MOSCOW -- Maxim Kovtuns two confident quads gave him a big lead after Fridays short program in the Rostelecom Cup, the last of six Grand Prix events before the final. Gio Gonzalez Jersey . As the only competitor to try two quads, much less complete them, Kovtun ended the day nearly nine points ahead of Japans Tatsuki Machida, who opened with a clean quad but then stepped out of the triple toe loop that was the second jump in his combination. Javier Fernandez of Spain was in third despite falling on his quad. In the womens short program, Russian Julia Lipnitskaia was in the lead, followed by Carolina Kostner of Italy, the 2012 world champion. American teammates Agnes Zawadzki and Mirai Nagasu were one-hundredth of a point apart at third and fourth, though well behind the two leaders. Kovtun is gunning for the sole Russian mens slot in Sochi, which Turin Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko also wants. Plushenko was to have been part of the Rostelecom field, but withdrew from what would have been his first top-tier competition since back surgery this spring. Plushenko blamed his withdrawal on a knee injury. "I was interested in trying my strength against such a fantastic skater," Kovtun said. "But I hope I will have another chance at Russian nationals." Kovtun was strong throughout his flamenco-themed program, the only notable flaw that he was almost sitting on the landing of his second quad to keep his balance. Machida, who won gold at Skate America, lamented that he was not in good condition in Moscow, but said its not clear whats troubling him. "Actually, I dont know," he said when asked about the specifics. Fernandez, the European champion and world bronze medallist , expressed satisfaction despite his fall. "I think I just had a little problem in the pattern and I just need to keep my mind clear," he said. All four of the top women did triple-triple combinations. But Lipnitskaia landed a more difficult triple lutz-triple toe combo while Kostner, Zawadzki and Nagasu all did triple toe-triple toes. In pairs, four-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy led after the short program, followed by Russians Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov and Canadas Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch. Lipnitskaia, who won gold at Skate Canada, will qualify for the Grand Prix final with a medal of any shade in Moscow. Kostner would qualify with a gold, but Zawadzki, after a seventh-place finish in the Cup of China, is out of contention. The top six skaters in each discipline qualify for the final, which is Dec. 5-8 in Fukuoka, Japan. Lipnitskaias program began on a mysterious note, with her crouched down and drawing figures with her finger on the ice. Asked what thats all about, she chose to keep the meaning hidden. "Everyone can see what he wants to," she said. But once she rose from the crouch, the 2012 junior world champions program was crystal-clear: a clean triple-triple, a precisely landed double axel and a very fast combination spin at the end. The veteran Kostner, who said she is contemplating retirement after the season, said she was soothed by being back on the ice at Moscows Luzhniki Small Arena. The arena was the practice rink for the 2005 world championships, where she won her first world medal, a bronze. "It feels very special," Kostner said. "Its funny to see so much time has passed." The top pairs all struggled, notably Savchenkos hard fall on a throw triple axel, a challenging move that the pair daringly puts almost at the end of their program when their energy has flagged somewhat. "Its a risky element," Szolkowy acknowledged. "We tried it in several positions; we found at the end it is best." Bazarova put her hand down on the pairs opening triple toe loop and landed awkwardly on the throw triple loop, but said it was all an improvement over last weeks Trophee Bompard, where the pair was fourth. "Today, we got the maximum levels," she said. Moscovitch took his fall in stride, saying, "I was working on some yoga positions on the landing." Brandon Kintzler Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Daniel Murphy Jersey . Bayern winger Franck Ribery marked his league return after recovering from a cracked rib by scoring two goals and setting up two more as the league leaders inflicted the heaviest home defeat on Bremen in the Bundesliga. http://www.cheapnationalsjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-joaquin-benoit-jersey . When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide.CONCORD, N.C. - One bad race knocked three of NASCARs biggest names to the bottom of the championship standings, and a repeat Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway will put the trio on the verge of elimination.Thats the harsh reality for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and six-time and defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. They combined to win more than a third of the races this season, and their title hopes could end before the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.NASCAR eliminates four drivers from the Chase field after every third race, and Keselowski, Earnhardt and Johnson are ranked 10th through 12th in the field. A win automatically advances a driver into the third round; anything else forces the drivers to depend on next weeks elimination race at Talladega Superspeedway to stay in title contention.Its a mathematical longshot to think that Keselowski, winner of five races this season, and Earnhardt and Johnson, who have three wins apiece, can all recover enough to move into the third round. None is concerned about anything but Saturday nights race.But after a solid first practice Friday, Earnhardt was confident.Were going to win this race. I really got a good feeling about it, he said on his 40th birthday. This is what weve got to do anyway to try to get further points and try to win the championship. The cars been great all weekend. Attitudes good. Everybodys excited. The teams working well together. The cars responding well. The car ran some good laps in practice and felt real good.Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600 here in May and Keselowski is the defending race winner. Earnhardt won the All-Star race in his 2000 rookie season but has never won a points race at his home track.They are all in a hole right now because of Kansas, the opening race of the second round. Earnhardt had a tire failure while leading, and Keselowski later also had a tire issue. Johnson just had a bad all-around weekend, was in an early accident, and finished 40th.He also was off in qualifying Thursday at Charlotte, where hell sttart 21st. Matt Wieters Jersey. We are just not where we want to be, Johnson said. Bottom line. Were working very hard to get there. This sport is not forgiving. What you have accomplished in the past doesnt buy you a damn thing for the present.Jeff Gordon, Johnsons teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, cautioned not to count Johnson out just yet.I have just seen too many times these guys pull it out and do extraordinary things when they seem to be down and out, Gordon said. I dont know exactly what is going on right now. I know that those guys are incredibly good and put up a heck of a fight.I wont be surprised if they still make it to the next round or are a major threat for this championship.Keselowski, who averaged a fifth-place finish in the first round of the Chase and won the opener, said the pressure is intense at Charlotte for the entire Chase field. Penske teammate Joey Logano won last weekend at Kansas to earn the automatic berth into the third round, and his victory extended the streak of Penske or Hendrick drivers winning on every 1.5-mile track this season.Were going to do what we normally do, Logano said. We normally go out there and try to help each other. As a two-car team, weve got to work very tight together to make sure both our cars are fast. I feel like thats something we applied to Team Penske a long time ago.But theres little Logano can do come race time to assist his teammate.Theres only so much you can do on the race track to help your teammate, said Logano. My goal is still to win. I might be greedy, but I want to win.Keselowski is treating Saturday night as if it is the season finale with the championship on the line. Hes been there before a€” in 2012 when he clinched the title over Johnson at Homestead-Miami Speedway.Theres a lot at stake, but it is every weekend. This is part of the challenge, Keselowski said. For us, this is a very Homestead-like weekend. We need to perform. This is our last chance to really control our destiny in the Chase for this round, and we want to make the most of this opportunity. ' ' '