accepted an 18-month suspension for his declared use of a ban

It usually pays to be a top seed in tennis. Early upsets, while they happen, arent commonplace. But at the Rio Olympics, being a favorite has become a curse.Through four days, the Games have lost a host of star players, making this one of the more bizarre, unpredictable events in recent memory.Heres a recap of the first four days:Day 1Kirsten Flipkens def. No. 5 Venus Williams 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)Few athletes have worn the red, white and blue prouder than Venus, a four-time Olympic gold medalist (1 singles, 3 doubles). However, Venus, the fifth seed, lost a heartbreaking 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) opening-day match in Rio to Flipkens, a Belgian ranked No. 62 in the world. Venus did not speak to reporters afterward, but U.S. coach Mary Joe Fernandez told the media Venus has been feeling ill before leaving for the Olympics. The same day, No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska suffered a straight-sets loss against Saisai Zheng.Day 2Juan Martin del Potro?def. No. 1 Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2)The incredible shot-making and raw emotion will be remembered as much as the magnitude of this loss by Djokovic. Although Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, has fought back from multiple wrist injuries, the reality was that many believed he would never return to the player he once was. But the unseeded Argentine crushed serve after serve and forehand after forehand from the start. Djokovic never had a break-point opportunity in the match. Afterward, del Potro broke down in tears after his biggest win since that US Open seven years ago, while Djokovic was equally as distraught after failing in his quest to capture a gold medal that has eluded him throughout his career.Day 2Lucie Safarova/Barbora Strycova?def. No. 1?Venus Williams?and Serena Williams 6-3, 6-4Riding a 15-0 record heading into Rio, never before had the Williams sisters lost an Olympic doubles match together. But with Serena playing her second match of the day, and Venus still suffering from health issues that had plagued her the day before, the top seeds fell in straight sets to a Czech team that wasnt supposed to be playing together in the first place. (Strycova was a late replacement for Karolina Pliskova.) On the mens side, the No. 2-seeded Murray brothers, Andy and Jamie, also lost.Day 3Gilles Muller def. No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-3The third day of Rios tennis event was the only one without a monumental upset. However, Frances top player, Tsonga, fell rather meekly to hard-serving countryman Muller. Tsonga had entered Rio riding a wave of momentum after reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals.Day 4No. 15 Elina Svitolina def. No. 1 Serena Williams 6-4, 6-3Serena has had these kind of days before, as evidenced by last years US Open semifinals. But what we saw on Day 4 in Rio was a tentative, sloppy player whose greatest weapon -- her serve -- went haywire. Late in the second set, Serena committed five double faults in one game alone. After all the positive energy she had garnered during her run to the Wimbledon title, this one came as a stunner. Serena never found a rhythm in the match against the Ukrainian and complained of the same shoulder pain that kept her out of the Rogers Cup the week before. Custom Dallas Mavericks Jerseys Cheap . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Cheap Custom T-shirts . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. http://www.basketballcustomjerseys.com/ . U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in Manhattan agreed that lawyers on both sides could make their formal requests by Nov. 8. A hearing is scheduled for a day earlier. Jordan Siev, a lawyer for Rodriguez, wrote in a joint letter to the judge from lawyers on both sides that MLB lawyers planned to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed. Custom New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys Cheap . 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. Custom Portland Trail Blazers Jerseys Cheap . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Former UFC champion Lyoto Machida has accepted an 18-month suspension for his declared use of a banned substance in April.The 18-month suspension is dated retroactively to the fighters disclosure. He will be eligible to compete again on Oct. 9, 2017.Machida (22-7) had been scheduled to face Dan Henderson on April 16 in Tampa but was pulled from the event days beforehand for a potential anti-doping violation.It was later revealed that Machida disclosed his use of a banned substance to the United States Anti-Doping Agency during an out-of-competition test. Machida told USADA at the time that he was unaware the substance wwas banned.ddddddddddddIn a statement on Wednesday, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) confirmed the substance as 7-keto-DHEA. The out-of-competition sample that Machida provided in April also showed the presence of the banned substance.Machida faced a maximum penalty of a two-year suspension, but he received a reduced sanction because of the circumstances of his violation.A former light heavyweight champion now fighting at middleweight, Machida, 38, has not fought since June 2015. ' ' '