LONDON -- Exactly one year ago, as the worlds best tennis players faced each other in London at the season-ending finale, Rafael Nadal couldnt even practice. Marcus Davenport Jersey . Trying not to look too far ahead, the Spaniard was at home in Spain, just thinking about his badly injured knee. Nadal didnt know if he would play competitive tennis again. "The thoughts about the future? Just focus on recover, focus on try to find a solution for my knee, and thats it. Working every day, trying to do different things to try to be back," the 13-time Grand Slam winner said Wednesday of his feelings at the time. Things have changed dramatically. Twelve months later in London, Nadal capped his remarkable comeback on Wednesday by clinching the year-end No. 1 spot for the third time in his career. Just nine months after returning from his career-threatening injury, Nadal became the first player to hold, lose and regain the year-end No. 1 spot twice by beating Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) at the ATP finals. Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl did it once in their careers. Nadal, who beat Wawrinka for the 12th time in as many matches, cant be overtaken by No. 2 Novak Djokovic. Its the first time since 2010 that the Spaniard, who returned from a seven-month injury layoff in February, ends the year as the top-ranked player. "It is one of the best things that I did in my career: come back to No. 1 after three seasons. Thats very difficult in our sport, and after a very important injury," Nadal said after celebrating with fist pumps and leaps as if he had won the tournament -- the only major event missing from his victory collection. Nadal advanced to the semifinals of the year-end tournament because of his straight-sets victory over the Swiss. The Spaniards season will be remembered as the story of a stunning comeback during which he captured 10 titles -- including two Grand Slams. Following his defeat in the second round at Wimbledon last year and the extended absence that followed, only the boldest of bookmakers would have bet on Nadal achieving such success in 2013. When he resumed playing, his left knee was still causing him pain. However, Nadals confidence grew during a Latin-America tour which produced a 12-1 match record, including titles at Sao Paulo and Acapulco. After securing his eighth French Open title, the only real disappointment of the year came at Wimbledon, where he lost to Belgian Steve Darcis in the first round -- before adding a second US Open title. The 27-year-old Spaniard also won five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events and went undefeated on hard courts (26-0) through to the China Open final, where he lost to Djokovic. Nadal, who overtook the Serb for the No. 1 ranking last month, said he started to think seriously about the No. 1 spot after his triumph at the U.S. Open. "Because after winning five Masters 1000, two Grand Slams, all the things, I felt that I had everything to be there," he said. "But at the same time, I have a zero in Australia, I have a zero in Miami, I have a zero in Wimbledon. A lot of zeros to be No. 1. I think it is a great effort because I have unbelievable competitors in front. That makes the year end No. 1 very, very special." Nadal beat David Ferrer in his opening match on Tuesday and kept the momentum going against Wawrinka. After breaking him in the fifth game, he looked in complete control. Raising his game on important points, he erased Wawrinkas two first break points to build a 5-3 lead and looked set for an easy victory. But the tournament debutant held on as Nadal served for the set, sending a sizzling crosscourt backhand that the top-ranked player returned out of court to earn a third break point. He seized his opportunity, wrongfooting Nadal with a crosscourt forehand. The tie break was a tense affair. At 5-5, Nadal defended superbly to return a devastating forehand down the line from his opponent, who shanked his next shot. Nadal sealed the set at the first opportunity -- as Wawrinka stumbled as he went for an easy volley before smashing his racket on the floor. Nadal then converted the second of three break points in the fourth game of the second set as Wawrinka sailed a forehand long. But as in the first set, Wawrinka battled his way back into the match, winning his next service game at love before taking Nadals serve for the second time with a volley that clipped the net cord and bounced over. Both played more aggressively in the closing stages and held serve until a second tiebreak. Nadal made the most of Wawrinkas mistakes to take a 3-0 lead, but his gritty Swiss opponent took a series of risks with his returns and rallied to reach set point at 6-5. Nadal saw off the danger with a smash, pumping his fist in relief, before sealing victory