.Second-seeded Andy Murray played with the same focus and sharpness

As Middlesbrough get set for their first Premier League match in eight seasons, Stoke City hope this will be the campaign they finally move up from the bottom half of the top 10.Riverside Stadium welcomes top flight football back to North Yorkshire on Saturday when the Boro host the Potters.A second place finish in the Championship last season earned Middlesbrough their first promotion since 2008-09, when a 7-11-20 overall result ushered in a long exile away from the top flight.The crowd, the players, myself -- everyone is really excited, Boro manager Aitor Karanka told the clubs official website.Middlesbrough went undefeated in their final 10 fixtures last season, but drew each of the last four. Boro -- joining Hull City and Burnley on the upgrade list -- might have the best overall makeup of the new sides to avoid immediate relegation from the Premier League.We worked hard to get here so we want to stay, club CEO Neil Bausor said. Saturday has been a long time coming. Its going to be great for us, the club and the town so were really looking forward to it.A season ago, Karankas group allowed a Championship-low 31 goals and received a consistent performance in goal from Dimitrios Konstantopoulos. However, U.S. National Team and former Aston Villa member Brad Guzan and ex-Barcelona and Manchester United keeper Victor Valdes were brought in to make for some interesting competition.That kind of depth in goal could perhaps come in handy against the best England has to offer. The spirit throughout the Boro has impressed Guzan.You can see that positive energy, belief and attitude that is so important in the Premier League, Guzan said. You sense that in this dressing room, everyone is pushing each other in training to make sure theyre ready.David Nugent, Gaston Ramirez, Jordan Rhodes and Cristhian Stuani provide some solid offencive options along with Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo. Just who will see the early time up front remains an interesting decision for Karanka.Weve put some investment in and worked to bring some players in that we hope can strengthen the squad weve got, Bausor said. Coupled with the experience weve got from last year, were pleased with where we are.Perhaps the overall key to the Boro season lies on the shoulders of Karanka himself. Known for some hot-headed behaviour in the past, any outbursts directed toward his own club or game officials might come off as colorful but could prove detrimental in the top division if habitual.Stoke has finished ninth for three straight seasons, but hope the additions of midfielders Ramadan Sobhi from Egypt and former Liverpool member Joe Allen will help improve on their 41 goals scored in 2015-16. The Potters went 2-3-5 in their final 10 matches and managed 17 goals in the last 17.Forward Marko Arnautovic, who had his contract extended four years, recorded a team-high 12 goals over all competition, but scored only once in his last seven contests.Attacking wise were in decent shape, we just need to find an end product, manager Mark Hughes told Stokes official website. Weve now got a long road ahead of us but were looking forward to it.The health of defender Ryan Shawcross again remains a concern after he was limited to 20 games a season ago and did not look completely fit during the preseason.Hughes club went 6-5-8 on the road last season and was outscored 10-2 while dropping the final three away from home. Jason Kidd Jersey . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. 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SHANGHAI -- Novak Djokovic certainly appears to be a different player on court these days: Smiling after shanking balls instead of screaming, humming songs instead of hurling rackets.And thats when hes having an off day.Djokovic was sluggish and error-prone early in his quarterfinal match against Mischa Zverev at the Shanghai Masters on Friday, but he maintained his composure and fought back to win 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.The top-ranked Serb has said in recent weeks that hes trying to find more balance in his life and reduce some of the pressure hes felt on court this season. Part of that entails staying calmer during matches, particularly when things arent going well.In the first set against Zverev, things couldnt have gone much worse. Djokovic piled up 18 unforced errors to only four for Zverev, a German qualifier ranked 110th, and connected on less than half of his first serves.He started to find his game in the second set, but Zverev continued to press him with his serve-and-volley style, forcing more miscues.I wasnt striking the ball very well, Djokovic said. I was quite flat with my feet, so he got me where he wanted to get me, and to stand still at the baseline.(Zverev) was fighting. He was focused. He gave his best, and he was a few points from winning.Despite his rash of unforced errors -- he finished with 37, including six double-faults -- Djokovic didnt glower at his coaches in the stands or scream at himself. Not once.Instead, he hummed a little song.It was toward the end of the match, he said of his musical interlude. Instead of the occasional tantrum that I used to have -- I hope its behind me -- I would switch that vibration and transform it in a tune.The song that soothed him? Djokovic couldnt quite recall at this post-match news conference.Im trying to remember. Which one was it? he said. It was a famous song, actually.Djokovic completed a career milesstone by winning the French Open this year, but the following months only brought frustration, injuries and discouraging losses.ddddddddddddHe was mentally exhausted and decided he needed a new mind-set, prioritizing happiness on court, not winning.Djokovic even hinted this week it could bring about a coaching change in the new year. Asked Thursday about the status of his coach, Boris Becker, he said they planned to finish off the rest of the season together. As for next season, he added, We still havent talked about it.Becker did not accompany Djokovic to Shanghai.Djokovic next plays 15th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut in the semifinals. The Spaniard beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4.Second-seeded Andy Murray played with the same focus and sharpness he has displayed all week, easily defeating 11th-seeded David Goffin 6-2, 6-2.I had to stay strong there in the second, because physically, although it was a 6-2, 6-2 match, it wasnt easy because a lot of the points were tough, Murray said.Murray hasnt been broken in three matches so far in Shanghai, and hasnt dropped a set in his last nine matches going back to mid-September. Hes going for back-to-back titles in China after winning the China Open last week.In the semis, Murray will play Gilles Simon, who beat Jack Sock 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the days last quarterfinal.Simon and Sock combined for 80 winners in the hard-fought, two hour, 40 minute match, including a tricky, between-the-legs lob by Sock in the first set that floated over the Frenchman and landed just inside the baseline.Sock had been dominating the match early on, but took a tumble late in the second set after slipping on a wet spot and bloodied his hand. He lost the next two games to drop the set and let Simon back in the match. ' ' '