NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Sloane Stephens has gained a lot of confidence. Her game is picking up, too. The 20-year-old American, ranked 17th in the world and looking for her first WTA tournament title, moved into the quarterfinals of the New Haven Open on Wednesday night with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory over Germanys Julia Georges. After being dominated in the second set, Stephens won the next four games and cruised to the win. "I think me being able to go out and play a third set strong like that is the difference between me today and a year ago," Stephens said. "I just think that Im at a point where I go out there and Im like, Im going to win." She is one of just three seeded players to advance past the second round. The others are defending champion Petra Kvidova, who beat American qualifier Alison Riske 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3; and four-time champion Caroline Wozniacki, who turned back Italys Karin Knapp 6-1, 7-5. Top-seeded Sara Errani fell to Russias Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 6-1, becoming the fifth of the tournaments eight seeds to lose in the final WTA tuneup before next weeks U.S. Open. "The good thing is that if you lose, you have more time to prepare there, if not, you have more confidence," Errani said. "I hope the court there will be different." Stephens and Wozniacki, who has won the event four of the last five years, will meet in the marquee matchup of the quarterfinals on Thursday. But Stephens said she isnt feeling much pressure, despite knowing she will come into that match and next weeks U.S. Open with the label of the next great U.S. star. "You kind of have to go with it and accept the responsibility, or whatever you might call it," she said. "But I think, in all, its a good thing." Wozniacki, a former No. 1 player in the world, cruised through her first set with Knapp, then fought through some health issues to hold on for the win. Wozniacki, who has been battling a cold this week, called for a trainer after experiencing some dizziness in the 90-degree temperatures while up 3-2 in the second set. The Danish star dropped the next two games before rallying. "Im definitely feeling much better," she said after the match. "I was feeling worse in the beginning of the week." Kvitova found herself in a back-and-forth match with the 23-year-old Riske, before breaking her at love in the fifth game of the final set. "After dropping the second set, it was quite tough to come back in the third. But Im glad for it, Im sure," she said. Errani didnt make it through her first match of the tournament, after receiving a bye in the first round. She had trouble with her slow, spinning serves all afternoon on what she said was a faster-than expected court. She was broken four times by Makarova. The 25-year-old Russian dominated her own service games, was broken just once and had eight aces. "Today was a good day for me and all my shots was working really good," Makarova said. "I understood a little bit more how to play against her." Makarova will play Simona Halep in the quarterfinals. Halep didnt have a WTA title before this year, but has three this summer and is 28-5 in her last 33 matches. She dropped her first set Wednesday but bounced back for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. The 21-year-old Romanian also attributed her slow start to the 90-degree heat, which she said caused to alter her game plan in the second set. "I played more offensive, more aggressive and I just tried to finish the point very fast," she said.Jonas Brodin Wild Jersey . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. Jordan Greenway Wild Jersey . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Jt-brown-wild-jersey/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. J.T. Brown Wild Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Jason Zucker Wild Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.ATLANTA -- One day after he was the game-winning hero as a pinch-hitter, Jose Fernandez was humbled by one of the worst starts of his career.Fernandez gave up two homers and a career-high nine runs and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 9-1 on Saturday.Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Jace Peterson hit a three-run homer in Atlantas seven-run sixth that knocked Fernandez out of the game.Six of Atlantas nine runs off Fernandez were earned, matching the right-handers career high. He allowed eight hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings.The six earned runs allowed equaled the six he allowed in five starts in June, when he had a 1.67 ERA.Rough day, man, Fernandez said. I just have to put it behind me.Asked about allowing nine runs, Fernandez said, I know its not going to be the last time, Im sure.Fernandez (10-4) drove in the decisive runs as a pinch-hitter in Miamis 7-5 12-inning win over Atlanta on Friday night. Manager Don Mattingly thought about sending Fernandez home early during the extra-inning game -- a common practice in the majors for pitchers before scheduled starts -- but kept him around for his bat.The lopsided loss put a quick end to the feel-good victory from the night before.This game always finds a way to remind you how tough it is, Fernandez said.Mattingly said he thought Fernandez got a little bit winded in the Braves seven-run sixth.It wasnt typical Jose, but I thought he threw the ball good enough, Mattingly said.Lucas Harrell (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, allowed only one run on three hits in six innings as he made his first start in the majors in two years.The Marlins, who began the day third in the NL wild-card standings, fell to 3-8 against the last-place Braves.The four-game series will conclude on Sunday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in a salute-the-troops game at the military installation.Peterson doubled to left field in the first, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Freemans 14th homer, a high shot caught by a fan on the front row of the center-field seats.Harrell, 31, made his first start ssince April 15, 2014 with Houston against Kansas City.dddddddddddd He made his major league debut with the White Sox in 2010 -- when current Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski was behind the plate.Having Pierzynski added to Harrells sense of comfort.It has been a long road to get back here, Harrell said. I felt like Ive worked real hard. Ive been up and had a little success before. It was just nice because A.J. was with me in Chicago and he knew my stuff and we were on the same page all game.Braves rookie left-hander Dario Alvarez gave up singles to Chris Johnson and Jeff Mathis in the ninth before hitting Dietrich with a pitch to load the bases. Alvarez struck out pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton and Ichiro Suzuki to end the game.11 TO GOSuzukis triple to center field in the third inning drove in Derek Dietrich, who had a leadoff single, for Miamis only run. Suzuki has 2,989 hits in the majors -- 11 from reaching 3,000.LUCKY 13Petersons first-inning double gave him a career-best 13-game hitting streak. He is the only Braves player to have a streak as long as 10 games this season.TRAINERS ROOMMarlins: 1B Justin Bour left the game in the sixth inning with a right ankle sprain. He was limping slightly after fielding Chase dArnauds grounder and barely beating dArnaud to the bag -- a call that stood following a review. He remained in the game for two batters before walking slowly off the field. Johnson took over at first base. Bour said his status is day to day.Braves: OF Ender Inciarte was held out with what he says is a minor right groin strain. He left Friday nights game in the sixth inning with the injury. He said Saturday he hopes to play on Sunday.UP NEXTMarlins: LHP Adam Conley (4-5, 3.90 ERA) will look for his second win of the season against the Braves on Sunday at Fort Bragg. He threw eight scoreless innings in a 3-0 win on June 22 in Miami.Braves: RHP Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.14) has a 7.11 ERA in two career games, including one start, against the Marlins. ' ' '