshoesclearancesale.com/vans-sk8-hi-clearance/sk8-hi-leather.html .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Vans Old Skool Black . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Cheap Vans Sk8 Hi Shoes . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night.GENEVA -- Former Chicago and Boston Marathon winner Rita Jeptoo had her doping ban doubled to four years on Wednesday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.In its ruling, the CAS judging panel extended Jeptoos ban until October 2018 and stripped her of her 2014 win in Boston, plus results, prize and appearance money dating back to April 17, 2014. The Kenyan runner previously lost her 2014 Chicago victory.Jeptoo had been due to earn a $500,000 bonus for leading the World Marathon Majors series standings for the combined 2013 and 2014 seasons. She won back-to-back Boston and Chicago titles in 2013.Now 35, Jeptoo tested positive for EPO in a September 2014 sample given during training for the Chicago race.Last week, Jeptoo spoke of her intention to return to competition once her initial two-year ban expired. But on Wednesday her partner said they were expecting that the punishment might be extended after the IAAF appealed what it felt was a lenient ban imposed by the Kenyan track federation.They had said they would add two years and she was aware of that, said Noah Busienei, Jeptoos partner. There is no other avenue available to appeal the decision and we shall decide the way forward.CAS said it upheld the IAAFs appeal to increase Jeptoos original two-year ban, which was to expire this week. Athletes can be banned for four years over a first offense if there are aggravating circumstances.(It) was obvious to the panel that the athlete used EPO as part of a scheme or plan, the panel ruled, citing evidence including her long relationship with the unidentified doctor and multiple visits to see him which she hid from her manager and coach.The undisputed source of the red blood cell-boosting hormone was an injection by her doctor, the ruling stated.Jeptoo was also criticized for deceptive and obstructive conduct throughout the (CAS) proceedings.The athlete provided vaarious differing accounts of the circumstances leading up to the injection and also regarding her relationship with that doctor, the court said in a statement.ddddddddddddJeptoo is the highest profile of dozens of Kenyan athletes to be banned for doping offenses over the last four years. Her case reflects a common issue in Kenya: Doctors providing athletes with banned substances for cash.Serious problems with Kenyas anti-doping program -- including allegations of corruption among authorities -- led to the country being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency in the run-up to this years Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.The IAAF gave the East African nation until the end of the year to sort out its problems or face an international ban like Russia.A scheduled two-day court hearing for Jeptoos case in April was postponed and two different lawyers withdrew from representing her. When a hearing in Switzerland was held in July, Jeptoo initially joined by telephone but opted to leave the hearing during the opening statements, the court said.The Kenyan track body also pulled out of the proceedings, CAS said.Although CAS said that Jeptoo hid her EPO use from her coach and manager at the time, Jeptoos former coach is currently facing criminal charges in Kenya, accused of providing Jeptoo and another athlete with banned substances.Jeptoos former manager also faces doping charges, although they relate to him allegedly providing two other athletes, not Jeptoo, with banned substances. Coach Claudio Berardelli and manager Federico Rosa, who are both Italian nationals, deny the charges.---AP Sports Writer Gerald Imray in Somerset West, South Africa, and Associated Press writer Mutwiri Mutuota in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report. ' ' '