on his first match point. "He is playing better tennis than me," said Wawrinka, who has yet to win a set against Nadal. "When it gets important in the match, for him its just normal. Hes just playing his best tennis or he is playing even better." Rickey Jackson Womens Jersey . When Reyes signed a US$106-million, six-year deal with Miami last month, there was speculation Ramirez was unhappy about being supplanted at short. But new manager Ozzie Guillen sold Ramirez on the idea. TreQuan Smith Saints Jersey .com) - A pair of programs shooting for their 10th win of the season get together at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, as the NC State Wolfpack tangle with 22nd-ranked West Virginia during the challenge round of the Gotham Classic. http://www.saintsrookiestore.com/Saints-Sheldon-Rankins-Jersey/ . Matt Carkner got back into the Ottawa lineup, and made his presence felt right away by settling his clubs score in a one-sided fight with Rangers forward Brian Boyle.LOS ANGELES -- The interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers testified Tuesday that coach Doc Rivers told him he will quit if Donald Sterling remains the owner of the team. CEO Richard Parsons testified at a trial to determine whether Sterlings wife, Shelly, can sell the team for $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as the NBA looks to force Donald Sterling from the league over racist statements. "Doc is troubled by this maybe more so than anybody else," Parsons said about Rivers, who is black. "If Mr. Sterling continues as owner, he does not want to continue as coach." Parsons said he fears there would also be an exodus of key players, including team captain Chris Paul, who heads the NBA players union. The judge stopped Parsons from giving an account of his conversations with Paul when an NBA lawyer objected over privacy issues. Parsons is a former chief executive at Time Warner and Citigroup who took over leadership of the Clippers in May during the media blitz surrounding the banishment of Sterling. Under questioning by Ballmers lawyer, Parsons said the departure of Rivers would "accelerate the death spiral" of the Clippers. "If Doc were to leave, that would be a disaster," Parsons said. "Doc is the father figure, the one who leads." The discussion of Clippers players and coaches is new territory for the trial that has mostly explored the dealings between the Sterlings. It wasnt immediately clear what effect the new information might have on the narrow question under consideration -- whether Shelly Sterling can sell the team under the family trust. Messages left for team officials seeking comment from Rivers werent immediately returned. Parsons, who is considered an expert in the management of major corporations, said he was certain that big corporate sponsors would pull out and season ticket holders would demand their money back if Donald Sterling remains the owner. &quuot;If your coach leaves, if your players dont want to play with you, what do you have?" Parsons asked. Marshon Lattimore Saints Jersey. "If your sponsors leave and the fans leave, its going to spiral down and down." Parsons also said he doesnt believe that anyone will offer as much money for the team as Ballmer. That opinion was seconded by witness Anwar Zakkour, an investment banker who helped broker the deal for Ballmers purchase and said he never expected a bid so big. Explaining why Ballmer would have bid over the value of the team, Zakkour said, "It was a trophy asset." "This is the highest price ever achieved for a sports team," he said. "However way you count it, this is an amazing price that anyone should be satisfied with." Parsons and Zakkour said that if the NBA seized the team and put it up for auction, the price would drop because there would be less certainty about the teams future. Outside court, Sterlings lawyer, Bobby Samini, said the billionaire would persist in his opposition to the sale because "he feels he was wronged" by the NBA. "He has no desire to destroy the team," Samini said. "He is fighting to protect his rights." Later Tuesday, Sterling fired off another legal volley, filing a new lawsuit against his wife, the NBA and league Commissioner Adam Silver that alleges fraud, breach of contract, unfair business practices and infliction of emotional distress. He claimed, among other things, that he was tricked into being examined by psychiatrists to establish whether he was mentally competent. The high-stakes financial fight centres on whether Shelly Sterling was authorized to make a deal with Ballmer on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust. Outside court, Shelly Sterlings lawyer, Pierce ODonnell, said Donald Sterling is being driven by "a perverted egotism." "Right now, were in the grips of Donald Sterlings craziness," he said. ' ' '