the blind side for him. The Dodgers took a 4-0 edge in the eighth inning on Adrian Gonzalezs run-scoring single. Ramirez put the Dodge

BRISBANE, Australia -- After pulling out of the Brisbane International with injuries in recent seasons, Maria Sharapova is aiming to use the season-opening tournament this time as a springboard for her comeback and to see how her new support crew works in competition. Sharapova has only played one match since an early exit at Wimbledon due to a right shoulder injury and has spent months working with her new coach Sven Groeneveld. She arrived in Australia to prepare for the first major of the season with her boyfriend and fellow professional Grigor Dimitrov, who returns after losing the final here to Andy Murray last season. Serena Williams won the last Brisbane title and is back to defend it, hoping she hasnt lost any of the momentum from a stunning 2013 season when she won 11 titles including the French and U.S. Opens, had 78 wins from 82 matches -- including a 34-match winning streak -- and collected more than $12 million in prize money. Her brief off-season was not exactly business as usual -- although it was commercial. She trained in Florida with her father, Richard, so she could be close to home for the relaunch of one of her companies and to hire a CEO for it. "I was interviewing so many people. Corporate Serena was taking over," she told a news conference Sunday. "Im happy to be here right now." Corporate Serena conducted at least 10 interviews, and still has at least one more to do. She expects it to be a tough interview, like they all are. "I definitely am not easy ... Im a tough interviewer. For me, its all about business and removing a lot of emotion," she said. "I just want to get to the point." And that brings her back to tennis, where she can turn the corporate email account off for a while and concentrate on what she does best. "I took a couple weeks off, but I was already itching to get back on the court," she said. "I didnt want to lose any rhythm or anything. Didnt want to lose momentum." No. 3-seeded Sharapova is in Williams half of the draw, meaning they could meet in the semifinals. The Brisbane tournament will be Sharapovas only warmup for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 13, so she needs to find her rhythm quickly. She said shed been practicing hard, but also concentrating on relaxing when shes off the court. Traveling with Dimitrov has helped, she said, despite or because of their major common interest. "Of course we share a lot of the same things just because we have an elephant in the room thats called tennis," Sharapova said Sunday. "But there are so many other things to life that are besides tennis, and there are a lot more things to discuss than forehands and backhands and strings and rackets, which we share similar ideas and things of." Sharapova split with coach Thomas Hogstedt after her Wimbledon loss, and said she wasnt in the right frame of mind to work with Jimmy Connors long term -- that partnership lasted one match. "You have to realize that the decisions you make, you have to make them selfishly in this business to be better, to know whats right for you," she said. "From the first time we met I really liked what (Groeneveld) had to say. Hes a team player. He works with everyone on my team, something I was missing for a little bit of time." In first-round results at Brisbane: Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki had a 6-3, 6-4 win over Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia; Andrea Petkovic of Germany beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 7-5; Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm won 6-3, 7-5 over Australias Olivia Rogowska; and Swiss player Stefanie Vogele beat American Madison Keys 6-4, 6-3. Former No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki withdrew after hurting her right shoulder in practice but said she expected to be fit the Sydney International next week. While Serena Williams gets a first-round bye in Brisbane, her older sister Venus Williams will be in action from the first round at the WTA event in Auckland on Monday when she plays 134-ranked Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic. In Hopman Cup Group B action at Perth, Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek combined to give the Czech Republic a 3-0 win over Spain. Kvitova only lost one game en route to a comprehensive singles win over Anabel Medina Garrigues before Stepanek beat Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-2, 6-2. The Czech pair won the mixed doubles 6-3, 6-4. Air Max Pas Cher France . An offseason trade acquisition from Kansas City, Greinkes National League debut was delayed by a non-baseball injury in the spring, and he was 0-1 after dropping an 8-0 decision at Atlanta in his initial appearance with the Brewers on May 4. Air Max Livraison Gratuite . -- The Florida Gators are first yet again