WASHINGTON Jan 26 Reuters For details of the U

Just getting to round two may be a sign of improvement from the still-maturing Djoker.Marin CilicHis Davis Cup disappointment does not seem to have thrown the young Croat off his game too badly. Cilic defeated the Russians Igor Andreev and fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko, both in straight sets, before administering a beating to the embattled top seed Rafael Nadal.In the final, however, he missed out on repeated early chances to break Djokovic before a rain delay swept away his momentum and put the Serb in front.Given his huge shots and the fluid movement that belies his towering size, Cilic appears separated from the top 10 by nothing more than mental consistency.Rafael Nadal Fans of the Spaniard need not panic, because we’ve seen this before: In the fall of 2007 and spring of 2008 Nadal consistently reached the latter rounds of events but was beaten soundly at the end of nearly every one.His triumphant opponents in those matches included David Nalbandian, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Novak Djokovic, and Mikhail Youzhny; very different players all, but each capable of hitting through the spin Nadal generates and keeping him on the defensive. When Nadal lacks momentum and/or confidence, he is vulnerable to these types of players, especially on hard courts. However, when the clay of 2008 arrived, everything changed, and the Raging Bull played the best tennis of his career That, in turn, carried over to less muddy surfaces. The bad news is that clay is a looooooong way away, and beatdowns like the one Nadal received from Cilic are not fun to watch. His first match in Shanghai will be with James Blake, who has given him fits in every match they’ve played.Robin SoderlingLe Sod has got the game to do very well on fast surfaces, and his semi appearance in Beijing seems further evidence. However, Djokovic and Roger Federer have more in common than just a natural all-court game: Both have thoroughly dominated the big Swede, as Djokovic has now lost only one set in four meetings.

Now that he’s fit and focused, Soderling’s next step will be to solve the dilemmas these players pose for him.Andy RoddickHard as it was to watch, at least Nadal’s defeat in Beijing came at the hands of a player we’d heard of. With his straight sets defeat against Lukasz Kubot, Roddick has now lost two matches in a row, and the novelty of Larry Stefanki appears to have worn off.. WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - For details of the U.S.Treasury's offering of cash management bills on Monday, see: Bonds IPOs70-day bill:here Bonds IPOs. In this tough economy, NFL QB money is looking better than ever which makes it even more amazing that two Heisman winners, Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford, decided to return to school in 2009.Not only is the cash greener on the other side of the fence, but when you stay in college you risk getting injured and losing it all. Something Tebow and Bradford have already had to worry about this season.I considered the two QB's four of the players who had the most to prove to NFL scouts entering the season (along with LaGarrette Blount) and they will be under a close watch for the remainder of the season.Bradford Bests Baylor Bears But Is He The Best QBLast April, Bradford would have been the top pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. Instead, he returned to Norman, OK and almost lost it all when he injured his shoulder against BYU in the season opener.I have mixed emotions about Bradford's return to the helm. His 27-of-49 passing was 12.7 percentage points lower than his completion percentage in 2008. He was able to lead Oklahoma to a decisive 33-7 victory, but the Bears have never beat the Sooners and Bradford didn't register his lone touchdown pass until the four-minute mark in the fourth quarter. The Sooners struggled to finish the Bears off, kicking four field goals in the second half.Standing tall in the pocket Bradford did show elite accuracy at times but Baylor couldn't muster any serious pressure. Bradford also tweaked his leg in the first quarter and finished the day with -5 rushing yards on three carries.After the National Championship loss to Florida, I had serious doubts about Bradford's ability to throw under pressure, and all of my concerns still exists. I have to imagine I'm not the only one with Bradford behind someone on their draft board.Hard Headed Tebow Leads By ExampleAs the heart and soul of the Florida Gators, it was important for Tebow to show he is 100 percent, not only for his teammates, but also for NFL scouts.Not once did I see Tebow shy away from contact against LSU. He ran for tough yards, stepped into throws when pressured, and never seemed to have a woozy moment on the field.While Tebow's head seemed strong, all of the questions about his skills are still there. He may not have time to get his grenade toss wined-up off in the NFL, and Urban Myers' offense gives Tebow extra time to make reads.Nobody will question his will to win, but Tebow did throw an errant pick in crunch time, and the way NFL teams have been driving in the fourth quarter this season, I'm not sure he could afford that in the League.There is still hope for Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback, even in a non-wildcat setting, but he may have to sit a year or two to adjust.Snead Shows True Colors Against SEC EliteDon't believe the hype. Jevan Snead's NFL stock took a huge hit when he failed to perform in prime time against a good South Carolina defense on Sept. 24. The going got worse when Ole Miss hosted Alabama last Saturday.Snead connected on 11-of-34 passes, dropping his season completion percentage to 46.8. Of the four interceptions he threw two were due to his teammates, but by failing to throw a TD it brought his TD-to-INT ratio to 1-to-1 on the year.If youre judging his arm strength, it's understandable that someone would have him as the top quarterback prospect, but Snead lacks fire and his accuracy is unrefined. Another year in the SEC would do him some good.Top 10 QB Prospects1. Jake Locker - Improvements in accuracy and decision making is surprising, if he had more competent receivers his completion percentage would be much better.2.

Colt McCoy - Completion percentage over the past two years is impressive in any system.3 Sam Bradford - Games against Texas (Oct 17) and Nebraska (Nov 7) will show how he does with a player in his face.4. Tony Pike - Size matters in the NFL and Pike is biggest of the bunch.5. Jimmy Clausen - Accuracy and decision making is strong, but he is unusually un-athletic.6. Jevan Snead - Has dug himself a deep ditch with poor performances, can he dig himself out7. Tim Tebow - Doesn't get to display NFL skills on a regular basis but theres something to be said about four years of success and stats.8. Dan LeFevour - Four years of film has given the scouts a chance to see his progression, but it has also exposed his flaws.9. (Adds background, share price) LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - UK property investment firmMapeley MAY.L said its shareholders backed a plan to issue 45million pounds ($62 million) in convertible bonds to pay offdebts.