this season. http://www.airmaxfrancepascher.fr/ . Karlovic of Croatia used his big serve to beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7). Kohlschreiber had lost all of his three previous matches against Istomin but the German broke serve for a decisive 3-2 lead in the third set and held on to reach his first final of the year. Air Max Pas Cher Livraison Rapide .com) - On a night the Bulls played without Derrick Rose, it was time for Pau Gasol to take charge. Air Max France . - San Diego Padres centre fielder Cameron Maybin is going to be out two to three months after rupturing his left biceps tendon during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.SAN DIEGO - Same pitcher, different approach, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and pitcher Josh Beckett couldnt be happier. "Josh was good, and it was a lot of the same thing," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Keeping guys off-balanced." Becketts reinvention continued Saturday night in the Dodgers 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres. His lively right arm which once produced one fastball after another has found new life by easing up. "Its a little easier the other way, but its been good," Beckett said. "Im locating my curveball, too. Its not like Im throwing curveballs down the middle. Im back-dooring them to lefties and getting them away to righties and getting them out front." Beckett (5-4) pitched seven strong innings, and Hanley Ramirez drove in two runs. Beckett, in his first start against San Diego this year, allowed four hits and two walks. No Padres reached second base, and San Diego never had more than one runner on base at a time against him. Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 21st save in 24 chances, one night after allowing three runs for the loss. Tyson Ross (6-7) worked seven innings for San Diego. But the story was Beckett working over the Padres hitters. "(Beckett) had that tantalizing curveball all night long, all different counts," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He kept it down in the strike zone and he was throwing it for a called strike right at the knee. He threw enough fastballs to keep us honest." Beckett continued his stellar work against NL West teams, tying a season-high with eight strikeouts and lowering his ERA to 1.40 against divisional foes. "The way I pitch is different," said Beckett, who is 4-1 on the road with a no-hitter and a 1.88 ERA. "I never really felt like I had to give in." Becket had plenty of praise for Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon, who reached base three times and scored two runs. "Any time he gets on base our chances of scoring go way up," Beckett said. "Hes special over there." Los Angeles, which collapsed in the ninth inning of a loss on Friday nigght, has won six of eight and nine of 12.dddddddddddd Mattingly said it was important to see Jensen return successfully after his meltdown. "That closer has to be able to clean the slate," Mattingly said. "You see them over the years, and guys are going to give up runs. That is just the way it is. "The key is to bounce back, and that has where Kenley has been pretty good. I think he has grown up into this role, to be able to clear the mind and go back out there the next day." Ross delivered a solid effort in his first start since walking seven in a loss at Seattle. He allowed three runs, two earned, and six hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Ross was again done in by the Padres weak offence, which failed to score him a run for the fourth straight outing. In five of Ross last seven starts, the Padres have produced nothing offensively. Beckett kept the Padres baffled with an assortment of offspeed pitches. He improved to 6-2 in nine career starts against him. The Dodgers took a 4-0 edge in the eighth inning on Adrian Gonzalezs run-scoring single. Ramirez put the Dodgers ahead 3-0 in the fifth inning. He lined a single to left to extend his hitting streak to nine games and score Justin Turner. With runners on the corners, Ross retired Yasiel Puig on a grounder to shortstop. The Dodgers broke the scoreless tie in the third on Gordons single, which scored Drew Butera after he opened the inning with a single. Gordon then stole his major league best 39th base and took third on second baseman Jace Petersons error. Matt Kemps sacrifice fly scored Gordon to give the Dodgers had a 2-0 lead. Kemps hitting streak reached nine games when he singled in the sixth. NOTES: Puig was in the starting lineup after leaving Fridays game with a strained left hip muscle. ... INF Juan Uribe (strained right hamstring) could rejoin the team for Sundays series finale. . Padres 3B Chase Headley (back) is expected to avoid the DL. With Headley sidelined, Rivera is taking ground balls at third. ... Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (8-3, 3.13) faces Padres LHP Eric Stults (2-9, 5.76) on Sunday. ' ' '